The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-08-18
SCHOOL FOR INDUSTRY
Freeport, H., Trying a Trade Be.
tween Factory and Lessons.
PUPILS PAID FOR THEIR WORK

Them For the Commercial World
Radical Educational Change.
The Citizens Commercial association
Of Freeport, ILL.,. has, in connection
with the school board, brought about
an innovation in industrial education.
The plan adopted Is to permit students
in the high school to work one-half
Of the time in factories.
The boys work in pairs, n boy In
the factory n week and In high
school the next week, the other boy of
the pair alternating-that is, the boy in
school this week goes to the factory
on Saturday afternoon and takes the
work in hand that the other boy has
been doing all the week so that he
a take 1t up quickly Monday morn
ing without encroaching too much
upon the time Of the foreman. The
boys are paid 10 cents an hour the
first year, IL cents the second year and
12h1 cents the third year, and they are
given full credit for their work In
high school.
~SS0 SsO9SVSO ~ ~
It is said that boys working in this
way pass their examinations as cred
itably as those spending their full time
In school. The aso given are that
because Of their factory experience
their minds are more receptive and
they comprehend the school work
quickly. Then they have their even
ings to prepare recitations, and as only
the more ambitious boys elect such a
course they make good progress.
The plan pleases the boys because
it gives them a chance to work with
tools and to earn something. Most
boys when they arrive at the age Of
fourteen years wish to earn their own
money. This gives them an opportu-
nifty to do so and to remain in school
at the same time. 1t pleases the moth
ers because, while they appreciate the
necessity of the boys going to work,
they feel that it is a rather tender age
to tie them down to hard work every
day.
1t pleases the fathers because they
feel that the boys ought to be engaged
in ONE productive employment, while
still they desire them better prepared
intellectually. 1t pleases the manu-
%facturers because it provides boys
who have brains and ambition beyond
the average, for only the more ener-
getic boys will choose a course of this
kind.
1t pleases the school board because
t. 1pAon0 A4r~ t. 1oLo~1 &c. ~. Ro.~
year period, something that is very
difficult to do. 1t pleases the labor
organizations by helping the boys who
need help most.
1t is beneficial to the boys in another
way. If a boy don't go to work when
he is about fourteen years old he be-
comes too proud or too lazy to work.
1t is a we'll known fact that the most
important business men were brought
up to work when they were young;
that a large proportion of tramps and
irresponsibles are recruited from vii
lagos where boys have no chores to
attend to before school and nothing
to do after school.
Interest In the Home Hearth.
Still another object is to bring a
closer relation between the high school
and the manufacturing interests OF
Freeport for the purpose Of interesting
the boys in their home city instead OF
pointing them away to some other city
as soon as they leave school. The
plan will help to solve the apprentice
difficulties, while directing the minds
Of the brightest boys along mechan-
ical lines, something after the plan of
the German educational system.
The general plan is for the boys to
start work in the factory in vacation.
They choose the factory that suits
them best, and the employers try them
out. The boys try the work to learn
whether they like it or not.
MI. Shearer Of the Citizens Com
mercial association, who was princi-
pally instrumental in introducing the
plan, says:
"The Freeport plan means a radical
change in educational matters, one
that is about as far away from the
old time classical system as it Is pos
sible to get. Specializing in high
school to such an extent is an inno-
walton which points to radical changes
in our educational methods, leaning
we'll owe toward the manufacturing
interests Of the United States.
mo radical change in the curricu.
lum Of the Freeport high school Is con.
templated at present, but in all proba-
bility the system will be extended
along special lines looking to the edu.
cation Of young men and young wo-
men to At them for the special lines
Of work chosen by them.
Technical studies will be used al
mind trainers just as efectually as the
Greek and Latin Of our old time peda-
gogues, and the boys will imbibe some.
thing Of practical value while they are
stil1 young."-Kansas City Star.
A Marathon Dance.
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