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WINNETKA WEEKLY TALK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1923 FINDS 'INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION' IS WELL ADVANCED IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS Supt. Washburne Pens First of Series of Letters on European Tour Letters that should prove of ex- treme interest to all Winnetkans con- cerned about the education of the chil- dren of the community are now com- ing to the offices of the Talk from the pen of Carleton W. Washburne, sup- erintendent of Winnetka Public schools, who is engaged in a four: months sojourn in Europe where he is conducting a special investigation of European Experimental schools. Mr. Washburne is working in the interest of Winnetka schools, as well as representing the Department of Public Instruction, State of Illinois, and reporting to the United States Bureau of Education. He is being as- sisted in his work by Miss Florence Brett and Miss Mabel Vogel, Winnetka school teachers. The first of Mr. Washburne's letter to the Talk has to do with visits to experimental schools in England, Bel- gium, Holland and France. The prin- cipal theme of the letter is "in- dividual instruction" as practiced in the Winnetka schools, and in very ef- fectual operation in the "experimental schools in England and in certain lo- calities on the Continent. The first of the series of Wash- burne letters follows: Geneva. To the Editor, Winnetka Weekly Talk, Sir, On the eve of our departure from civilized Geneva to the wilds of Aus- tria and Czechoslovakia, to say noth- ing of the ultimate wilds of Russia, I have succeeded in harpooning a good English stenographer to tell you a lit- tle of what we have been doing in Europe. Before we left New York we visited Marietta Johnson's school in Green- wich, Connecticut, and the City and Country School, New York City. We wanted them as a basis of comparison. Then we went straight to England. In England there are more kinds of "experimental schools" than we have dreamed of in America.We even feund one school for little children in which they had the individual system more completely worked out than in Win- netka itself. In fact, I have stolen several of their inventions to give to our primary teachers--not the materi- als themselves, but the less tangible and dutiable ideas back of them. A Wild and Woolly School Up near Manchester we vigited a wild and woolly school beside which Marietta Johnson's was as peaceful as a cemetery. This school--a free pub- lic school--allows the child the most complete freedom of any I have ever visited. Once in a while, a Winnetka mother has suggested that the disci- pline in some of our class rooms in Winnetka is too free. I wish I could wmave had those few mothers with me in this English school. The strange part learning self-reliance, self-control and personal responsibility. Read this poem that one of them wrote. The Brook Rippling waters ever running, Silent as the night, Tripping onwards ever Pasing flowerlets bright. It rumbles by the water mill, It rushes through the glen. It passes by the fairy hill. And meets the little men. It passes through the pasture gr een, And helps the crops to grow, It whispers of the things it's seen As onwardly it flows. It watches little children play. While they gather flowers On a merry summer's day; Spending happy hours. Would you not like to sec the brook: As wandering onward with your crook. going --Lily Horrall, age--13 years. Then again we visited the school to which H. G. Wells sent his sons. It was really quite a fine school in many ways, but here I wish that I might have had those mothers who think our discipline in the Winnetka class rooms is too stiff and formal; that we do not allow the child a large enough amount of freedom. In this school no boy budges from his seat nor turns his head except when the master comes in, at which august moment all rise and remain standing until he sits. It is, of course, quite character- istic of many English schools, and of those on the Continent, but was a little surprising in a school which had as many new ideas as Oundle. Freedom, Dominant Note The dominant note in English pro- gressive education at present is indi- vidual instruction and freedom. For the most part, schools there have not learned the primary lesson of indi- vidual instruction as we know it. The most advanced, with the exception of the one I mentioned above, are using a plan known as the "Dalton plan." This plan is a good deal like the office hour periods in the Skokie school, ex- cept that the "office hours" are ex- tended to fill about half of each day. It was introduced into England by the headmistress of a school for girls. While working it out she came to America, and spent a day visiting our Winnetka schools. She was very cordial to us when we saw her in England, and helped us in several ways. I was glad that we had invit- ed her to lunch when she visited us in Winnetka, for we got four lunches and teas in return! We found a gem of a school in southern England, between the North and South Downs, which had freedom without disorder, which had a good deal of individual instruction, and in which the teachers were