The Gary Schools, A General Account

Not even in those branches to which Gary has given impetus and development-the so-called special activities-has a high or even satisfactory standard been reached. An excellent spirit pervaded the playgrounds, gymnasiums, shops, laboratories, and household arts departments. But high-even satisfactory-standards of workmanship did not rule. Some boys and girls did well; some did ill; concerted effort to procure generally good work, conscientious insistence upon excellent performance are only spasmodically in evidence. (p. 261)

Attention has been called to the ways in which pupils participate in responsible activities-record keeping, etc. Such participation is admirably calculated to give a flavor of reality to school life. What ought, however, to be a credit item is converted into a debit because the absence of proper accountability results in slipshod work that must do the pupils positive damage. Records characterized by poor spelling, arithmetical inaccuracies, and grave omissions pass unchallenged. Not only is the immediate educative effect lost, but the child tends to become habituated to inferior performance. Thus, once more sound conception is frustrated by ineffective execution. (p. 261)