Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-10-04

Less than a generation ago the American school,
house had but one function-tO serve as 8 place Of as
sembly where the "three RS" were slowly, and some.
times painfully. ~assimilated by the pupils. When tn.
closing bel rang the building was deserted as expedi
tiously as possible and was the center Of no more &C
tivity until the assembly bell called the children tc
their studies the following day.
The American schoolhouse Of today has outgrowr
its exclusive role as the sanctuary Of the three RS"
With the great increase in organization activities OF
all kinds among the pupils and with the accompany.
ind demand for meeting places, most school buildings
do double duty. Instead Of closing when the last pup
leaves for the day, the buildings remain open for the
use Of the school children, bent on other things than
their studies, or even for their elders.
The United States Bureau Of Education has re-
Gently conducted a survey Of the non-seholastic use o!
public school buildings. This study discloses that
wider use" is general and steadily growing. Seven
teen per cent Of the schools responding to the ques-
tionnaire were. it was found, kept open at least one
evening a week for two of more activities, or twice a
week for one such activity, not including night school.
In many places, especially in the large rural dist
riots, the school has become a full-fledged community
center, under stimulation, perhaps, Of some organiza-
tion Of the community. Some Of the schools function
as such community centers as high as five nights Of
the week, but the survey shows that the average is
two and three nights Of the week.
The SANE boys and girls who come in the morning
rs pupils may return after hours as Boy Scouts, Girl
Scouts, or as members Of a school fraternity or club,
and the hours devoted to these various activities prob
ably have as great effect in educating them to take
their places in the world as useful men and women as
do the hours devoted to study. Through the use Of
the school ss . gathering center they are kept in closer
contact not only with their school work and their COM
munity problems, but they assimilate through such
contacts a broader view Of life and their duties as
citizens.
The survey compiled by the Bureau Of Education
shows that IS per cent Of the schools are used for
community sings, pienics and other cooperative activi-
ties. Twelve per cent in the evenings turn the class
rooms into reading rooms or places where checkers,
chess and similar games may be enjoyed; and over
10 per cent have public library branches open after
school to serve the pupils and their elders.
The effect Of this dual use Of the school building
is very apparent in the increased general interest in
school activities and expansion Of school building pro-
grams. This is especially true in the rural districts
where a generation ago very little interest was mani
Tested by the communities in the work Of the schools,
due to the fact that the older residents seldom came
in direct contact with the school problems and that the
communities lacked the organization necessary TO han
die these problems intelligently. The use Of the school
house as a community center has played a very i'm
portant part in the development Of the nations educa-
tionlafaeilities and its Importance in this respect is
increasing each year.