New-York tribune., 1908-03-31
TRIMMING GIRLS.
Nee High School to Turn Ont
Home Makers and Wage Farmers.

.-ro train thc Girl for efficient management of a
household and prepare her for temporary or per-
manent wage earning career is the object or the
William Penn High School for Girls which the
Philadelphia Board of Education purposes to esab-
lish. The plan is generally considered dlsuhct
advance in the line OF public education for girls
In addition to academic courses similar to those Oh
any other high school, a great variety Of courses
calculated to bring the Individual capacities OF
the pupils 10 great an extent as possioe VIII pe
offered.
The need ot providing new building for the old
Girls Commercial High School led to the adoption
of a plan for course of training along win
the building. The cid commercial courses are
in the first place. TO be enlarged. The business
training is practically limited to stenographs'
typewriting and bookkeeping. In the new schooi IL
will include a Knowledge OF modern office indeNine
and filing systems and devices. together with such
other instruction may be necessary to FURNISH as
full preparation possible for general secretaral
work and Office management Library work VIII
also be taught and the girls will be fitted TO take
positions in larger institutions and social centres
Millinery and dressnlaktng will be Taught IN cor
relation with drawing.
The girl whose vocation is toward the traditionai
lines of feminine activity will be provided for In
domestic science courses elevated to plane uh-
dreamed Of by her grandmother. and In the report
of the city superintendent. DR.. Martin Brumbaugh.
relative this school II is pointed out that nome
making is the ultimate vocation of ninety out OF
every hundred girls. In reference to this part OF
the curriculum DR. Martins report says;
The woman who is to be the spender OF the
famiIy's money should know something OF fabrics
and textiles and their relative values for use and
beauty She should be taught, for instance to esti-
mate the value of dress in relation both TO its
initial cost and the expense of laundering
Besides cooking and household sanitation and
mana cement, interior decorating and artistic de-
signing will be taught in relation TO the arts and
crafts movement and other technical art applca-
tons
The curriculum allots 65 per cent of the time to
academic courses and 35 to the special ones All
students must take the academic course and physi-
cal culture is also compulsory. Thus all the STU
dents will be brought together on common basis.
and cliques and class distinctions arising from the
different lines of work pursued at other times wlli
il is said, be prevented.
DR. Brumbaugh has visited ali available schools
of silimar scope and pretensions, and the ne"
school building. the plans for which have been ac-
cepted, will probably be ready for occupancy IN
about fifteen months. and Is to include the many
excellent features found in such schools as the
Brooklyn Manual Training School and the Mckln-
ley High School. of ST. Louis. while 1t VIII be the
endeavor OF the builders to avoid any defects
which have been discovered in the daily use OF
these school buildings
According to the present plan. the building is to
contain a large auditorium two small gymnasiums
with the usual accessories, rather than one large
one, a small auditorium with seating capacity Of
about a hundred and fifty. containing also stage
and accessories, series of rooms in the atuc
TO be used Photographic studio ample locker
space large and well lighted luncheon room, am
pie executive for the use of the faculty ana
such additional rooms as detailed study may
suggest.
Teachers Will be secured from such sources OF
supply as Teachers College Columbia University,
Pratt Institute and Drexel Institute, and the task
of finding specialists Will not be easy one The
field Of work for of the departments is so
new that there scarcely any textbook literature
for of the courses and il is on this account
the more necessary that class Of teachers be
employed who not only well trained specialists.
but are possessed both of originality and initiative.