Schools as Social Centers
NEWS AND COMMENT.
Superintendent Randall J. Condon of Cincinnati, Ohio, submitted to the Committee on Social Centers of the Board of Education at a meeting held March 17, 1913, a report which is at once so comprehensive and so practical as a plan for constructive social work, that it has been summarized and widely distributed by the Cincinnati Bureau of Municipal Research. Superintendent Condon says in part: A larger use of the school house for social, recreational, educational and civic purposes should be encouraged. The school houses belong to all the people and should be open to all the people upon equal terms: As Civic Centers.
For the free discussion of all matters relating to local and city improvement and for the non-partisan consideration of all civic questions. As Recreational Centers.
Especially for the younger members of the community; to include the use of the baths and gymnasiums; for games, sports and other physical recreations; the use of class rooms and halls for music, dramatics and other recreational activities; and for more distinct social purposes.
As Educational Centers.
In which the more specific educational facilities and equipment may be used by classes or groups of younger or older people in any direction which makes for increased intelligence and for greater economic and educational efficiency. As Social Centers.
In which the community may undertake a larger social service in behalf of its members;?stations from which groups and organizations of social workers may prosecute a non-partisan and non-sectaiian work for the improvement of the social and economic conditions of the neighborhood; rendering any service which may help to improve the condition of the homes; giving assistance to the needy; disseminating information; helping to employment; and in general affording the community in its organized capacity an opportunity to serve in a large measure the needs of its individual members.
The entire movement should be under the direction of a social secretary or director to be appointed by the Superintendent. Until such an official is appointed, principals should be allowed a large amount of freedom and initiative in developing plans. Where parents’ organizations or local improvement societies exist, they should be utilized in this work instead of creating separate and additional organizations. Until the neighborhood organizations have been perfected, requests from existing clubs and organizations may be granted; but they should come through the principals and should be transmitted with their approval or disapproval to the Committee on Social Centers. These requests when granted should be without expense to the club or the organization or to the members, under the following conditions:
1. No school should be opened for the special use of any class or group having less than twenty-five members.
It should not be opened upon more than one evening a week for a membership of less than fifty.
3. A smaller number, however, may be granted the use of certain rooms in a school which is open for other purposes, providing this smaller number does not deprive a larger group of the same opportunity.
4. No group should be allowed the use of a room for more than two evenings a week if the room is desired by other groups. If there is a sufficient number of requests, each group may be limited to a single evening in the week. 5. No use of the gymnasium, manual training and domestic science rooms, or other rooms where the apparatus and equipment call for special skill, intelligence, or care in their manipulation should be permitted except under the direction of a leader appointed by the Superintendent of Schools, or by some official designated by him for this purpose.
6. Permission should not be granted to any exclusive sectarian or partisan organization for purposes of sectarian or partisan propaganda or for the discussion of such matters; but permission may be granted to such organizations to use rooms and equipment for non-partisan and non-sectarian social, civic, recreational, or educational purposes when the purposes for which such use is desired and the plans of the organization have been submitted in writing to the Committee on Social Centers and have received their approval.
7. All organizations, however, which are in any way exclusive in their membership should be granted such permission upon the express condition that such use shall not interfere in any way with a similar use by a non-exclusive organization. Whenever there is a conflict of interests, the decision should be in favor of the latter organizations.
The consideration of social center work was made a special order of business for 9 p. m., at the meeting of the Board of Education of Cincinnati on Monday, March 31, 1913. The School Inquiry Movement.
The New York Bureau of Municipal Research reports that the school inquiry movement is gathering in volume and velocity. “Wisconsin learned her rural school needs,” says the Bureau, “through a survey of rural schools, and legislative action for reconstruction is under consideration. Wisconsin learned that she had some untrained teachers, and is at present having a survey of her normal schools in order to determine why.
“Ohio’s state-wide survey of her public school system is under way. The recent floods changed a few plans but have not stopped the work. This survey affects directly and immediately the welfare of 900,000 children, the efficient expenditure of $30,000,000 annually, and the operation to the best advantage of a $75,000,000 plant.
“Texas has just offered the following resolution to the legislature through the executive board of the Conference for Education:
“‘We believe that the efficient system of schools guaranteed to the people of Texas by the state constitution demands expert supervision, and we therefore favor the extension of country supervision to all counties having 2000 or more scholastic population, and the grouping of remaining counties that have fewer than 2000 scholastic population into supervisory districts under the direction of professional school men.’ As a means of obtaining more efficient county supervision, as demanded in the state democratic platform, the executive board of the conference has declared in favor of the election of the superintendent by the county board of education, not restricting the election to a resident of the county where the election is held.
” Missouri has provided legislation for examination of her schools by a special commission.”
Among the cities which have already undertaken or are preparing to begin a survey of the school system are St. Paul, Portland (Oregon), Milwaukee, Cincinnati, New York, Atlanta, and Schenectady.
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