well trained and the children well managed. Un- '| fortunately, however, it was a board- ing school for children of wealthy parents, and therefore could not be imitated by most other schools. But we got ideas from it. Meet Belgium's 'Pioneer' From England we went to Belgium. There is, apparently, only one really live man doing educational thinking in this little country, but he has a number of followers and is having an influence, not only on the schools of Belgium, but of France and Switzer- land. His name is Decroly. We had become acquainted with him last spring, when he and the Superinten- dent of Schools of Brussels were mak- ing a tour of America, and spent a day with us in Winnetka. At the time he visited us he said nothing of his own fine work, and it was not until we got over here that we knew what an im- portant man he really is. Like Mon- tessori, he began his work with sub- normal children, and has developed it until it is good for all children. Some of his ideas I think we could profitably use. He and his wife gave us a most delightful Belgian dinner at their home, and invited a number of Belgian educators for us to meet. We ran over to Holland for two days and paid a brief visit to three schools. One of them was quite unusual in the spirit of self-sacrifice of the teachers. The State only allows them enough money for 7 teachers, but they felt that they could not do what they want- ed for their children unless there were 9; each teacher took just 7-9ths of her salary, contributing the other 2-9ths towards the employment of two more teachers. And teachers' sal- aries are not high in Holland. Handwork is Stressed In both Holland and Belgium there was a great deal of handwork in the more progressive schools. In fact, the chief way a school had of trying to prove its progressiveness was to ex- hibit many différent things-<which had been made by the children. Most of the things were very well made and quite interesting to look at. But with the exception of a private school of Decroly's and a class in one of the public schools being conducted strict- ly according to his methods, the work in Holland and Belgium was rather formal and offered no suggestion for us. France is even more devoid of ed- ucational experiments than Belgium and Holland. The State prescribes rigidly the exact things that each child must know and the time that must be spent on various subjects. General examinations are sent out by the Ministry of Education and all children have to be crammed for these relics of the middle ages. Con- sequently, the hands of the teachers are very much tied. In spite of this fact, a man with a position corresponding roughly to our County Superintendent of Schools has tried to work out some new methods and ideas in three or four of his 140 schools. He is a man filled with the philosophy of our American John Dewey, and is also a friend of the Belgian Decroly. We had a very pleasant visit with him and saw many interesting examples of the work of the children in his schools. Montessori' Work Widespread Montessori's work is much more widely spread in Europe than in Amer- ica. It has taken a real hold in Eng- land and in France. One wealthy American woman has given 114 mil- lion frances to supply 500 French schools in the devastated regions with Montessori materials. We had a very pleasant afternoon with this wo- man, and were relieved to talk for a while again with someone who spoke English. Next week I shall tell you some- thing about the interesting people we have met. This letter is just te give you a hint of what we have been do- ing in the schools. Cordially yours, Carleton W. Washburne. Baseball Club Makes PI Plans for Big Dance Next Month The Winnetka Baseball club of the North Shore league announces a dance to be held at Community House during the month of February. Definite date for the dance has not been fixed, members of the club an- nonce, but it is probable the event will be staged either February 10 or 24. The date will be announced in next week's issue of the Talk. There is to be excellent music, the committee in charge promises. Proceeds from the dance will go into the club fund. THE INDIAN HILL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS HE |g JOLLIEL#® OF 1923 If you miss Sve 3 &/ Beautiful Costumes Fifty of | Indian Hill's Most Talented Performers and You Know 'Em All lies" you'll miss a treat. T M E Make - prepara- TO fone to 52. GRAND OPRA 24 DIRECTION JOE BREN PRODUCTION COMPANY OF CHICAGO NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM Monday and Tuesday, January 29th and 30th. Reserved seat sale opens Tuesday, January 23rd, at 7:30 P. M. at Adams' Pharmacy SEE THE "JOLLIES" AND AVOID AFTER-REGRETS A squad of six-cylinder comedians radiating mirth A bevy of beautiful buds gaily and gloriously gowned You'll laugh like you never laughed be- fore. A sure cure for the blues. "Service with a Smile" Has been our motto for the past We have lived up to it and will continue to live fifteen months. up to it in the future. Our many customers have felt the influ- ence of "Service with a Smile' because our whole organization has caught the spirit for which it stands. 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