Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-11

81. That the first six grades of ouI
schools be organized substantially as at
Sag. Thatsthe seventh and eighth grades
be organized as a junior high school.
s''3 EEhht at least four courses be
Offers 1.-THE junior high school. These
might z(kthe old line course with some
modi9e pms. a boys industrial course,
girls }}aduStrial course and business
course for both boys and girls. Each OF
these courses should lead to and articulate
with corresponding course In the high
school:
a That each course be SO limited and
grouped that there may be thoroughness
and definite knowledge of subjects
studied. The present old line course il
so overloaded with subjects that bad
habits are acquired by the pupils.
rs. That all courses be SO planned thai
the graduates may be broad-minoed mer
and women and not mere ignorant trade
slaves.
Would Raise Age Limit
20 That the compulsory age for at
tendance of pupils be raised from four
teen to sixteen, the age for going to worl
under the existing law.
81 That no boy or girl under sixteer
be allowed to work in any place outside
of the home, except under the super
vision of the superintendent of schools.
49, That all such work should be sucf
as to have q definite educational value ir
the educational scheme, and credited a:
such on the record of the pupil.
20 That in vocational lines the pupil.
should produce articles having marke
value. and q place should be provided FOL
the sale Of such articles.
40 That the cOllrSe of study for the
grades and the high school be rewritten
so as to break away from old tradNtoni
and to conform to present-day needs
Not for Professions Alone.
Speaking of the changes recommended
in the course of studies, the report states
Historically. our schools we're organ.
ICED for preparing men for the profes.
sions law, medicine and the ministry
With the growth Of democratic ideas
we have become convinced that a. gov.
eminent of the people, for the people and
by the people cannot be maintained un.
less all the children of all the people car
be educated That this may be more
fully realized, we have compulsory at
tendance laws. Then we have been try.
ing to force all children up to fourteen
into the same molds, and many others
up to sixteen or seventeen, and ther
wonder why so many leave school before
completing the grade schools or the first
year high school.
I'VE must recognize the dawning man.
hood and womanhood and the accom-.
panying newborn impulses that come witt
the early adolescent period. 1t Is period
of marked differentiation in the lives OF
the pupils, and our school courses should
be so organized as to guide and direct
these impulses in all Of the pupils rathe,
than to crush them out In the majority
Of them.
Industrial Course for Girls.
Nest Of our girls become home makers
especially SO. If our boys are SO trained
that they may become good home pro.
viders. Then let US have an industrial
course for girls that shall prepare for in
telligent home making under modern con-
ditions.
About ia per cent Of our boys will en-.
ter the professions as lawyers, doctors OIL
clergymen, the other 9S1a per cent will en-.
gage in the industrial life of our country
those for 1900, show that there were
among our male population %, 753 600 over
ten years of age engaged in gainful occu-
patton. OF these, there were 113, $50 law.
yers, los, 3O clergymen and 124,615 physi-
clans and surgeons-a total of 346, $50
This total is less than one-half per cent
of those engaged in gainful occupations
THE schools must take over them.
selves the training formerly given under
the apprentice system. Our laws as they
exist here in the District of Columbia are
training. in reality, many of our boys to
become, loafers instead Of workers, espe,
cially between fourteen and sixteen
years Of age"
Explains Change in Conditions.
Touching on the present lack of oppor.
tunity in industrial and vocational lines
the report makes the following explana,
ton of the change in conditions between
the past and the present.,
During the period Of simple life In
our country the hand as well as ths
mind was trained. The boy did labor IL
the home. and in his fathers shop OF
on his fathers farm. There is much edu
cation that does not come from book.
directly. Though the school facilities OF
the rural communities are relatively pool
yet there seems to be that in countr,
life that largely compensates for thi.
lack A study of the birthplace. etc.
of governors holding Office April, 1910. re
| vealed the surprising fact that while onl,
90 per cent of our people were living il
rural communities and towns of less thar
5000 population, 96 per cent of thos,
chosen for the highest executive of tn,
states were born in such communities
Seventy per cent of these governors wer,
born In places of less than 1000 popula
ton. Is that a mere coincidence? w,
think not. We believe that an industrial
course can be SO arranged and SO de
yeloped as to give the city boy a power
and an initiative like unto that received
by the country boy from his industrial
surroundings"
Advantages Are Enumerated.
| In summing up. the committee enumer.
ates several advantages which, in its
opinion, might be gained by the pro-
posed changes. This committee. it might
be said, is composed of a number OF
educators as we'll as laymen. It's mem
bers are II. I. +. Lowe. chairman; H. A.
Hesse, j, Dieserud. Richard G. Lappin
Miss l.. Amelia Dalton and John ]. Roth
ermcl
The list Of benefits to be derived, in the
belief of the committee follows:
a. 1t would force the elimination oil
non-essentials in the elementary curric-
ulun, especially the mass of inherited
puzzles.