Evening star., 1924-09-24
ARTICLE VI.

ARTICLE VI.
With school authorities planning a
comprehensive five-ycar building pro-
gram to meet the accumulated short
age of public school accommodations,
special committee of the Beard OF
Education is making an exhaustive
investigation OF another emergency
scheme-the platoon school-advo-
Gated as an expedient to relieve the
serious congested conditions which
are retarding educational progress In
the Nations Capital
PlatooninE of the elementary
schools where overcrowding is more
pronounced has doomed upon the
horizon Of those who are depressed
with the conditions in the public
school system as temporary road to
relief
The platoon school is not a new
idea in American education. Sixty
cities in "a States have adopted il
to combat overcrowding. One OF
Washington schools, the Park View
has been operating successfully on
the platoon plan for four and one half
years.
DR.. Franz W. Ballou, superintend-
ent OF schools, is opposed to the in
PRODUCTION Of the platoon system into
any more of the Districts schools
fearing that 1t will jeopardize the
success of the proposed legislation
on the ffve-year building program.
Furthermore, he believes that the
Washington schools generally are too
small for the introduction Of the
platoon plan.
The basis Of Supt Rallou's philoso-
ply. however. is that the people have
right to s good schools Structually
and educationally as they are willing
TO pay for. and has taken the posi-
tion that II, after due consideration
Of all the facts and principles in
volved, the people think it wise to
adopt policy of platooning the
schools, the school board should pro-
coed to organize the schools on that
plan. regardless of his professional
views.
Many and varied are the platoon
systems now in use. Fundamental
ly. the platoon school is single
school with two different types of
facilities in more or less constant
and simultaneous operation through
out the day. The duplicate school
endeavors to give longer day. a
richer curriculum and more varied
activities with the most intensive
use OF the school plant
The platoon system requires
enough regular classrooms TO seat
one-haf the pupil capacity Of the
school: special facilities sufficient TO
care for the other half. These ia
cilities are: Auditorium, 10 per cent
OF the enrolment: gymnasium 10 per
cent OF the enrolment: music room.
per cent OF the enrolment; art
room. 5 per cent Of the enrolment;
library. per cent OF the enroll
ment; science and geography. per
cent Of the enrolment, and play
ground. per cent of the enroIlme Mt
Correlatins with and necessitat ed
by this platooning certain other mod
iflcationS are essential They are:
1. \ longer school day because Ger
tain activities carried on outside of
the five-hour day in the traditional
school are incorporated into the daily
program Of the platoon school. Tn
less this time is provided for by
lengthening the school day to six
hours in the platoon schools, this ad-
ditional time must be taken out OF
the time now devoted to the So
called fundamentals in the traditinoal
schools.
.. a more varied school equip
ment to provide appropriate educa-
ton while pupils are assigned to the
special facilities.