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Show OGDEN SCHOOL PLAN OF ORGANIZATION IS APPROVED Professor Milton Bennlon. head of th stte school of education of the University of Utah, baa written to Superintendent J. M Mills, approv ing the plan of organization In the Og-den Og-den chool svstem as In line with tbe best educational thought of the day. His comments on some of the matters of organization follow: Six-Year High School Course. Prominent educators have long advocated ad-vocated a reconstruction of American elementary and secondary schools. The desire of Americans to require as much elementary education as possible pos-sible of all children has led to tho undue un-due prolongation of purely elementarv school studies and the attempt to hold budding youths In the elementary 1 sch6ol with ounger children at a time when they seek separation from childhood child-hood and are eager for new studies and new experiences These are reasons rea-sons why educators hae suggested a adjustment by which the elementary element-ary school shall be shortened to six years and two years shall be added to the high school A very significant signifi-cant objection to this plan has been that high schools have not been within with-in the reach of all children and therefore there-fore to make this change universal, would cut off two of the required J earB of schooling in districts where thero are no high schools, while with the increase in knowledge and the development of a morp and more complex com-plex society, it would naturallv follow-that follow-that we should add to rather than subtract from the years of study re-nuired re-nuired of all. The changes of recent re-cent years have led us to the conviction convic-tion that it Is now- both possible and desirable to establish the elementary and secondary schools on the basis of six years each. High schools arp very rapidly being be-ing placed within reach of every-onp every-onp Many of the smaller towns are not able to maintain a complete high school. These towns are. however putting in a ninth grade, or ninth and tenth grades. By dividing the six years high school Into a junior high school and a senior high school i of three yeans each, most of these small towns could maintain a well equipped junior high school, every' city of the first or second class and every county could afford to main tain at least one eenor high school Thus a complete high school education educa-tion would be placed within easy reach of everyone, all could complete com-plete the junior high school without living away from home. There would be no more graduation from the eighth grade. This, with the stimulus stimu-lus of secondary school studies and methods would keep most of the I bovs and cirU in srhnnl until thpvl have completed ninth grade, whereas where-as many now leave school before they get to the eighth grade. Introduction of Industrial Subjects A further reason for this readjust-nipnt readjust-nipnt of schools Is the fact that ln-I ln-I dustrlal subjects have been put Into the seventh and eighth grades. This Is, doubtless, a very desirable change, but if requires special equipment and special teachers to carry out the plan successfully Teachers and equipment for the same studies arc required In high school. Can the people afford to thus duplicate ap paratus and teaching force for Indus trial subjects' Whatever they can j afford to do, it is evidently bad busl-I busl-I ness policy for them to do so when it is not necessary. Any attempt to duplicate unnecessarily Is sure to result re-sult In low er efficiency . and economy econ-omy and efficiency are of as much consequence in school ad minis tra- tlon as in any other business. Another advantage to be derived from the establishment of the junior high school Is that It will offer to prospective college students, and oth ers. a chance to begin foreign lan guage study early. There Is a growing grow-ing demand for modern foreign languages, lan-guages, and especially for German To acquire a ready working knowledge knowl-edge of foreign language It must be begun early. It Is much more economical econ-omical for a person to spend his early teens In getting an elementary knowledge of languages than It Is to postpone this task to later years Credits For Home Work. The experiment that ie being tried in the Junior high schools of Ogden of requiring six units of work per year; one unit of which may be home work and one unit industrial subjects, ig typical of the new spirit spir-it in education. Industrial subjects are designed to stimulate homo and other manual activities. In most I homes this help is much needed, and 1 parents are often overburdened with It while their boys and girls are too busy with their books, school sports, and social affairs to render any help In the every day work of the home. To allow this sort of thing to go on Ib not alone detrimental to the wel fare of parents, it Is much more harmful to the moral w elfare of youth Cnless the young learn to willingly co-operate with their parents In carrying car-rying the dally load of home work, they fall to get the basis of all social so-cial responsibility. To carry out this plan directions are sent to parents, and they are made responsible for reports on the amount and quality of the work don. If these reports are not satisfactory, the pupil must do another unit of school work, or fall. If agreeable to parents, private music lessons with the necessary practice, may be credited on this account. ac-count. The plan adopted in Ogden appeals to us as a good one We commend it to those who have not tried the system of home credits: and also to those who have adopted the plan of giving holidays on account of home work. This is to assume that It Is a privilege to stay away from school, whereas, if the school Is proprly taugbt. It should he a privilege to be there. It may frequently happen, too, that fome of those who can least afford to miss a day of school will be out mistakenly, but lawfully, enjoying en-joying their reward. |