El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-22
OUT OF ALL THIS DISCUSSION
WILL COME GOOD SCHOOL SYSTEM

-F 7o7 of the school board in further modifying the
Gary system in 50 far as It applies to the first and
ri9uis6sd from these which children Of Spanish blood
rs5ciaate comes result OF the quiet but effective
opposition Of many parents VINO nave long been dssas-
red with the Gary system
The system has many supporters in FL Pas0 They are
1t bsrtT to seek have it fully rsestabished if they
desire Whatever IS pest Tor the children and whatever
- meets the wishes Of the taxpaying public is what the
school board desires TO do If it does not appear that the
children study better and learn more than under the Gary
system there VIII be strong argument for restoring it.
Opposition TO the Gary system has been mainly to
some q It's physical aspects Parents disked that part Of
Il winch Obliged their small children to 20 from class to
ez- taking Instruction first from teacher and then
@ another and with no place to leave books paper or
uercls with any of finding them upon their
return One parent guessed he had bought 200 pencils for
rs little girl during the past school year, most Of which
had been taken BY other pupils when the opportunity arose
A9l-I --te eli kept AeI possessions intact only oy
taking them with her wherever she went To 20 to class
che packed Up like soldier, taking all her books and other
uzlezs Win ner "hen she went 70 play she dld inc
sue She had desk to be occupied by herself alone
and n which TO keep her books and other materials for
study
there was also opposition supervised play, on the
thsy that playing by order not play at all but that
hn5ered rather than developed the cds initiative It
believed that children often obliged to part
play for which they had relish and that the result
a5 Be more beneficial If they were allowed to choose
ther own games and play them in their way. It
also felt that the combination Of departmental work and
directed play kept the children in school too many hours
day OF there the answering argument that
caen WORKING and playing al school are not running me
srcs that the system is being maintained
whose parents guardians absent from home at
work during the day
Under the boars present decision to the American
choos7 first and second grade children VIII have but
teacher and VIII 60 TO school but half day Upper grade
children VIII 90 ahead under the system before except
that committee appointed by the school board may de-
change in the system Of supervised and directed
PlzE
i should be borne in mind that the Gary system as
applied in Fl Paso does not comprise the whole system
hur only certain features Of it. The system has been
modified SO TO meet local conditions well possible,
be subjected to further modification Oppo-
ents the partial Gary system used here may continue
their fight its total abolition; that is to say, TO
eliminate above the second grade well as IN the first
tE0 as the beard has done
The boards action probably is to be regarded expert
mental designed first to meet the most pronounced obJec
rors ard second TO which Of the two methods Of
strucou works out best 1t VIII take the next school
tern FOR board the teaching forces and the patrons Of
The schools decide whether the system 1t stands
satisfactory whether further changes desirable
As applied the first grades, it is likely the
abolition Of the Gary system by the board viii meet with
general approval for the feeling has been rather evident
that very small children ought not 70 be subjected TO de-
prmeual instruction and that they ought not to be IN
s-h0o more than half day. It has been claimed that
snail children have been almost out before the end
Of the school term II VIII be whether the Gary
system has been TO blame for that whether It IS
ascribable TO health conditions combined with warm
weather and school attendance
There Is great deal Of difference Of opinion but
ont Of the modifying and experimenting well devised and
satisfactory education system is bound to come