New-York tribune., 1916-01-17
Public Schools Do Not Fit for lite-Cary Schools 10
Social Spirit of Gary Chldren-Finest
Schools for Poorest

drama that was being enacted IN the
world about me. And, what with news
paper work and the socialist local ana
the public library and the conversation
of my friends, ! began to be IN some
sort educated.
"In this world outside Of school
discovered. moreover, what to DO with
nv passion for ideas, my love OF argu-
ment. my fondness for books, wnlch
had been at school "A KIND OF honor
able oddty | found for the hrst time
an opportunity 10 use and develop
these passions. not as an .diosyncraSy'
but as part of the business OF me-
Public School Did Not Fit for Life.
AT eighteen suffered the most bit
ter and poisonous h.miliatlons IN my
contact with a world which / had not
been educated 20 enter. At twenty
eight | have the .elf-conhdcnce which
comes from having ne a few things
successfully. Mathematics ~ iurthest
from my heart, and ! do not love ma
chinerv. but If 10 were absolutely
necessary for me t. audit the books
Of q bank or fy from here 10 Boston
i'm an acroplane. the task would nov
seem so huge nor myself so icnomini-
ouSly unequal TO u as ! once telt IN
undertaking some of the very simple
things for which ! was being pald. -
education does rot mt one 10 take
part in the activities Of the world win
a confident and joyous spirit, then II
IS not education.
Gary Schools Turn Out All-Around
Human Beings.
"As | understand the new theory
Of education, IL undertakes TO turn
out from the public schools young men
and women who are all-round human
beings: who arr strong, healthy, sell
confident. acquainted with flowers,
birds. trees. tools, machinery, knowing
something about the world. Ihey VIII
have learned easily many things, ne
cause there was good reason Tor their
learning them. They will learn arith,,
metic because 10 is part OF lie, ana
Latin If they choose because there
are interesting things 70 read IN that
language. They Will 30 from school
into a world which they Will know no"
to deal with, lecause their school mas
been like the world. They will not
have 20 20 through the painful process
OF being educated By employers, who,
after all. have other ends IN view, ana
are not the most patient Of teachers.
"Au this wi'l presumably happen
some time. j. is happening here and
there in Gary. md; IN the colored
district in indianapolis; in Fairnope,
Ala, and 70 the children OF the rich
in the Francis Parker School, IN Chl-
cago.
But it would seem altogether i'm
probable that anything 30 sensible
should be generally done in our life
time. except for the miraculous and
hardly credible fact that in Gary the
new system has been found to be
cheaper than the old.
New York City. on the verge OF
bankruptcy, considers the adoption or
the Gary system. i is such thing
as only happens In fiction.
"Of course, even n % ~ adopted u
will have Its impcrfections. But the
mere idea that New York City may try,
in however biunderlnc a way, 20 make
education a part of life. and life a part
Of education, makes me wonder If l
am not dreaming.
No Alarm over Religious Feature.
"And then my friend speaks up and
tells me that because the Gary system
provides a couple of hours a week in
which children may, If their parents
wish, 20 to the Catholic Church, 10
the Unitarian Church. r to the Church
of the Social Revolution. for religious
instruction, instead Of getting excused
at some inconvenient time for the
same purpose because Of this, my
friend tells me that it is an infamous