Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-08-03
SCHOOL FOR INDUSTRY.
Freeport, ILL.,, Trying a Trade Be-
tween Factory and Lessons.

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, one boy In
the factory one 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
can 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. II cents the second year and
1919 cents the third year, and they are
given full credit for their work in
high school.
Good Progress Made In School.
1t is said that boys working in this
way pass their examinations as cred
itably as those spending their full time
in school, The reasons 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 Rotations. and as only
the mere ambitious boys elect such
course they make good progress.
Tho nIop nlaococ tho hovS bocoy,cc
1t 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 1t is 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 some productive employment, while
still they desire them better prepared
| intellectually. 1t pleases the manu-
| facturers because 1t 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
1t keeps boys in school for the four
: year period. something that is very
i, 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 II boy don't go to work when
he Is about fourteen years old he be-
cones too proud or too lazy to work.
1t Is well known fact that the most
| important business men were brought
up TO work when they were young:
that 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 I'm their home city instead of
pointing them away to some other city
lis soon as they leave school. The
plan will help to solve the apprentice
difficulties. while directing the minds
of the brightest boys along mechan.
teal lines something after the plan OF
the German educational system
The general plan is for the boys to
start work I'm the factory in vacation
They choose the factory that suits
them best. and the employers try then
out. The boys try the work to learn
whether they like it or not
Mr.. 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 higf
school to such an extent Is an limo
walton which points to radical changes
in our educational methods, leaning
we'll over toward the manufacturing