New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-27
School Should BE Life.

Our correspondent asks: How would
you make the work progressive from
day 10 day and from week 10 week ~
Wen. how would you make life pro-
gressive from day TO day and week 20
week. What we all need TO do. If we
are really 10 educate children, Is to stop
thinking Of school IN terms OF Courses
Of Study" School should be real life
for children. and the only criterion for
presenting the subject IN the audltori-
um should be that it forms part of the
childrens lives at that time. so that
they see some reason for II. and are not.
Ike poor Penrod. unable 10 imagine
circumstances present or future, under
which any Of the instruction or tram
ing he was now receiving could be OF
the slightest possible use or beneht TO
himself
Mr. Writ has said in ono Of his re
ports. I'VE often hear adults say that
If they had their school days 20 live
over again. they would improve them
better than they did" What brought
lis as adults TO the realization Of the
value Of an education? Is It not the
fact that every day we are disappointed
AZ not being able 20 DO the things that
we might do if We had properly trained
our hands and our brains? If our
children are TO appreciate their school
opportunities now. while they can
make use of them. We must find way
20 make them actually disappointed
now because they do not have the
things that the school can teach. Suct
disappointment will create desire 70
learn what the school can teach
Instead Of telling a child TO worF
hard on his arithmetic now because he
viii need 10 ten wears later. the chill
dren in Gary schools find out IN the
shops and play and science labora-
tories that they need the ARITHMETIC
nov i'm their school life. The life o.
the school shows the children daily
the practical value Of the subjects
.auohf I'm the school: and. probably,
there Is nothing I'm all the school work
which so stimulates a desire for knowl-
EDGE Of these subjects. and OF inter
est i'm the things which the school has
10 teach as the auditorium. with It's
vivid presentation of the activities OF
the school
As TO the last question raised by our
correspondent, the answer Is that
schools of 5000 are divided INTO t"o
schools. That means $500 IN eacn
school. and only a sixth OF the scnool
l. over fr the auditorium al oilt N4ti--
I'm 2. : s.. where there are 5000 emil
dren. they have about 400 in the audi
torium. If an audience OF 500 cannot
near. a. our correspondent suggests.
why does New York build auditoriums
Of that size? They are not necessary
for the Gary plan. and the fact that
New York made that mistake cannot
be laid Al the doors Of the Gary pla"
The Board of Education and the Gary
Plan.
A We 90 20 press the news comes
that AZ the Board of Education meeting
this afternoon. when "A vote was taken
on the reelection Of two associate sup
erintendents and i've district superin-
tendents. District superintendent
Joseph TAYLOR was the only one not
reelected. District Superintendent
TAYLOR was placed in charge Of the re-
orcarization Of the twelve Bronx
schools on the Gary plan last year
ne has done the work conscientiouslv
and fairly. and with -ingle-minded de-
votion TO the task that was set him
Aside from the fact that SIX member
requested that rhe election OF the
s,,nerintendents be laid over for two