New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-11
The MAYORS Education Programme

The Mayors Education programme
In swearing in his dozen new appointees
to the Board of Education Mayor Mitchell
committed them publicly to a good pro
gramme This included the extension of
the duplicate school system with which the
city is now experimenting the elimination
Of the present unwieldy board and the
substitution of small and workable-and
working-body and the installation Of the
states system Of military training in the
schools here.
| There has bean much controversy over
the merits Of the first two itens in this
programme. But there should no longer
be controversy within the Board Of Educa-
ton The city is officially committed to the
Gary plan, so called, Of duplicate schools
the work-study- play scheme. Experiments
carried on in two boroughs show its advan-
tages as applied to conditions here, and
large appropriation has been made to ex-
tend its operations to other schools. 1t
appears to be the only solution of the Sc
rious part-time problem which lies within
the financial resources of New York.
1t is fitting, therefore, that the Board of
Education should give its thorough and
sympathetic support to the further work
ing out of the plan. Heretofore there has
been much pulling and hauling; allegations
have been made that the advocates of the
new system were handicapped in their eff
forts to put it into effect. The Mayor has
done well to assure himself and the public
that these new members Of the board will
be in complete accord with the administra-
tons ideas and the city's declared policy
in this instance.
That is the case also regarding the eff
fort to reduce the size of the Board of Edu-
cation. Over this proposal bitter fight
has been waged in the board. The best
opinion of educational experts, though,
stands behind the Mayor and his col
leagues. who believe that small board
so small as one made up Of seven or nine
members-would be far better for the city
than the present topheavy body, in which
there is neither direct responsibility for
the acts Of members. nor feYibility in ac-
ton and adequate concentration of power
and authority. The Mayor is within his
rights and is acting wisely in making GER
tain that his appointees favor this change,
designed to procure efficient management
of the city's educational affairs.
AS to the third phase of this programme,
the Mayor is only taking pains TO impress
en- the Board Of Education the desirability
of carrying out pathetically, rather
than obeying with latent sntagonsm, the
state law on the subject Of military train
ing. lie has been criticised for injecting
his own ideas of preparedness" into dis
cussion Of the city's affairs. That seems
rather a narrow view of the situation to
take.
The Board Of Education is compelled TO
put into operation In the schools the pro
gramme of the Military Training Commits
sion. which, as prepared so far, is In no
sense militaristic but purely a provision
for advantageous and desirable physical
training for the pupils. The law may or
may not be good; the programme Of train
ling assuredly is good and has the com
mendation az DR. Finley, State Commits
sioner Of Education, who isn't usually con
sidered a rabid advocate of Prussianism.
But while the law stands. the board has no
choice but 30 obey II, and the Mayor is emf
nently sensible in counselling obedience
and cooperation rather than obedience with
antagonism.