New-York tribune., 1901-12-15
I'm THE EVENING SCHOOLS.
WHAT THOSE IN NEW-YORK ARE DOING
FOR THE POOR, THE UNLETTERED
AND THE EOREICNEES.

toll, as perhaps no other city in the country at
tempts to do. Four years ago the first evening
high school was opened, followed promptly by
Others until there are now seven of these
schools alone, without counting the many gram
mar schools for children who have left the day
| school before being graduated for adult for
eigners who wish to learn English and the
| three RS
Most teachers love their profession, and de-
| clare that they find much inspiration in the
close contact with young and usually eager
minds; but of all teachers those who work in
the night schools are probably the most enthusi-
astic. This is natural, for there is nothing to
| force a child adult to go to the night
school, and the class of pupils is therefore more
earnest than be found elsewhere. When
each pupil has definite aim, in the furthering
of which he is willing to sacrifice his leisure
time, there is romance about the work which
overshadows the drudgery, a measure of which
is inseparabe from any kind of teaching.
| A visitor to the evening schools will be
prised at the class of pupils found there. Every
rank OF life. from the higher professions to rag
picking, is represented, with astonishingly
large admixture of the refined and cOmpara-
lively we'll to do. The latter class is to be found
chiefly in the high schools. of course, but is
! represented also in the grammar schools among
those who wish to learn English. On entering
!
crowds of from fourteen to twenty, a goodly
number of men and women of from thirty to
fifty and a small group OF children under ten,
who sit in the back seats and amuse themselves
quietly. These last not there to learn, but
because their mothers or big sisters cannot
leave them At home. and are too eager to en-
| brace the opportunity of learning to stay at
home. In fact. the occupants of a grammar
school class room may range in age from six
| months to sixty. for mothers with babies N
| arms are not by any means unknown.
In the grammar schools the ordinary subjects
/ Of the day school are taught, together with ste
/ biography. and for the women cooking and dress
making The school is divided into junior and SEN
ior departments. the lat including all over six
| teen. For children from fou N to sixteen there
! is no choice in the subjects taught; t simply
take the regular day school course. After that
they choose such courses as they wish Those
who are over sixteen when they come to school
take anything they wish from the start. An
adult class may include representatives. Of every
nation under heaven. Russian and Italian
/ French and German, Spanish and Cuban, all
united in an effort to speak English. After
being here year and attending school
they are able to speak and write fairly we'll
The education Of these people may be fair in
their own languages. or it may be deficient, but
the majority of those who sufficiently keen
Drained to want to come to evening SchooI When
7 over twenty are pretty sure to have had some
training at home. There are and women
however-aud Italians perhaps here in the
ma jority-who come to night school without
having had any schooling to speak Of
/ In one school the other night there appeared
a regular Italian pupil bringing a friend who
she explained, had landed that day. This eager
ness for learning shows itself in pathetic ways
Many of the women straight to school
from work bringing something TO eat with
| Them going without anything until
reaching home. There are two sessions for SEN
iors one from 7:1J to SID o'clock and the
other from SD to 91J o'clock. Some Of the
pupils work so late that they come direct from
the shop to the S:15 o'clock session. and keep
this up for five nights in the week.
Among the Italians, the teachers say, it is
common to have the new arrivals give their age
as fourteen, without regard to length of limb
or lines on . They know that they must be
over fourteen to be admitted and at this
they stay until their knowledge of the Ian
euage has enabled them to grasp the idea that
any age over fourteen is equally acceptable
They are al initiative people. or rather a race
anxious to please. On one occasion, dealing
with a crowd OF foreigners who wanted to reg
lister for the school, the teacher asked one ar
rival what he worked at Pants" he said. un-
derstanding a little. Putting the same question
to the others who waiting, the same an
sWer came with smiling promptneSs. They