Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-14
BOYS TO ACQUIRE TRADE
IN TECHNICAL SCHOOLS
Enlarged Facilities Suggested
by Committee of Board
of Education.

That the courses at the Mckinley Man
ual Training School and the Armstrong
Manual Training School be extended and
modified that the pupils desiring to
enter trade may receive at those inSti
tutions courses equivalent to an appren
ticeship in a trade shop in addition to an
education that might be advantageous in
advancing their interests in the future, is
the recommendation embodied in the
port of a special committee on trade
schools adopted by the public schools
committee of the B6ard of Trade yester-
day afternoon.
The special committee was appointed to
draft bill providing for the establish
ment of trade schools in the District. but,
after considering the matter, decided that
sufficient authority is allowed the board
of education to make specific legislation
unnecessary, as the manual training
school courses can be modified and ex-
tended to secure the desired re-
suits.
Substance of Report.
The report says. in part:
While We recognize the high efficiency
of our manual training schools. it does
not appear that they afford full oppor-
tunity for the development of skilled me-
chanics equipped upon graduation to Sc
cure employment in any special trade.
In this respect the manual training
school does not accomplish the same end
as the Business High ScnOol, which does
prepare StenographerS and bOOkkeepers
ready for employment.
1t is recognized fact that large
percentage of pupils in the grammar
schools do not return to school after
they have completed the sixth, seventh
or eighth grade studies. Undoubtedly
ii special trade school. would attract
many of these pupils, because they
would see before them definite results
upon graduation. That there is a de-
mand for trade training is shown by
the fact thatorecently one of the Wash
ingtOn newspapers contained two adver-
tisementS of boys who wished to learn a
trade; and further indication of this
demand may be found in the enrolment
of our own night manual training schools.
Demand for Trade Education.
In the opinion of your committee there
is a demand for special trade education,
and we believe that our existing manual
training schools are an excellent founda-
ton upon which to build a course of
study. that will produce skilled mechanics;
we therefore recommend that the de-
mand for special trade instruction be
met by extending and modifyinS the
present manual training school courses
so as to afford full opportunity foy a
complete training in the trade desired"
The object of the extended course one
of the committee said. would be to make
II possible for the student to leave the in
st1tution a finished tradesman, able to fol-
low his trade without serving an appren-
ticeship of several years. If the course
were so modified. he points out, the stu
dent could leave with a certificate that
would insure him immediate employment
and he would have the advantage over
serving an apprenticeship without an op-
portunity to study the subjects allied with
the particular trade he follows.
An Instance Cited.
AS example, the case of apprentice
ships at navy yard lathe was pointed
out The apprentice serves all his time at
his machine and when pronounced a fin
ished product knows little outside of the
machine at which he has worked At the
manual training schools the course could
be so modified the committee holds that
in addition to all the practical experience
obtained in a machine shop, the student
could take up certain subjects CLOSELY al
lied TO it and which would make a rapid
/ advance easier.
Adds y. Browne, chairman of the COM
mittee, was unable to attend the meeting
because of illness and Herbert Allen acted
as chairman in his absence. The annual
report of the committee to the Board of
J Trade was adopted, but nothing beyond
the special report on trade schools will
be given out until after the board has
acted on the report