Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-16
CITY EXPANDING
NIGHT SCHOOLS
LOS ANGELES TAKING HIGH
RANK IN EDUCATION
CHANCE GIVEN FOREIGNERS TO
ACQUIRE AMERICAN IDEALS
Manual Training for Boys Also ln-
cluded In Curriculum Outlined
by the Board Of
Education

Expansion along the line Of evening
schools is taking place in the Los
Angeles school department. It is the
opinion of the superintendent's office
that no department of a city educa-
tional system is of greater practical
utility than it's evening schools, reach
ing, as they do, those children who
otherwise would not receive the train
ing which is their due.
on the evening of September Is Los
Angeles proved herself in the first rank
of cities in this respect by opening
five evening schools, one of them a
high school. The elementary evening
schools are located as follows: One at
Olive street school, which ran last
wear: one at CASTELAR, street school,
one at Utah street school, and one at
Fourteenth street school. The total
| enrolment on opening night was about
| 200, which number has since nearly
| doubled.
The evening school at Utah street
will supply the demand Of the foreign
element, which has been clamoring at
the doors of the board of education,
| asking for the education of foreigners.
These foreigners are chiefly Russians,
| who apparently believe that the day is
made for toll, the night for study.
| This school will of course emphasize
the teaching of English. The one at
Fourteenth street supplies evening ed
ucational advantages to section
which has furnished many candidates
| for such education.
Any One Over IA Eligible
Anv one over IA years of age, either
male or female, is eligible for enroll
ment. Very interesting, In former
wears. have been some of the older
| members of classes including, at one
time, a Scotchman so years OF age, VINO
had never learned to read or write, ana
an ancient colored woman VINO was
studying typewriting
ally the same as last year, including
some manual training work for boys.
| At nresent the course does not meet
| the requirements Of evening students
with the greatest precision, but both
| the matter and the method OF teach-
ing are being modified to meet these
requirements: There is more or the IN
dividual system of teaching, and the
practice of teacher and pupil working
ont the educational problem together,
| instead of requiring the pupil to go OH
by himself, and dig out his lessons.
This Is the more necessary because the
Young people are many times wearted
with the days work, and personal SYM
pathv and encouragement are demand
| ed if the best results are to be OBJ
tanned.
So many pupils of the evening schools
are foreign young men and women
well educated In their own language
but deficient in English, that 1t Is the
aim of the department to so modify
the course as to include more and more
English-reading, writing. spelling
and also to include instruction in civ
les, that the youthful foreigner may
gain an idea of our government ana
political institutions.
The athletic apparatus put In last
year at the Olive street evening school
was extremely popular with the boys,
affording a play opportunity Which
was very beneficial to youngsters
doomed to work all day and study all
evening.
The child labor. law, which requires
that each child between IA and 10
years of age must be able to read and
write simple English before being en-
titled to a permit to work, Is largely
responsible for the increasing demand
for evening schools, and to the depart
ment of compulsory education great
credit Is due for its endeavors to see
that the law is strictly observed, and
that each child is encouraged and
given an opportunity to get common
school education.
Last year the average attendance at
Olive street evening school was in
creased from 70 per cent to S5 per cent
"a high average for an evening school,
The average attendance at said school
was about 200.
Girls Attending School
While formerly 1t was a rare sight
to see a girl in the evening. schools,
last year there was an increasing num-
ber of girls In attendance, and an
even greater demand for admission
was made by girls on opening night
this year. Co-education is proving it.
self as wise and helpful an arrange
ment here as elsewhere.
The evening high school opened last
evening with an enrolment of $50, and
there are as many more applicants yet
in sight The course Of study is some
what extended over that of last year
in the amount of work required and
the number of evenings to be devoted
to each subject.
|