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EDUCATIONAL BEVIEW. Published monthly except July and August by Doubleday, Page & Co., Garden City, N. Y. Subscription rates: 35 cents a copy; $3.00 yearly for 10 numbers. Foreign postage, 70 cents. Canadian postage, 35 cents. Entered at the Post Office at Garden City, N. Y., as second class mail matter. The EDUCATIONAL REVIEW is a member of the Educational Press Association of America and is published in accordance with the standards of that organization. Copyright, 1927, by Doubleday. Page & Co. All rights reserved.

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TH HIS magazine considers it one of its main duties to assist education to call in the aid of beauty. The High School at Glen Cove, Long Island. See Editorial, Mrs. Taylor of Taylorville

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OUT YOUR flagstaff where the raising and lowering of the colors can be done in dignified ceremony, all the children participating. High School at Cornwall-on-Hudson. Peruse Mrs. Taylor of Taylorville

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EDUCATIONAL REVIEW

OCTOBER, 1927

·A REVIEW OF MATTERS OF MOMENT THE EDITOR

ALLOWEEN AS A SCHOOL TEST. -Twenty-five or more years ago, he whom we all called "Jim" Rice was sent by Walter Hines Page, then editor of the Forum magazine, to write a series of articles on what school children actually did after they had been taught. Jim's articles made a furor. The National Education Association invited him to address it and had a merry time pounding him. Leonard Ayers says Jim was the one man most responsible for the introduction of measurement as an essential of school management. Every up-to-date school system has its bureau of appraisal testing the worth of a principal by the accomplishments of his pupils. Duluth takes achievements recorded by Detroit and so measures itself. This is easy as to arithmetic, reading, writing, and spelling. But the statesmen who took over education as a community obligation and passed the laws taxing all the people for the education of the children of some, said little or nothing about arithmetic, reading, writing, or spelling. They said much of union, justice, tranquillity, defence, and general welfare. When you consider that it was for these that they made schools a community charge, you apprehend how different the emphasis is in tax-supported schools from what it might properly have been in parents' pay schools that stressed scholarship and personal power. The measuring experts have given us citizenship scales. We have used them. They are hard put to test performance rather than promise. But the Chicago Principals' Club, during the past

two years, has worked out a civics examination which has inspired the praise and imitation of schoolmasters elsewhere. The club selected All Hallow Evening, originally a festival of the saints, but by neglect twisted into revels of all the devils. It had become an occasion not only of bad manners, but an exhibition of misdemeanors, lawlessness, and not infrequently of serious crime. Trespass, damage, burning of valuable property, false fire alarms, and innumerable interferences with the comforts and rights of others marked Halloween three years ago in all the towns we know. The Principals' Club has reduced the depredations in Chicago to really a marvelous degree. Mayor Dever, after receiving reports from the police and fire departments, testified that thousands of dollars had been saved. "The teachers are reshaping the community. The plan succeeded." So he said.

Every school system can make a success of this project. It would be hard to think of any scheme more likely to win the affection of a community for its schools than this. The merchants hung notices in their windows; the transportation companies in their coaches: "Halloween Is Coming. Help the Children Have a Good TimeA Good Mannered One." The newspapers helped. The churches assisted. The parochial and private schools accepted the Principals' Club invitation and used its methods. Substitution of reputable fun for mischief was one of the essential qualities of the plan. Jolly parties were given by schools, by Kiwanises, by Lambs, by Lions, by Rotarians,

by churches, by parent-teacher organizations, all over town. Posters were displayed in windows for a week. The motionpicture people gave free children's parties with programs approved by the club, short, snappy civic-duty speeches by children being sprinkled among the purely entertainment features.

You can do this. You will enjoy doing it. Your town will love you for it. Here is an outline of the scheme prepared by Principal Roland Witcraft who was chairman of the Principals' Club Halloween Committee. It would be fine if you would send this REVIEW an account of your success, after the event: (a) About October 1 the principal should arrange that every class, particularly the classes of pupils at the age most inclined to mischief, has a series of lessons making clear the source of the educational service; money from all the people, not merely from parents of children.

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(b) Demonstrate graphically and dramatically where the money comes from, showing the owner of real estate, who pays the actual taxes, merely transmits what he receives from rental. Show how every citizen who spends a cent contributes towards the rental of stores, shops, etc., and therefore is a taxpayer.

(c) Have the children show their appreciation of the fact that the sum contributed by their own families is considerably less than the actual cost of teaching for each pupil.

(d) Have the pupils bring out their appreciation of their obligation to the city for this benefit.

(e) Show the meaning of Roosevelt's "You come to school, not for your own advancement, but for the same reason that one enters the army: to serve your country."

(f) Show how this service need not be a "deferred dividend," but that on Halloween, now, while you are receiving, you have an opportunity to show your gratitude to your neighbors who are paying for your education.

(g) Get the coöperation of local officers.

Ask them to notify you after Halloween of the names of any offending children who are members of your school. Let the children know that you have made this request, and that you expect 100% conduct.

(h) Coöperate with neighborhood societies for a good hearty Halloween celebration for the children of their members.

(i) Address early, as composition exercise by the children, letters to parents, asking them to see that we have a well-mannered Halloween, such as good citizens can approve. Many principals recommend a Halloween parents' meeting during the week of October 24 with bright statements of pupils as to the plans, and a straight talk by teachers and principals asking parental coöperation.

(j) Organize a committee of teachers to think out suggestions for a good-citizenship Halloween. Bring it up at teachers' meeting and plan for systematic observance.

(k) Suggest to parents that they with their children don the picturesque Hallo

ween costumes.

(1) Teachers this year were quite willing to make enquiries of business men and other citizens as to the effect of the teaching, and from the returns obtained much satisfaction and encouragement.

(m) Many principals suggest a special pledge, "I promise to behave myself like a good citizen on Halloween, and to interfere with the propriety, the comfort, of no one."

(n) Feature the credit due to the school in the conduct of every member.

(0) A school committee might well meet the managers of the parochial and other schools, as these will be glad to coöperate.

(p) Form a Halloween committee of citizens and patrons of the school who will give publicity to your aims. Try posters in windows.

(q) Prepare subjects for short talks by children,-as "What I Owe to Chicago." "How I Mean to Show My Obligation on Halloween." "Why Does the Community Pay for My Schooling?" "Who Pays the Taxes?" "What For?”

(r) On Monday, the 31st, have a posi

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