Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-16
WHAT THE CARY
SCHOOL PLAN DOES
Lessons Expense Of Housing
School Children.
WIDER USE OF BUILDINGS B

Arguments For and Against the Plan
Presented by Superintendent J. II.
Van Sickle Of Springfield, Macs, In
Report Of the United States Bureau
Of Education.
when a scheme is proposed by
which existing school buildings may
accommodate two sets Of pupils it Is
no wonder that wide interest is arous-
ed" declares Superintendent ]. H. Van
Sickle Of Springfield, Mass, in describ-
ing the spread of the Gary plan OF
school organization. in a report issued
BY the United States bureau Of educa-
ton of the department of the interior.
ANY plan that will lessen the ex-
pense Of housing school children
makes a strong appeal to boards Of es-
innate, school boards and the press
School boards are not willing, however,
to be hurried into adopting a plan. for
exclusive use in a situation quite diff
ferent from the customary one, with
out carefully testing its applicability"
Arguments for and against the Gary
plan are presented by Superintendent
Van Sickle as follows:
The Gary plan is advocated largely.
but not exclusively, on the ground OF
lower cost: There are those, however,
whose approval is based upon the
claim that by means of longer school
day it affords to the children wider OPP
portunities for work, study and play;
that it distributes the burden of teach
ing more evenly over the entire teach
ing staff, and that it affords prevoca-
tional training to all children in all of
the grades instead Of combining such
work to a small group Of children in
the seventh and eighth grades.
1.-THE Gary system has commended
itself to students of education for va
rious reasons. 1t promises:
"An enriched school life for every
pupil.
"A coordination Of all existing child
welfare agencies and fuller utiliza-
ton Of all facilities in present public
and private recreational and education
al institutions.
"A solution of the part time problem.
"a double school plan by which each
school seat serves two children.
"A wider use Of the school plant.
IAN increase in the school day
through a coordination of work, study
and play activities.
"A program that would invest the
child's nonacademic time to greater
profit and pleasure.
"A socialized education in harmony
with progressive thought of the day.
ION the other hand, those who op-
pose the immediate and wholesale
adoption OF the duplicate plan for the
elimination Of part time express doubt
as to certain novel features Of school
administration which it embodieS, such
as departmental teaching for all chill
dren from the first year through the
eighth. instruction of groups Of chill
drcn by pupils instead Of teachers,
the grouping together Of younger and
older pupils for auditorium, laboratory
and workshop exercises. the substitu-
ton of an auditorium period for class
room instruction. the omission of for
mai 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 suf-
ficient time has not elapsed to test the
: worth Of the schemes.
"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 in
struction is the equivalent Of regular
schooling.
''To this criticism the reply is made
that it would be very unfortunate If
the school undertook to insure that
such instruction should be the equiv
alent Of regular schooling. for in that
religious instruction. which the law
expressly prohibits. The program sim
ply provides that the child can be ex-
cused during the day to take private
lessons at home or attend religious in
struction If the parent 80 desires.
L uVSc pcilOuS are never tdhcu IIOu
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.
Even in communities where the
part time problem is either less acute
or else none1istent and where the ex-
penditures for schools have not be-
come so burdensome as in New York
/ there will be decided interest in the
Gary duplicate plan. This. gigantic
! experiment in education, now In full
operation in one Of the smaller cities
and in partial operation in the largest
American municipality, is unquestion-
ably Of vast Importance, vet the
changes required in installing the sys-
/ 4