The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-13
The MeddIer
III The coat 6is yos. put II on"

Not few parents are of the opinion
that the grades as well as the high
school ought to be put on the one-ses-
sion plan basing their belief on a varie-
ty of reasons. They contend for one
thing, that many grade pupils could Sc
cure afternoon work which would in no
way interfere with their studies vet
would help considerably in meeting the
labor Aortage The claim also is made
that the one-session plan would save an
appreciable amount of fuel during the
winter months. In the case of parents
who have children in both high school
| and grades the same hours for both
| would simplify greatly the midday meal
problem. On the other side is the ar
gument that the children, especially
those of the early grades, do better with
| two sessions than with one, and that
being in school for q longer period they
have less opportunity to get into mis-
| chief. RS =. ,4
H1e
| In view of this discussion 1t may be
Milo B. Hillegas, state commissioner of
education. In recent letter to Miss
| Florence Wellman local superintendent,
4 he says that two considerations should
4 enter into the decision. The first con
kcerns the efficiency of one session COM
hpared with two. On that point the COM
missioner quotes an investigation made
I'm New York city which showed that
1.-THE children made just as marked prog
lress by attending school half day as
by attending the whole day. In a social
way. he says, the two-sessiOn plan pos
Isibly has the advantage in that chill
ldren who have improper home condi-
,.tions are retained longer under the
school s influence. On the economic side
Mr. Hillegas leans to the one session ar.
rangement because of his belief that il
will be fuel-saving arrangement in
winter, basing his belief upon the ex
lperienee of various school officials with
whom he has talked on the subject
F." Combining all these conditions he
says, II feel myself quite in favor OF
a one-session day, perhaps keeping thC
two-session plan during the mild wealth
err this fall.
That, The Meddler understands, il
q just what local officials plan to do, an,
e it seems wise arrangement. If it i
t true that any amount of fuel can b.
: saved by the one-session plan that con
isideration alone should outweigh al
0 others at the present time when fue
conservation is such an important fea
:. ture of our winning program. AM
Il the fact that the local school build
n ing may happen to have coal enougI
8 for its needs this winter should max
i it no less careful in the use thereof
for there s another winter coming, an
IS a long war ahead,
Il Speaking of war, how many of thos
who saw the detraining of the person
injured in Tuesdays railroad wrec
thought of the scene as a bit like scene
that are taking place on a hundredfol
larger scale in France every day. Tn
l. idea came to a good many no doub
IT and for passing moment at least mad
It them think seriously of what the hol
rors of war must be like. And it is
10 good time perhaps for all of us to d
lie little serious thinking about the G.
q, tent of our sacrifice "a for the wa
! In the case of most of us the mild sci
Il denial that we practice is hardly q
titled to so dgnifed a term.
=
to AS result of Tuesdays primnr
q Windham county will be a negligibl