The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-06
The Gary Plan.

WHEN a scheme is proposed by which existing school build
ings may accommodate two sets of pupils it is no wonder that
wide interest is aroused" declares Superintendent j. II. Van
Sickle. of Springfield, Mass, in describing the spread Of the Gary
plan of school organization in a report just issued by the United
States Bureau of Education of the department of the interior.
y "Anv plan that will lessen the expense of housing school
children makes a strong appeal to boards OF estimate, school
boards and the press, School boards are not willing, however, to
be hurried into adopting, for exclusive use in a situation quite
different from that in which it originated, a plan so radically dill
Iferent from the customary one without carefully testing Its ap-
%picability." ar 5uD .wu
Arguments for and against the Gary plan are presented by
Superintendent Van Sickle. He says:
"The Gary plan is advocated largely, but not exclusively, on
the ground of lower cost. There are those however, whose ap.
Iproyal is based upon thesclaim that by means OF longer school
study and play; that it distributes the burden of teaching more
evenly over the entire teaching staff; and that is affords prevo-
cational training to all children in all OF the grades instead OF Of
%confning such work to a small group of children in the seventh
"The Gary system has eommeded itself to students of educa-
ton for yariousereasons.lt promises: ra
"Ansenriched schoollife for every pupil. /,
"a coordination Of all existing child welfare agencies. and
d. fuller utiGzationaof all facilities in present public and private
reereational and educational institutions.
"A solution of-the- part time problem.
"A double school plan by which eacn School seat serves TWO
"a wider use Of the school plant.
can increase in the school day through a coordination OF
work, study and play activities.
"A program that would invest the chiRs non-academic time
to greater profit and pleasure.
"a sociaized education in harmony with progressive thought
of the day.
con the other hand, those who oppose the immediate and
wholesale adoption of the duplicative plan for the elimination of
part time express doubt as to certain novel features of school
administration which it embodies, such as departmental teach
ing for all children from the first year through the eighth, in
struction of groups of children by pupils instead of teachers, the
grouping together of younger and older pupils for auditorium,
laboratory and workshp exercises, the sutsttutin of an audi
torium period for classroom instruction, the omission Of formal
physical training, supervised play with only four teachers for
twelve classes, the deferring of scholastic work for first year
children until late in the afternoon. They urge that sufficient time
has not elapsed to test the worth of the scheme.
g. "a further criticism is that outside instruction in the home
or in the church is permitted. but that no means is provided for
seeing that such instruction is the equivalent of regular school
ing.
ITO this criticism the reply is made that it would be very
unfortunate if the school undertook to insure that such instrhc-
ton should be the equivalent of regular schooling, for in that
case the school would be supervising religious instruction which
the child can be excused during the day to take private lessons
at home or attend religious instruction, if the parent so desires.
These periods are never taken from the academic work and
therefore do not detract from the regular work of the school. AS
in the case of play and auditorium, it is simply time which, in
the traditional school, the child would spend upon the street.
What Is taught in these outside classes and how it is taught is not
and should not be, the concern of the school"
Interest in the Gary plan is by no means confined to the
larger cities, Superintendent Van Sickle finds.
Gwen in communities where the part time problem is either.
less acute or else non-existent, and where the expenditures for.
schools have not become so burdensome as In New York, there
will be decided interest in the Gary duplicate plan. This gigan-
tic experiment in education, now In fullsoperation in one of the
smaller cities and in partial operation in the largest American"
municipality, is unquestionably of vast importance, yet the changes
required in installing the system in existing schools are SO. radical
and so expensive that school authorities will be disposed to await
the result Of an adequate trial in New York City before depart
ing from the present policy which reserves seat for every child"