Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-06-30
THIRTY SUMMER
SCHOOLS READY
To OPEN JULY 10
Mothers Welcome Event to
Keep Their Children Out of
Streets and Mischief.

Newark's summer schools, which are
regarded as a blessing in that they
keep children off the streets and out Of
mischief during h vacation months,
will open on July 10. There will be
thirty this year.
Commenting on the curriculum and
the efficiency of the schools, Charles
Grant Schafer, supervisor of summer
schools, has this to say:
Newark is prominently an indus
trial city, and as such it naturally fol-
lows that a great part OF its popula-
ton must remain in the city during the
summer AS far back as the early
eighties the question was raised as .
what could be done for the thousands
Of children who could not leave the
city.
Were they to be turned out into
the street for nine or ten consecutive
weeks, to be there subjected to all bad
influences? This question was dis
| cussed with more or less Visor until
1885, when, following the recommends
ton of the late DR.. Barringer, the
Board of Education voted to establish
three summer or vacation schools
Morton Street, Newton Street and
Hamburg Place schools We're selected
for the experiment.
Enrolment increases.
"A term of six weeks was arranged.
The course of study Included reading,
writing. arithmetic, language and
music, with some little attention %
manual work in the form of sewing.
The main purpose of the schools was
to remove the children from the bad
and vicious influence of the street.
and to preserve their school habits, 80
that they might return in proper con-
dition at the opening of the fall term.
When the schools opened three times
as many pupils applied for admission
as could be accommodated.
During hat first summer twenty
two classes were maintained with al
enrolment of 1,400 pupils and an aver
age attendance of 1,045.
After so successful an experiment
the board decided to continue the sum-
mer schools, and during the next five
years the number of schools was in
creased to seven with forty-three
classes and an enrolment of 2,4S1.
More Manual Training.
THE real educational value of nan
ual training is its power to expand
the mind and to arouse both mental
and physical activity. Hence we find
more n more manual training in our
summer schools. In 1900 raffia braiding,
weaving and basketry work was added.
In 1902 one class was given woodwork
and bent iron, and two classes were
given cooking. This work proved so
attractive that the following year it
was introduced into all of the summer
schools. The work in sewing was also
extended.
''In 1905, twenty years after the sum-
mer schools were opened. the number
of schools had increased to seventeen,
with an enrolment of S,54S. The per
cent. of attendance was 1871, as com
pared with 90 per cent. for the regular
school term. Compared with the sum-
mer schools maintained in other cities,
those of Newark are unlike any other
system. Pupils are registered before
the opening of the term. and an at
tendance record, as required by law,
is kept in the same careful as
the register in the regular school term.
while attendance is voluntary,
teachers are expected to look up alb
sentees and do all in their power to
maintain a high per cent. of atten-
dance.
"The work Of the session is so ar
ranged as to give one hour and a
quarter to manual work in first and
second grades, n hour to reading and
language and forty-five minutes for
opening exercises. music. nature talk
and number. In the third. fourth, fifth
and advanced grades. n hour n a
half was devoted to manual work and
q like amount to other subjects"