New-York tribune., 1913-09-09
NATRON OF HOMECRAFT
DEGREE IN THIS COURSE
nr. Rowe Plans to Teach Pupils
Of Wadleigh How to
Keep House.
HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS
New Scheme Affords Opportu-
nitv for Girls to Leave Dead
Languages to Prepare
for Life Work.

when Dr.. Stuart H. Rowe became prin-
,,., Of Wadleigh High School and looked
..ornd on the hundreds OF girls under his
are he had thought
osixty-hve per cent OF these youngsters
iii marry sooner or later. What is New
york City's school system doing to At
o.m for that life job"'
And the answer. he told The Tribune
..,orter yesterday, was: Almost moth
ing"
Than and there DR.. Rowe began to plan
nhomecraft course" and yesterday that
.,,-se the only one OF its kind I'm any
INV school, was offered to pupils entering
Wadleigh. II is four years course. and,
,.s.n conscientiously, should turn out a
~o,ne woman qualified TO cook a dinner.
-, a house on oiled wheels. spend the
,.r,lv income 10 the best advantage, take
.,,. ot a baby, teach the children. enjoy
,,ps,o and art, converse inteligently on
g,.-ature and other subjects, and take an
.nc,snt part in social service and the af-
fairs Of the community.
q saw scores Of girls" Or. Rowe told
~. reporter, struggling TO keep UP their
s,d IN Latin. Greek, mathematics. the
,uh,ects IN the regular course-struggnng
,on,lessly because their bent was not that
way.
81 tn.w that the mind could be ef-
actively developed by thorough train
,,s IN English, or in history, Just as
.sscavely as by mathematics or foreign
languages.
81 asked myself what, II ] had daugh-
.,r who was not designed specially for
N. teaching profession-what i should
rant her 10 study. I decided Englsh'
Arst OF all. So a required study In the
sorecraft course is English, not the IN
,ensiye study necessary 10 pass entrance
nominations for college, but an extensive
study which will give the girl broad
view OF English fiction, poetry. essays anu
drama
And the course is so arranged that II
rirl can take only one year OF hign sChooi
she will leave with fairly good hho"F
.dge Of English authors.
"A homekeeper, Of course, must kno"
hygiene. For that she must know
physiology, and for that. biology. Biology
is required in the first year. hygiene ana
sanitation in the second. PhysicaI tram
ing is one OF the 'musts.' and music ana
drawing are others Domestic science
and domestic art. household chemistry
household arithmetic. the care and the
renodelling OF clothing. household design
and decoration, applied physics. history
ancient. European. American current-aii
these things come in the course.
.'rbere is household management IN the
thlrd YEAR. and social efficiency ana essen
tiaIs OF conduct. designed TO At girl 10
take helpful place in the community
where she lives. are required In the
fourth. Almost everything homekeeper
should know. from millinery to the funoa-
mentals Of legal procedure. Is inciuoeo'
ana enough subjects are elective 70 MAKE
the course very elastic.
girl who takes this course VIII oe
fitted 10 earn her living, too. PROVIDED she
Is willing TO do some OF the good Old
fashioned things.
Some day," Dr. Rowe said. there Is
going 10 be a dlgnifed name for the
woman who can go into house where
N. mother is tired out and be her second
SELF. For that calling. so much needed
this course will At a girl. II Will nj her
10 be a nurse-not a trained nurse out
the sort OF nurse and helper so often de-
sired IN households. u Will NJ her TOT
some OF the many positions OF trust there
are in institutions.
1T will make her, IN short. II she Goes
h.- part. a woman Of broad and practical
a woman who can do things
Il won't At her TO go into an office;
slrl who wishes 10 do that had better go
light 70 a commercial school But a rev
months In the commercial school would
make q stenographer OF her, and this
horecraft course will III her for that
more distant future TO which most girls,
whatever wage-earning work they plan
70 enter for the present, look forward"
DR.. Rowe said he didn't expect many
pupils 70 enter the homecraft course now.
because most of those who go to Wad-
leigh intend 10 enter the teaching pro-
fession. and so need the regular course.
But as time goes on" he said, home
craft will attract more and more"
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