Norwich bulletin., 1919-06-05


 cred as giving vocational direction to l our pupils as they turn the age of l F and begin to think of. going to work. Instead we have held enthus- tastic young re-adolescents to a l routine review of subject matter which they have mostly covered, the three R's plus geography and hygiene. This conservative policy of holding pupils On tasks already known and of giving all the same work exactly has had its logical effect in two ways; many who would have progressed under other handling have gone to sleep on the job and fallen behind; these and others have inevitably left school in large numbers, many, ostensibly, because they needed to go to work, but more, practically, because they tired of school and could see nothing to it. In the third place, in the sharp dis tinction drawn between our grammar schools and our high schools we have made the transition from one to the other so difficult in many instances as to make it most expensive in human material. These three characteristics, whatever merits there have been and these aer undeniable, have resulted in a fearful loss of children between the fifth grade and the ninth Gin Nor wich about three quarters of those who enter the 5th) and we have had turned into our industrial life large numbers of boys and girls without any vocational knowledge or experience whatsoever.
 Credited With Many Benefits.
 The junior school is credited. and I believe justly, with many benefits. It is supposed to accomplish, and where well planned and executed does ac- compiish. four things.
 It does give a better type of in struction and school life to pupils be- tween the ages of F and IS.
 It does reduce the loss of pupils from grade to grade, and the retardation of the upper grades.
 It does send more pupils into high school and they are better prepared for high school work.
 It does give a substantial vocation al training, the amount of such train i ing depending upon the choice of the 1 pupil and his parents.
 ] Of course, the question is, Does the l new school actually do what it is ex- pected to do. I have visited some T. of these schools this year and have 1 observed varying degrees of success l have no hesitation in saying that the school does meet expectations if it is | given half chance. That is to say ) that the junior school makes good 1T i just so far as the people behind it an6
 in it have an understanding of it: possibilities and problems and dis play breadth of view i'll matters o,
 policy and administration. Given { i good building, suitably equipped, witt a sufficient and capable staff of teach. l CTS, a progressive and resourceful ex ecutive, a liberal curriculum and {; i willingness to experiment on new ant original ways of doing things, th' school is almost sure to succeed nt
 matter what the type of children. A a matter of fact all children of tht ages of 12 to IA will respond to whole some surroundings which appeal t their natures.
 l But you are especially interested t
 know how this type of school will worl in Norwich and why it will be intro duced into your system.
 I have spent parts of several day in your town during the past year
 have driven about town, have visite' a number of your grade schools. hay inspected the Academy in the reg
 ular course of my duties, and hay
 studied your school reports in detai
 for seven years back. I have come t
 have a profound respect for the soun
 progress made in Norwich since yo
 consolidated and I have come to un
 derstand share of the loyal attach
 ment and regard which you all hay
 for the Academy. As I see it, you ar
 now ripe and ready for another req
 forward step, and I am glad that Nil
 Graham has set a stiff one for vol
 As I see it, Norwich has several def
 nite needs. to be specific four, and tn , proposed plan is the only one whic
 will cover them all in single actio1 You need at least one new buiIdin
 immediately and several before long
 You need a spacious, convenient an , attractive public auditorium. You need well organized, practice system of vocational training for
 majority of your boys and girls. You need some remedy for tf . heavy rate of loss suffered in you schools above the fifth grade, especial : ly between the seventh and eighth an , eighth and ninth. Finally, your ger erosity and patriotism makes you nee } 8 means of expression for the emo ) tion aroused by the war, that is, a sat isfying memorial to your soldiers, liI l ing and dead. MT. Graham's prescriT , tion and suggestion is a Junior Hig l School, and in this I heartily concur ti I sincerely believe that at this tin Mir. Grahams proposal will, if eff
 ciently carried through have a mol : far reaching effect on your scho : system than anything else you coul . spend money for. A new grade built ing of the traditional type will large effect only section of your town. , junior high school will relieve conge:
 tion in all sections, will make bette
 work possible in all your school, wi ,constitute a real head to your tow d system, will set a pace and be cer 5 ter of progressive activity towal | which your pupils and teachers ma Il i both aim. It will give you un ? around. and in relation to which yc can quite definitely organize and lt
 cate the other new buildings Whit . you will presently be constructing. e MT. Stearns inquired wether M ', Snyder was of the opinion that jt nior high school would induce a larg, :. - percentage of children to higher edl o cation.
 . MT Snyder said he believed it woul
 In answer to a question from M . Stearns, Mr Tirrell said that u = memorial committee endorsed the prt o position of a memorial hall with al 2 propriate tablets and appropriate rel ! ords and that they endorsed the idea . attaching the hall to the education system of the town.
 MT. Stearns said that personally
 believes that Norwich must have Il memorial of some kind and that U endorses the proposed hall.
 MT. Tirrell said he understood fro :. the town school committee that wha
 | ever is done the school committee wi e shortly have to spend about $70,0o0 q 11ar h1li1dinys