Semi-weekly herald., 1913-07-03
BULLETIN GIVES REASONS
WHY GIRLS LEAVE SCHOOL

WASHINGTON, d. c., July b.
Interesting because Of its bearing on
the testimony as to girls employment
recently Investigated by the Illinois
senatorial white slave" probing com
mittee, is bulletin just issued by the
bureau of education. 1t attempts TO
tell why girls leave school," and Il
is written after careful study Of
trade and labor conditions among girls
in Worcester, Mass, preliminary To
the establishment of q trads school
for girls. The conclusion reached is
that from one-half to three -fourths Of
the girls at work in factoriss could
have had further schooling II they
had wanted to, or If their parents
had cared to insist on it.
The survey shows that the number
of girls between IA and 16 years ef
age who leave school is constantly ~
creasing. During ths past ave ysAfs
many more girls between thoss sgss
left the Worcester schools than can
be accounted for by increase in the
population. Only about II per cent Of
them had finished the grammar
schools; most Of them left in the sixth
or seventh year. Worcester IL taken
as fair index Of any Of the manu.
featuring towns in the country.
Why did these girls leave school?
Various reasons were assigned by the
girls themselves. Some thirty said
they "dfd not like school; could not
get along with the teacher; were not
promoted, or wanted to 60 to work"
Two were working to help pay for
piano. One Of these was . cash girl
Of IA years who had left the ninth
grade to go to work in . department
store for 81. Later she got $3.50 per
week. Another was girl Of IL from
the eighth grade, who went to work
in corset factory for 81 and rose
to 1882 per week. Still another girl
was taking music lessons and eoutxis-
uting to the payment Of = piano.
Twenty-seven girls were found Ut
home. In some cases they had lsft
school to help with the housswusk,
while few left 1t q time Of tsn-
porary stress and then had not ~
turned. Four girls had changed places
with the mother. who worked IA .
corset factory, laundry, or some such
place, while the girl, whose wags-
earning power was small, kept house
for the mother of the children.
Curious differences as to what the
parents thought they could afford
were discovered. The mother Of .
family of eight children living appar-
emily in direst poverty, would have
been glad TO have sacrificed and pinch
ed still further to have had hsr daueh-
ter stay in school longer, II shs would.
The mother Of another family Of dx,
living in comfortable apartment
house, with hardwood floors, piano and
other luxuries, said her daughter
wished to stay in school longer, but
the burden of supporting the family
was too heavy for the father TO bear
alone; SO the girl was taken out Of
school to 60 to work. A visit to =
Swedish family revealed q carpenter
and his wife, washerwoman, who had
just built and owned . new three
story apartment house. Yet the is
year-old daughter with q seventh
grade education had been sent to work
in a paper goods factory at e2 PER
week. The question why did you
leave schoo" was put to S3S moro una-
ture workers in the corset trade. Mise
ty-one per cent Of these women I'D
left school between the agss a -
and 16, and fully 80 per cent bseauss
Of their dislike Of school or beeaase
they wanted TO 20 TO work. OF -
workers in . clothing factory. = per
cent had left school between the aGes
Of IS and 16, and Of these - pr eoat
left school Of their own volitioa.
.