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Show HALF DAY FOR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL Ogden's school children may, within with-in the next few years, attend 6ch;' but half a day from the beginners grade through the High school, should the plans of Superintendent J M Mil's be gradually adopted The superintendent su-perintendent Is a strong advocate Of less work in the school room and more education la shop, the home -r in the open Hi6 ideas include equal time for study, work, play and sleep Should his ideas be adopted, the pupils pu-pils would spend one half day in the school room with their books and t7f time now taken up during the rest of the day at work in a shop, factory or In the cardan Hp mnke? it rlear that the young people are not to be given too much work but, believing that the young people of the cits now are too frivolous, that they do not appreciate the value of money and are not prepared to meet life's struggle strug-gle after they leave the school, he advocates industrial training in connection con-nection with school work. The superintendent, however, does not advocate half-day sessions unless, during the other part of the day, the pupils are provided with work that brings their mind and muscles into action. He points out that the Idea is not new as several cities, among which ls Gary, Ind have had half sessions for some time The pupils of Gary-spend Gary-spend half the day In the school room with their books and the remainder of the day In a shop or are placed at some other healthful work. They are not deprived of recreation. "When we first reduced the time of the first grade pupils from a whole aay to a hair aay in tne city scnoois, we had numerous complaints trom ! parents who believed their children I were not getting a square deal." said I the superintendent today. "They held j that as they were paying taxes, their children were entitled to an entire ! day in school It was with difficulty that the mothers and Withers were convinced that It Is to tt At children's welfare to spend more time In the open Instead of being required to sit on a hard desk and tire themselves trying to study when their bodies rebel. re-bel. It ls well known that childron learn as much or more when they are In school but a half day They appear fresh every morning and their : brains and bodies are cleared for lm-i lm-i presslons. "When it had been settled that th first graders should attend but half a day, we extended the practice to Include In-clude the second graders and It was necessary for use to have another pow wow with parents and explain that the custom Is one that Is recognized recog-nized as absolutely sane and progressive progres-sive by leaders in education. It took time again to convince parents that the child was not being deprived of learning because It was attending school but half a day. "We have estimated that there are 30 backward pupils in the schools of the city. With the parents of these children, we have had the most trou ble. Had the youngsters attended i school an entire day. they would have i been puzzled as to their backwardness k I ; but when they only attended a hall u day the parents believed the back- -:V I wardneBS due to that fact. As a inat- f I ter of course, backward children aN) j I -benefitted more by half day sessions I than others. There is such a thing i as crowding the mlndB of children. I "I am in favor of limiting the third jL graders to but half a day, and extend I" ing the practice through the grades. I but there are so many thingo to be Ilk done this year that the change will B- I not be made at this time. The prin I ,r clpals and teacher9 of the schools f .. agree that the pupils are better for J I attending only in the morning or the it afternoon and the parents are also be I I coming educated to the fact that it Is ) I cruelty to compel children to sit on ' " hard seats from 9 o'clock until noon, and from 1 o'clock until 3:30 o'clock when they can secure the same mental men-tal training without the discomfort j "WThen Buch a 6ystem aB I advoca- te is Introduced, our present schools f will be able to take care of the schocd children even when the population is doubled for while half were In the j shops or mills, others would be in school and then the two halves could change positions in the afternoon The teachers, too. could be better I paid and it would require not many more to care for the increased num- I ber." oo j |