Evening star., 1925-08-17

years added to active business life
efficiency, provided that it does not
undermine the health of the worker.
The elasticity OF having the school
always open is of great value. argue
the proponents, since it enables IN
individual to get his schooling with
less rigid compliance with school reg
ulations of hours and days. AS TO the
matter OF studying during the hot
days of Midsummer, some parents
frankly say that the schoolhouse
temperature is pleasanter' than that
of most private homes, and the child
is better off, physically and morally,
than when he is turned loose upon the
public streets, undisciplined and un
guarded.
x x ;.
On the other hand. objection is
raised by hygienists that it is cruelty
to children to coop them up in con
finement during days when humanity
naturally relaXes.
In answer, the proponents argue
that it is not proposed to Confine any
child all the year round-nay, more
that modern education does not con
fine itself to the school desk. but in
cludeS nature study out of doors. study
of business methods and conditions.
study Of public institutions and art
galleries, so that while the school
rooms would be occupied part of each
day for short lessons, there would
| be less tax on health than in unreg.
ulated playing upon the streets.
School Fairgrounds have demon
strated, say the advocates of the all
year schools, that directed play is
just as much fun for the children. and
certainly of greater value in develop
ment of physical condition. than IN
disciplined romping about the streets
| or vacant lots. Mental retardation Of
alert, quick-learning, ambitious stu.
dents Is as detrimental as is over
crowding TO the weak or the slow
student. 1t is that uniformity of the
system of quantity production"
whereby all pupils must be pressed
into one mold, that is the bane of the
usual public school. With five terms
open, while using the option of only
four Of them, there is adaptability to
individual requirements
x X * x
The all-year school is condition
and not theory in Newark, y. J.. and
Prof. j. Wilmer Kennedy assistant
superintendent, writes OF the Summer
term:
These promotion classes brought
clearly before the school three things:
% That hundreds of children were
eager to study in the Summer time.
~ that their minds and bodies re-
ceived no damage from such study.
t5) that the time gained by these
pupils in the Summer school meant
financial gain to the city because of
the fact that they would be able to
finish their respective courses in a
shorter time.
THE logic of these Summer schools
/ with their promotion classes led in
eV1tably to the all-year school
The organization of the all-year
I school provides for the completion of
! the present course of study in the ele-
mentary school in six years instead of
eight. In the Belmont Avenue
School the total time saved by
the pupils who have graduated from
! that school while under the all-year
| plan was 500 years, making a total of
l,2O112 years gained by graduates and
| pupils now in the school"
The same writer takes issue with
Shakespeare. The poet pictured "a
| whining schoolboy with his satchel
/ and shining morning face, creeping
| like a snail unwillingly TO school.
while the Newark advocate of the all
| year school sees only that the child
| likes to go to school, and the number
attending the all-year schools proves
| it," He denies that there has been
any detriment to health Of the stu
| dents or teachers, or that there has
been any added expense since the
pupils complete their courses more
speedily, not only on account of more
school days in the year, but because
| they have no handicap of forgetting,
as during their previous long vaca-
| tions.
Teachers may take shorter vaca-
/ tions, and take the vacations spread
over the whole year-teachers taking
| the vacations in rotation. They win
have longer employment, with pro-
portionate increase of earnings. More
teachers will find employment.
Ecopyright.~ ~1e25~by My zCciaanAt