The sun., 1919-06-01
Questions for Parents to
Consider When Choosing a
Schoolfor Their Children
By FRANK s. HAcKETT,
He.dmaster. Riverdale Country School.

less Of an arbitrary character said or
thought OF these institutions.
Furthermore, Il Is probably true that
in any good private school there is more
real democracy than In the average
public school. This ensues because the
students OF a private school are all on
precisely the same basis, and 1t makes
no difference who the father Is. How
often 10 II true, however, In public
schools, that the boy or the girl whose
family Ia prominent In the life OF the
community 10 moro or less singled out
by companions and either given very
hard time or II or moro or less put upon
a pedestalf
Understanding. then. that the good
private school should. by Its very ma
ture, furnish better opportunity for the
boy or girl. and that II IL not un-Amer-
lean or undemocratio TO seek TO give 70
the students the best possible founda-
ton. parents will naturally want TO
know how TO 20 about finding the pri-
vato school best adapted for the boy or
the girl In question.
Unfortunately, care IL not often taken,
| first, 10 study the particular needs or
the individual, and then to select the
| right type OF school--for private schools
follow types far more than public
schools. There 10 a vast differentiation.
The FIRST thought of the city family
is usually of a school in the country.
Fortunately there are now two distinct
| types of=eountry school-that which In
| the past twenty years has developed into
q large movement as the country day
school, and the traditional boarding
school. The country day school has as
| It's chief distinguishing Characteristic ali
around development. II takes the boy
or the girl away from tho city for the
entire day. provides SCHOOLING. usually
in new, bright buildings surrounded py
ample grounds pursues athletics vigof-
ously in the afternoon. and thus anords
the students a chance at night for the
training of the home. A number or
these schools also have boarding accom-
modations whereby the students remain
for six days Of the week and. II their
parents so desire, spend Sunday under
home influences.
The location OF these country day
schools Ii near enough to the city so that
they may be reached well within an
hour, and often they provide such means
of transportation as buses, or else they
are very accessible by rapid transit
New York IL peculiarly fortunate IN that
1--WE such schools are thriving. four In
Riverdale and one in Bay Ridge. out
side OF Boston, Providence, Hartford.
City, 81 Paul. Minneapolis. Richmond.
Va. Milwaukee and Pittsburg. there are
already groups of such institutions, and
many are projected outside of other large
cities.
To these schools there 90 those stu
dents whose parents feel the made
uacy Of city surroundings for the de-
yelopment OF the youth. but who also be-
iieve In their own responsibility Tor pro-
viding the right home influences.
with classes which are kept small by
reason Of physical limitations great
teachers enjoy the work In these schools.
foo they feel the professional satisfac-
tioh which comes from working In whole
some surroundings. with a group large
enough for eager competition. but not toe
large for the effect of the teachers per-
sonal influence.
This type of school. perhaps. has
grown more rapidly in recent years than
any other. Indeed there is already a
strong movement on foot to adopt this
plan In the erection OF new public high
schools. thereby Fastening the day when
there shall be no school not surrounded
by Fairgrounds.
There are, however. many boys and
girls who should be away from homo
almost entirely, either because they have
become too dependent or too independ-
ent or because conditions are not such
as to conduce to simple. wholesome llv-
ing. The vast growth OF boarding
schools throughout the country reflects
the prevalence OF these conditions in
American life. Probably no other single
influence Ia doing more to preserve the
] finest American traditions among the
children of such homes than the best
kind of boarding school.
Then there are the day schools within
; the city. Many of these have adopted
the country school plan of a full school
day which embraces athletics as we'll as
teaching. Each has its individual stand
point. enphasizing some particular side
Of education.
Among these schools n new type 1,
, developing which makes use during the
} day OF great buildings. such as those oc.
, cupiad by the Y. NJ. c. A. thus taking
advantage Of physical facilities such as
, swimming pools and gymnaslums, which
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