Newark post., 1912-05-08


formation in the pupil s interest in
the study and in the interest of the
community in the school.
'The girl should learn in the
school enough about dressmaking
general sewing. so that later she
will be resourceful in making and
remodeling her own and her chill
dren s clothes, hats. and so forth.
In the sewing and drawing classes
taste should be trained in matters
OF both color and form. The work
IN these two departments should be
very closely correlated. the dress
making and millinery classes fur
nishing motive and practical
application of the instruction in
drawing. Kinds of textiles, dura-
blllty, washableness, adaptation to
various uses should all be taught,
not only in theory but by practical
application. Skill in household
decoration, good taste in the selec-
tlon and arrangement Of furniture.
discrimination between cIamorous
roses and pionissimo ge6metrics in
rugs and wall paper, and between
inexpensive reproductions of the
worlds greatest pictures and the
polychr0matic. gilt-framed atroci-
ties Of the department stores. all
these are as valuable to the girl and
the community as the "discipline
and culture' of paradiems. pro.
sodv and parallelepipeds.
1T is highly desirable that
household problems should be stud
led completely in a simply fur
nisled model house. which can be
cared for by the girls as part Of
their regular schoolwork. The
household budget for families of
various sizes and incomes should be
carefully analyzed. and problems
OF buying should be studied at first
hand in the stores and markets. If
it is true, as has been estimated,
that the woman in charge Of the
house spends eighty per cent of the
family income, it seems as if such
training as is here outlined would
have a direct value in raising the
economic and moral status Of the
home.
1t should provide Latin, Greek,
German. French. mathematics. sci
ence. history, literature. and so
forth. for the girl Of scholarly abil-
ity and ambition. and plenty of
handwork and practical training
for the large majority who have no
distinctively intellectual interests.
It should require both mental and
manual work of every girl through
out her course. even if this innova-
ton makes it necessary to add ali
hour or two to the school day. 1t
should give every girl the fullest
instruction she can assimilate in
oral and written English and in the
masterpieces Of our literature. 1t
should require Of all some acquaint-
ance with scientific principles as
applied to daily life. some familiar
ity with business practice and ele-
mentary accounting. and an intro
duction to the economic and gen
crnmental activities Of organized
society. Whether or not we favor
woman suffrage. we must recognize
the probability Of its rapid extern
sion. Woman's beWilderment III
political matters is due to ineXperi-
ence. and it is a problem for the
public high school to give her the
intelligent comprehension Of civic
matters that will make her a most
saIutary influence i'll our political
life. Woman needs intellectual
culture: she also needs abonnding
health: she needs an introduction
to the riches Of science, mathemat-
les. history. language and litera-
ture. but she also needs to know the
science. art and economics Of the
home. She Gften needs to 90 to
college, but she'more often needs to
earn living wage that she deliVe.
her from the ever-present tempta-
ton to sell her soul for temporary
bodily comfort; and pervading all
Of her school training she needs IA
social democracy and a sympathetic
intelligence that shall make easier
her task as the moral and spiritual
conservator of the progress Of the
race.