Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-15
PLATOON SYSTEM IN
SCHOOLS DEFENDED
Mrs. Mary D. Bradford Takes
Exception to School Director
Stradley.

Nlatocn system IN the pupHV oS""'
Aas written a letter. addressed 10 the
bubble, which she has asked h'er9
Evening 10 print. She defenos the
platoon system. basing her concur
eions on extensive observation, "h'cn
she has had opportunity to MAKE anu
her knowledge OF local conditions WI
Stradley. who il member oi .ne
Board Of Education, made MS criu-
cism at the meeting of the poara on
Monday afternoon, as reported III
Every Evening yesterday. Mrs. brao-
ftrds letter follows;
In the most conspicuous pace
the first column of first page OIL the
"Wilmington Morning News OIL ves
terday. November 1S) was the heao-
!ng.-"Stradley Scores Platoon System
as Too Expensive
I. is that sentence that moves me
20 this article, because, accorolng 10
the judgment of those who are inter-
ested in school Improvement, ana "ho
know the advantages OF the pIa'oo"
plan-the movement scored pE MI
Stradiey-has seemed to be an lmpor-
tan. step forward, and this criticism
coming as il does from member ol
the Board OF Education seems 10 merit
attention.
This article Is addressed to the peo-
ple. Il is they who own the schoo'S
and who are therefore Interested IN
questions that affect the schools. 1t Is
addressed especially TO the great ma
ior!ty of the people who rely upon the
public schools TO furnish the funda-
mentals of their chi,dren's education
or. perhaps, all the education theH
children will ever get
Il is presumed that this latter class
being human and having this deep
personal interest at stake, are the
most vitality concerned about having
the public schools furnish up-to-date
educational service to their children
/ do not want to be understood as
implying here that those who DO not
patronize the public schools are SO
lacking in public consciousness, so IN
different to the fundamental need oi
education in democracy. as not 10
want the best for the children OF the
people. Many OF them are thoughtful
patriotic. public spirited citizens an"
believe, with the rest of us, that the
most important enterprise OF any
community is to build upthe best pos
e.hlc system OF public education. They
have the vision that the only guaran-
zee OF safe, steaiy, continued progress
$ 10 provide for the right education
Of our future Citizenry.
In taking mp some of the points as
reported IN Mr.. Stradleys scoring
| will quote first his too many fade
and fancjee." Mr.. Stradley has used
the old, old cry of the reactionary in
education. What are these terrible
things. any hov,-these "fads and fan
cies', against which the public must
Be defended?
am reminded that A few years ago.
when Mr.. Spauiding, now head of the
School of Education in Yale, was the
superin.endent of schools in Newton
Mass. an attempt was made by him
to find out on a similar ocassion what
the public thought about this matter
First he had the objectors state wha'
they considered fads. He collected
quite a list, including kindergartens
mucic. drawing, manual training, gym
nastics. domestic science and all the
other activities that society has from
time TO time added TO the old Three
Rs curriculum. Then, in a question
are distributed through the schools
he got a vote from the people in regard
70 which OF these should be cut out
and which retained. While each sub
:ect had some opponents, the tota
showed an overwhelming majority foi
the retention OF every one OF The
"lads"
Investigations of other supcrinteE'
dents hare brought the same resul
when the people have been consulted
And shouldn't such a result settle th'
question for the peoples schools? l
: those who know from experience th'
interest," of their children in the variet
program OF the schools OF today an
wkO know the added comfort and hap
3.ness that mas come 10 the home be
cause Of this condition, who can an
should speak with authority upon thi
matter And it is not they who com
plain of increased taxation, when con
WINGED that their children reap tn
benefit from il.
Just another word about the incon
sistancy OF the attitude referred I,
The person who opposes the new az
tivities in the curriculum of the publ
schools today should. if entirely cor
sistent, be heating his house with WOO
or coal stoves. lighting il with kerc
scne lamps, or more appropriated
with candles; he should abjure III
automobile and drive to business wit
horse and buggy and the telephone an
telegraph should have no place IN h
daily life.
j. seems 10 me inconsistent and III
reaspnable for a person 10 believe
and adopt material comforts and +;
cilities for his daily life in a moder
world, and argue that education f
this modern world should be that
the cutgrown age. Changes in educ;
uonal ideals have been as great ;
the changes in business and domest
Ideals. We live in the electric Igl
age and education today has electr
light, instead Of allow-candle. cha
ac:eristics
The platoon system. which is a
ranged by Mr.. Stradley, recognizes Il
need TO normal child-developnent
work and play, as we'll as study.
oiden days, the schools did not har
10 supply facilities for the first two
the back lots and open spaces DIT
Vided places 10 play, and the hor
duties furnished opportunities :
hand work. But times have change
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