Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-20
THE fl1CRBURG PLAN


the university of Cincinnati, q plan. OF cooperate
i've industrial education was adopted as a high
school course in Fitchburg, Mass, and so well
developed there that it has been officially NAMED
after that city Thus the Fitehburg plan becomes
the subject of bulletin of the federal bureau OF
education. Several employers of skilled labor
in Fitchburg came forward to assist in the move
ment at its inception. giving that phase OF 60
operation without which the high school course
would be impractieabIe, namely, the use of theiI
shops and machinery. =. ...... F.. L.. .s.s.
i As the first step in putting the plan in opera
ton, a man having technical education besides
actual experience in ishopwork was employed az
director, who, being given the general plan, was
left to work out the details. The scheme was
started in September. 1908, boys who wished te
follow the trades as permanent occupations be
ing given the preference and eighteen chosen e
begin the course For the first wear 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
seribed as follows in the bulletin:
Under the present arrangement, the Industrial
course lis of four years duration, the the
ular high-school course. The first year is spent
wholly in school, in the next three the boys
alternate week1ye between shop and school. Three
summers are spent in the shops beginning with the
close OF the first year IN June The first summer
Is trial period of months and is given to each
candidate to determine il he is adapted to the par
ticularNtrade he elects. Allotments TO the various
shops made June by the director of the course,
and far possible the desires of the boy met
The parents sign agreement whereby il is agreed
that the boy shall complete the full course, unless
prevented by unusual eircustanc and the manu-
factuHer on his part agrees to teach him the trade
designated in the agreement The manufacturers and
employers take the boys in pairs so that by alter
fofft ~ fhnkr INT
the regular shop hours while the other is in school
On Saturday the boy who has been at school during
the week goes To- the shop and works during the
morning to be prepared on Monday to continue
without Interruption the work on which his mate has
been working. The two boys work together during
the morning and the afternoon i given TO them for
recreation. During the year each boy spends fye
days week for 20weeks in the school and the equiv
alent Of i've and one-half days week for 20 weeks
in the shop. In addition he spends eight weeks Of
his summer in the shop two weeks being allowed for
vacation. - -
Boys receive pay at rates higher than appren
tees have enjoyed, the emplo having Of theiI
own accord raised the wages Fhis is. the scale
First year, 10 cents an hour; second year, III
cents AMI hour; third year, 10 1-2 cents an hour
making total of approximately $500 for thu
three years of sh0pWork. .This compensation
is a strong indncement for the boy to continne
in the course the bulletin remarks. sHe can
90 to school and at the same time earn as much
as iIef0uld get from the ordinary employmentiI
stores and offices. For those parents who car
not afford under ordinary conditions to keeI
their children in school this furnishes a means
whereby the boy contributes to the faInily's sup
port aud thereby gives him the opportunity t.
eolftinue his education" ALI boys who wish tt
work during school vacations have the privilege
Of doing so, together with the advantage of in
that the vacation workers gain in physical sdevel
opment over those mother courses OF the boys
in the various athletic teams, large proportion
are connected with the cooperative industrial
course
Space will not permit giving further details
of the course. Enough to say that the number
of trades inwhicha instruction is given was to bt
increased this year over the nine or ten OF, last
year. Socially it is shownsthat 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
close of the school year in June, 1913, the bulle
tin observes that lit is not possible to say with
pesitiFeness that it is an unqualified success
Vet the views of employers, school superintend
ent and some ofthe industrial pupils themselves
pultCtII, tudlS dl
the very least, the, Fitchburg plan goes a Ions
way toward Offering the best practicable sou
ton of the problem of vocational training in con
necti0n with the public school system. OF course
its adoption in full measure would be feasible
nlY3inelarge centers where a variety of indus
tries is established.
Villa is rapidly making "new business" for the