The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-28

was making wooden toys with
keen enjoyment.
In contrast to the other schools
visited, where children sit in one
grade room all day the children
under the platoon program seemed
unusually alert and responsive
Children in work study-play schools
always look happier and show more
initiative and self-reliance than
children under the rigid grade sys-
TEN. They enjoy the freedom of
self-expression, and the only real
problem is to maintain just enough
discipline so that self expression
does not defeat ACCOMPLISHMENT.
a small hoy busily engaged in
fashiOning a rabbit from a piece of
wood was asked il he liked to go
TO Park View School. You bet"
was the ready response. They give
a Teller a chance to do something
here"
Like SOciaIizing influence.
OF course. the children like it
they want to learn by doing. They
like the sOcializing influence of the
assembly hall work. In fact, the
platoon system for the child is like
reception at the National Museum
for the adult. Washington society
had chance to see how il worked
the past week when they studied
the wild tribes while waiting to be
received by the Commissioners and
counted the bones Of the dinosaur
while they ate chicken salad. The
platoon school children absorb
knowledge the same way while they
are going through the process of
being sOcialiZed.
But the Park View School is
overCrowded, even for work
study-play plan. since children
come into the shops from neighbor-
ing schools for manual training and
domestic science. But with the ad-
ditiOn Of a gymnasium and larger
workshops, with an extension of
shopwork to the lower grades.
more children could he aCcOmmo-
dated and the work carried on
more effectively. Despite the lin
tied facilities with which the work
has been done the principal of the
Park View School is strong advo-
cate of the platoon system These
are her reasons for indorsing it:
l. II gives better teaching of
basic subjects because teachers
have fewer subjects to teach: can
be better prepared, and bring more
enthusiasm to the work.
.. Better teaching Of special sub
jects because each is taught by a
specialist.
3. Smaller classes for basic teach
ers and no part-time classes.
4. Better discipline because chill
dren have more freedom and re-
sponstbilhy and develop self-con-
troll.
5. Children happier. more inter-
ested. and. therefore, concentrate
better.
8. Special subjects come into their
own-dramatics, art, literature. mu-
sic-each open wider fields for flu
ture enjoyment Community civics
start preparation for useful citizen
shin.
T. The economy of the plan. 1t
saves building space, heat and serv-
ice. Saves equipment and provides
far more varied material for stu
dents at less expense.
system Not Mushroom.
While new to Washington, the
wOrk-study-play plan is by no
means an educational mushroom.
twelve years ago William Writ was
experimenting with a socialized
school that he later worked out in
Gary, Ind. Most progressive educa-
tors have since agreed that the Gary
system, or, If you have a prejudice
against the name the platoon system,
is the best solution yet offered for
adapting the school to the needs of
crowded city life and modern voca-
tional demands. Various adapta-
lions of the Gary system have
been made in a number of Western.
and in a few Eastern, cities. De-
troit began solving its problem OF
school congestion with a platoon
school two years ago, and now has
fifteen such schools in operation,
with fifteen more platoon buildings
to be opened in January, the De-
troit school board having decided
to platoonize the entire school sys-