The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-27
EDUCATION FOR
 THOSE ABOVE FOURTEEN
Night Schools Should Be More Varied In scope-Present Systems Over tax Working Giris--Plea For
 Continuation Schools.
DR JANE E. ROBERTS

DR. JANE E. ROBERTS Head Worker Little Italy Settlement.
 Brooklyn, N. Y.
 (Exclusive Service The Survey Press Bureau.5
 The new idea of city schools includes proper guidance of all young people until they are firmly established on their feet, as self-supporting citizens. Tn one plan that has been suggested for a city school, principal is to be placed in charge of the building, te keep it with the aid of heads of de- partments, in constant use day and night for the education of the entire neighborhood
 Various kinds of vocational training must be furnished during the day to the boys and girls, from the ages of twelve to sixteen. Toung people un- der sixteen years of age are not usual ly mature enough to he allowed to en- ter any work that is not educational. Employers of labor are beginning to see that stupidity is extremely costly, and that something must be done to in crease the efficiency Of The working people
 Manufacturers in Bridgeport, are giving great deal of time to the cr- ganization of a state day school, which teaches trades to boys. In Cincinnati, the manufacturers are trying to work out plans for having the boys for a part of the time in the school, and a pars time in the facco -ies.
 At night the schools in a crowded neighborhood should make {. great point of offering to boys and girls above sixteen years of age chance for vocational training and wholesome recreation. The boys of this age who wish, for instance, to be clerks will often buckle down to the study Of bookkeeping with much earnestneS9
 Under our present bad system, a child of fourteen is allowed to work during the day and he should be given at night physical training in the gym nasium and good manual training, Certain boys of this age would also be glad to practice in band and matic literature. Most boys of. four teen should be forbidden to sit at desks in a school room after confine- ment during the day ,n the shop or factory. In great contrast to a factory boy, however, is the one who has been out of doors engaged in construction work, as he. often seems to enjoy the ular night school
 Working girls under eign+eel should be encouraged to come to s,hool fer definite study only two nights cut of the seven. If one set of teachers could have classes on Monday and Wedne S. day and another set on Tuesday and Friday, with music and general exer- cises on Friday nights, the schools could be made mu2n more important factor in the life of young girls. Un- der the present system of night schools the girl of fifteen is often allowed to undertake school work far beyond her strength, to the disappointemer.t of everyone when she fails to- make good.
 No ordinary day schoo. teacher should be permitted to teach more than two nights in a week. Our teacher was so nice before Christ mas,' one young girl said to nao, "but since Christmas. GEEi"
 In Italy, the school for women and girls, is called La Scuola Festiva" Much can be done in this country by the girls themselves to make the night schools both festive and educational as they have shown in the Evenipg g Recreation Centres. In every school courses should be planned for those who wish to prepare in the evening for evening high schools ard for col leges. Tn all these courses, certificates should be given and regular promo tions made from class 70 class. In New York students should be encour- aged in these classes to fit themselves for the regents examin Ions
 The problem of finding teachers for night schools can be solved by closer cooperation with the colleges. which fices to furnish many fine teachers The best principals should be assign ed to night schools and tliey should be stimulated by their supervisors to do everything in their power to develop azis4zali+z and 6nat taana gzaEl< ananng