Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-20
THE HTCRBURG PLAN

school course in Fitchbufg, Mass, and so well
developed there that it has been officially named
after that city. Thus the. Fitehbnrg plan becomes
the subject of bulletin Of the federal bureau OF
ledncation. Several employers of skilled labor
/ in Fitchburg came forward to assist in the move
ment at its inception, giving that phase of Co
operation without which the high school course
would be impractieabIe, namely, the use OF. their
shops and machinery. i sss 5s.<s
As the first step in putting the plan in opera
Ition, man having a technical education besides
actual experience in shppwork was employed as
director, who, being given the general plan, was
left to work out the details. The scheme, was
started in September, 1905, boys who. wished to
follow the trades as permanent occupations be.
ing given the preference and eighteen chosen to
begin the course For. the first year the pupils
were paired, taking week about in school and in
the shops. From this beginning the plan was
developed, and the system now in vogue is de
scribed as follows in the bulletin:
Under the present arrangement the Industrial
is of four years the same as the reg
ular high-schoof course. The. first year is spent
wholly in school; in the next three years the boys
summers spent in the shops beginning with the
close Of the first year in June The first summer
i trial period oi two months and e given to each
tcular trade he elects. Allotments to the various
shops made in June by the director the
and, as far possible the desires of the boy
The parents sign an agreement whereby it is agreed
that the boy shall complete the full course unless
prevented by unusual circums and the manu-
designated In the agreement. The manufacturers and
employers take the boys in pairs. so that by alter
mating one Of the pair is always In the shop during
the regular shop hours while the other is ID school,
On Saturday the boy who has been at school during
ne week goes to the shop and works during the
morning. so as to be prepared Monday to continue
without Interruption the work which his mate has
been working The two boys work together during
recreation During the year each boy spends i've
days week for 20 weeks the school and the equiv
alent Of fye and one-half days week for 20 weeks
in the shop. In addition he spends eight weeks IS
his summer in the shop two weeks being allowed for
vacation s
Bpys reeeiYepay at rates higher than appren-
tiees have enjoyed, the employers having Of their
own accord raised the wages. This is the scale:
First year, 10 cents an hour; second year, Ill
cents an hour; third year, ~ 10 cents an hour;
making total Of approximately $3.50 for the
three years of shopWork "This compensation
is q strong inducements for the boy to continue
In the course, the bulletin remarks. g He can
go to school and at the same time earn as much
as he could get from the ordinary employment in
stores and offices, For those parents who can
not afford under ordinary conditions to keep
their children in school this furnishes a means
whereby the boy contributes to the family,s sup
port and thereby gives him the opportunity to
continue his education = All boys who wish to
work during school vacations have the privilege
OF doing so, together with the advantage of in.
creasing their earnings And it has been proved
that the vacation workers gain in physical deyel-
opment over those in other courses OF the boys
In the various athletic teams, a large proportion
are connected with the cooperative industrial
course e'..-ss-@ |
Space will not permit giving further details
of the course Enough to say that the number
of trades in which instruction is given was to be-
increased this year over the nine or ten of last
year. Socially it is, shown that the pupils in the
industrial course stand as high in community es.
teen as those in other courses As to results, the
plan having been in operation five years at the
clese of the school year in June, 1913 the bulle-
tin observes that it is not possible to say with
posltiFeness that it's anrunqualified success.
Yet the views of employers, a school superintend-
ent and some of the industrial pupils themselves,
quoted in, the bulletin, would indicate that. at
the very least, the Fitchburg plan goes long
way toward offering the best practicable solu-
ton OF the problem of vocational training in con-
nection with the public school system. OF course
its adoption in full measure would be feasible
only in large ceIters where a variety of indus
tries is established
Villa is rapidly making new business" for the
mediation conelaYe,s getting away with 5000 fed
erals and much Snoil I'M one pnoaoamant