BUILDING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Kennedy Bibliothek

social pressures and economic conditions have changed and require different
approaches.
52. All three cases - Pontiac, Arlington and Dunbar - have experienced
financial cut-backs and loss of student population to differing degrees.
As a general rule, basic services are kept going fully; all additional
services are diminished, sometimes even eliminated. A cut in week-end
programs and staff is the first measure. A lack of motivation often
follows. Pontiac's HRC, due possibly to the economic situation of the
city, showed the most severe signs of disenchantment with the practicalities
of co-operation and integration. This is not stated officially but
penetrates through a number of details which all fit into the same pattern:
- no adult education courses are being held during week-ends;
- the pedestrian thoroughfare and link from the neighbourhood to the
city center is closed at night in order to cut down on vandalism;
- lack of parking causes a cut-down of multi-use requests;
- the office of manpower and employment (probably of particular
importance during times of high unemployment) has been closed;
- workshops and studios cannot be operated at full capacity for lack
of programs and staff.
53. Pontiac probably is the most ambitious project in terms of trying to
overcome deep-rooted.socio-economic and urban problems. In comparison,
neither' T.J. (with its basic two-agency co-operation) nor Dunbar (in
refusing to desegregate) attempted to solve as much in such a short period
of time. The question is whether this also accounts for HRC's failure as
a model for the entire urban area.
Changes in Educational Content and Teaching Methodology
54. Apart from the co-ordination of different social services in the new
educational and community centers, a second level of co-or.dination can be
found at the childhood level. In order to eliminate social differences,
changes in curricula and teaching methods adapted to local needs and
priorities have been established. In this context questions of size and
scale of school must be seen in relationship to questions of choice and
adaptability. It was assumed that only the larger organisational units
would be able to provide individualised and small group instruction, of the
variety needed for different socio-economic background of children and
parents. In the meantime, it has become clear that at the elementary
school level (HRC), smaller organisational units may be more advantageous.
However, this Is a matter of organisation, planning and architecture in
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