Evening journal., 1921-01-25


same time. and II provision Is made
for such special facilities as audito,
RUINS. gymnasiums, laboratories ana
workshops, they have to be erected IN
addition 30 classroom for every
class, and when the pupils go to ihe
specml rooms the classrO0ms are va
cant This means that the addition OF
these special facilities which are es-
Fential in a modern school plant add,
under the traditional plan. fully 60 per
cent TO the cubical content OF the
building
'sThis is what is commonly known
IN business as the 'peak-l0ad type or
organization. because ihc-load Is mol
distributed. but. on the contrary, tends
TO concentrate al any moment IN one
part OF the building. e. e., the class
rooms and when the children leave
The classrOOms 10 90 into the special
facilities. the load is transferred, leaN-
ing the claSsrOoms vacant. obviously,
ff Wilmington has to supply not only
ahese special modern educational ia
cilities. but school seat for every
child. the expense will DE prohibitve.
The question for Wilmington then is
how can the school system be reha-
bilitated 10 furnish larger educational
opportunities and at the same time
the building program within the IL
nancial resources OF the city,
1T is evident that the solution OF
the problem must be found In the in
creased use Of school accommodations
and more skillfW school planning
Roth are possible by skillful organza-
ton and administration. Fortunately,
rhere is a method Of school organiza-
tien which has demonstrated It's abll-
~ to effect these results-that is, the
work-study-play plan or balanced
hoad type.
"This plan developed in an attempt
~ solve the peculiar school problems
created By the modern city, and II IS
now In operation in the public schools
In some 30 or 40 cities in The country
1t grew out Of recognition OF the
fact that. as is the case In Wilmine-
ION. the growth OF city conditions
makes the educational problem far
more dlnlcult than formerly, IN iact
has created a new school problem
The plan represents an attempt to
make Il nracticable both adminlsira-
lively and financially, for school ad-
minlstraiors TO provide not only class
room accommodations, but also much
modern educational facilities as gym
nasiums, audibOriums, shops, ana IAN.
oratories where children may be kept
~holesOmoly occupied in study and
work and play.
The Balanced Load Plan.
Under the wOrk-study-play plan
fhe load is balanced so that half the
children are In classrooms while the
other half are al work and play. foi
example. a school Is divided into two
parts. each having the same number
or classes. and each containing all the
eight or nine grades The nrst part
which we will call the A School,
comes TO school in the morning, say
at $40. and goes TO classroOms TOT
academic work While this school rs
IN the classrdoOms II obviously can
not use any Of the special faculties
therefore. the other schOol-B Scilool
--roes To the special activities, one
Enird 10 the auditorium, one third u
6he playground, and One-third is dl-
vided among such activities as M'
ehops laboratories, drawing and mu'
sic studios. At the end Of one OF tvVs
periods: that Is, when the first groul
~ children has remained. accOriinl
a. the Judgment of the school author
flies. In school SEATS as long as j
good for Them at one time, the
School goes 10 the playground, audi
torium and other special facilities
while ne B school goes TO the GLASS
rooms
system up 20 the present time ial
been run 0n The principle Of resernni
Z school seat FOR the exclusive use o
one child during the entire year. Al
children have % be In school seat
from 9 A. n. 20 i2 and from 4 10 2
and al 3 O'Clock all OF them are dis
missed and turned out 20 play Ih
result IS that there are never enougl
seats fo- an The children 10 study ~
nor enough Fairgrounds for them =
piay in. And yet large Sums OF none
Gre invested 10 thcse facilities. whic'
4he children can have the use OF 10
oniy a fraction of the day. For eA
ample thousands of dollars are IN
xrsted in school auditOriums, and ye
fhe average school auditorium Is use
regularly only fifteen minutes a dal
Tnouzsnds Of dollars are invested I
riavx-0unds. and yet these pla,
grounds are empty 0f children al da
untH 3 O'Clock In ne afternoon.
fart. n A child is found on me play
r-nund before 3 O'Clock ne is drive
or because ne Is playing truant On
viousiy. the Fairgrounds exist Tor N
use 0f children. and yet children nav
TIE opportunity 70 use hem only
Few h0u-E a day, Decause nel inls
b. IN school seats from " y ana
~ 4 Thousands OF dollars are in-
vested IN school shops and scienc
lahoratOries. and yet virtually q
s-hild in the elementary schools ha
tho opportunity 10 enter them unit
fhe seventh grade. and then for onl
a Few minutes a week. haf the cht
dren In the country leave school Dt
fc-e they reach the seventh grade
An Enriched Curriculum.
rne important point about N
haianred-ioad plan. however. is nS
S. economy. but the fact mat
makes possible an enriched educi
ti0n Tor children. Under this plan, N
ch ldren have not only the sam
amount Of lime for reading. Wriln
arithmetic. geography and history Z
formerly, 2iO minutes. but also hll
minutes Of play every day flfty mil
utcs a DAY Of auditorium and M
minutes a day OF shop work cyei
day in the week Tor a Third 0f n
year; science every day for a third
a year; and drawing and music eve'
day FOR a third OF the year Ai pre-
ent children get IN most schools
ten-minuio recess period for play
few m mites for opening exercises
the auditorium. and little or no DO
fCr special activities
Bnildinq Plan FOR Wilmington.
The school building program
Wilmington Is designed DO DO en-
things-relleVe existing congestf
provide Tor growth for a period
len years. and consolidate gr
number OF inefficient and inadequ
plants into a small number Of m
crn up-to-date school buildings "
adequate playTounds thus prOyd
fo~ ihn maximum educational opp
nnities Tor children as well as
communifv uses on the plant