The San Francisco call., 1910-02-20
PLEADS FOR NEEDS
OF NIGHT SCHOOLS
State Inspector Finds Much to
Praise in Local Educational
System
Text Books Are Required and
Many Students Have TO
Travel Too Far

+Aomas 7. Brown. q member or the
stat Of Edward Hyatt. state superin-
tendent OF schools, has been in San
francisco for several days making q
detailed investigation into the night
school system. He left last night for
Sacramento, well pleased with his dis
coVeries.
he night schools OF san Francisco
deserve the highest possible praise"
said Brown, and should have the sup
port OF all OF the citizens OF your city.
There IS a splendid opening for persons
or philsnthropic turn to do a world
of good. The night schools are sadly in
need OF textbooks and such luxuries as
encyclopedias, and there are a hundred
aud one little conveniences that might
easily be supplied
Since ! came TO the city I have
visited the Commercial evening school
nd the Humboldt evening high school,
!. 9th Al Eighteenth and Dolores streets;
50 the Washington evening school.
Al I'D OF them / found the highest pos
siaie class OF students and also OF in
structors.
SIT DENTS SEEK TO LEARN
one thing that ! do believe is over
looked is the fact that the night school
teachers accomplish virtually as much
IN TWO short hours as is accomplished
I'm the day schools in the course of an
entire day. This fact struck me very
forcibly 81 first and led me TO question
The principals and instructors.
i put the question to them. and
the inVarisble reply was that they
minimized the luxuries Of the day
SCHOOL: the pupils were older and con-
seQuentiy more settled. and. this being
given as the most important reason,
she pupils came to school from choice.
rot from compulsion. the majority Of
them being of an age that dill not al
low Tor compulsory education. One
principal stated that the students come
10 night school 10 learn. not TO be
taught. as is the case in the day school
course.
LONG DISTANCES TRAVELLED
AT the Humboldt school found stu
dents who were compelled 20 travel all
the way from North beach in order to
avail themselves Of an education. This
consider . deplora Bile fact. as I feel
tlsr Young man or woman who is
willing TO work hard all day and then
study at night should he given every pos
sthle opportunity. and 7 would certainly
ke TO see 2 night high school more
centrally located; or else. and il would
be an item OF small expense. see the
city furnish transportation 70 the stu
dents. This would mean a great deal
10 = large number OF them.
A thing that particularly surprised
me was 10 discover 4 debating class in
fun swing at the Washington school
and the pupils arguing on The Present
jury System; Should 1t Be Abolished
This society 7 was informed. meets one
night each week taking up some topic
that viii make valua Bile citizens out Of
The students within few years
.SEwSPAPER CLIPPINGS USED
One very unique. and incidentally up
10 date feature that struck me as
valuable step toward advance ement, was
10 find that the teachers of history were
using as textbook 2 scrap book made
up OF clippings from the daily papers
This insures a more down TO date
knowledge Of history and grasp on pub
lie affairs than is possible under the
system in vogue in any Of our univer-
stiles
Il DO not believe that thefgeneral
public fully realizes the class Of in
srructors that are essential for the best
results in night school work. When
We stop to consider that they accom-
piish equally as much IN say. 20 min
Utes Al is accomplished in one hour in
the day schools. it is not difficult to
see tnat they must necessarily be spe-
ciaiists in the fullest sense of the
word. Their services should be more
fGIIv appreciated and the remuneration
might easily be increased.
1t would certainly be a noble work
FOR some charitably inclined persons TO
turn their attention to this field Of en-
ceavor. The students today are the
c.tizens Of tomorrow, and what We help
them 10 become now is what we must
Expect Of them when they take hold
Of the reins. 4 few dollars Judiciously
spent at the present time would do
more 10 raise the present standards
-hsn any investment can ina gine."