The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-06-12
NUMBER 6.


these results there seems to be q gener-
al Improvement in the discipline OF the
pupils, due, we believe, TO their business
transactions trough the bank. These
transactions are conducted before school
hours and must be performed In an or
dorly and accurate manner.
COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT.
There is strong tendency on the
part of young people to leave the pub
lie schools and seek TO earn livelihood
before completing their course of study.
They reason that the high school is in
tended solely to fit them for college,
that thoy are unable or do not desire to
| pursue college course and hence that
the high school course will not compen-
satc them for the time required to com
| plete IL. These seem to be largely in
the majority judging from the large
number who leave school just before en-
tering the high school. 1t is true that
| the high school course, as now adopted,
is arranged largely to accommodate
those who hope to enter some college
and these constitute q small minority OF
the number who leave school. While
we do not wish TO detract from the reg
ular high school course nor hold out
| any inducements to young people TO
| turn aside from the course that will
| prepare them to enter some higher in
| stitution yet we do think that some adj
ditional advantages should be provided
for the great mass Of young people who
will spend their lives i'm the shops, at
! desks and Behind counters. To this end
1t is recommended that n Commercial
Department" be instituted in connect
ion with the high school. The course
Of study for such department should
contain such branches as Bookkeeping,
Shorthand, Typewriting, Commercial
Arithmetic Commercial Law, Banking
Business practice, ETC., that will afford
a thorough training for those who will
afterwards enter business life. Such
Il department Is not unknown in the
various high schools Of the state. The
more progressive schools have already
responded to the demand for a thor
ough practical business training and
have Incorporated such course of
study as department OF the high
school. We feel assured that the day is
near at hand when al high schools
must yield TO this same demand. 1t is
certainly but justice to the many young
men and women who are unable to pur-
sue Il college course and are early push
ed out into the world to earn liveli-
hood. Again it is just as desirable that
young people seek honorable and profit
able trades and that they be thoroughly
prepared for such occupations, as that
they seek professions. This is a great
commercial age and there is wide and
useful field open to young menand wom-
en- skilled in commercial pursuits. The
commonly called professions are al
ready overcrowded and are becoming
less and less renumerative so that it be-
comes necessary for young people to di-
| rect their energies in other channels
1t seems, therefore, that If the public
high school fulfills its sphere of useful
ness it will provide such education as
| will meet the needs of the masses.
Your Board recently granted the
principal leave of absence for the pur-
pose of making tour Of visitation to
high schools in the state that maintain
Commercial Department, with view
to ascertanlng facts concerning the
equipment and methods OF conducting,
and results produced by such schools.
This tour of visitation together with
some correspondence on the subject has
placed in my possession data with refer
| ence to course OF study, methods OF
| teaching and cost of equipment and
| maintenance, necessary to the institu-
| tion of such a department when your
| Board desires the same. The cost of
| equipping and maintaining such a de-
partment does not exceed that of any
| other department in the school,
THE NEW BUILDING.
1t would perhaps not be out of place
to say word in this connection with
reference to the new building. The
building when rebuilt on the same gen.
eral plan of the one recently destroyed
will be model Of modern school archi-
lecture and will doubtless satisfy all
the demands of modern school methods,
and yet the experience of five years has
taught us whore some changes can be
made in the details of the new building
that will enhance its convenience and
usefulness for the carrying on OF school
work and since the prime object of such
"a building is to provide the best means
for doing efficient work, your Board
will doubtless welcome suggestions of
this kind Among these are provisions
for larger high school and the utiliz-
inn OF snace that WAS formerly wastA