Can (1(1 i (in Foirslri/ Journal, Fcbruari/, U)17 



947 



A CLASS ROOM IN THE OPEN. 



A Children's School in the Forest 



Remarkable Results in Improved Bodies and Minds Achieved 

 by the Toronto Board of Education. 



Since the following description was written by Dr. W. E. Struthers, Chief 

 Medical Officer of the Toronto Board of Education, the School has developed 

 substantially. There are now two Institutions, placed in Victoria and 

 High Parks. 



Nothing in the modern develop- 

 ment of the public school has given 

 more satisfaction than the "Forest 

 School." From everywhere comes 

 the report of the remarkable mental 

 stimulus received by the child in its 

 outdoor life, and the great improve- 

 ment in its physical development. 

 Such schools have proved to be an 

 economy, not an expense. Children 

 accomplish in half the school lesson- 

 hours as much as their stronger fel- 

 lows n the regular school. The 

 <i|bei half of the lesson periods are 

 ijivL-n to iiutuiL sludy, play, g^rnnatic 

 exercises and drill. Children are giv- 

 en three wholesome, meals a day, 

 plenty of milk, and two hours' abso- 



lute rest and sleep every day. Such 

 regularity of life in work, play, meals, 

 and rest produces remarkable results 

 in a very short time. I beg to report 

 our own experience in Victoria Park 

 last summer, with its most encourag- 

 ing results. The Forest School open- 

 ed on June 20th, and closed Sept. 

 20th. In all about seventy children 

 were in attendance; the average daily 

 attendance, however, fell somewhat 

 below fifty, and in 1916 was 100. In 

 this tentative effort to demonstrate 

 the value of such open-air school work, 

 Ihc value of such open-aii ijchool 

 work, we have had, of course, some 

 difTiculties, and a number of handi- 

 caps. The children had to learn that 



