The Detroit times., 1915-07-19

The summer school helps the poor
but ambitious student TO Set Q good
education. and Il has been clearly
shown that he could not get one
without the aS Of the .vss sea
filled a long-f felt want in many cities
OF this country. but there still are a
great many municipalities which do
not at this late date take kindly to
summer schools.
OF school age attending and not att
tending school In all parts OF the
country, IT 10 seen that 10 per cent
of the children have left school at
sf ssss on az s age snS Of n .x
places those children in the sixth
grade 1t the time that they closed
their educational career: Take the
same student who has had but six
Is open but nine months q year. but
who has attended q vacation school
for about three or four vacation
terms. and that student VIII, at the
only the eight grades Of the gram.
mar school, but will have reached
school. At that time the student
tinue his education until he has grad
uated from the high school.
With the help OF the vacation
schools and with good hard plug,
graduate from high school at the age
of 16 instead OF leaving the grammar
school at the age of ~ or IA In the
sixth or seventh grade to work for
low wage for the rest Of his life. j.
A student past the age of Is or "a
may spend his vacation periods by
working for about SO or 3! a week
for nine or ten weeks. This work
would net him from ssI t9 80 for the
Invested the same nine weeks tn
, studying at some vacation school he
would. OF course. at that time lose
the money he would have made had
he been working for the nine weeks
instead OF studying. but he would
have to remain five months longer In
school every time he did that. and
. five months salary, when he has be-
I from high school, would be great
deal more than the money he would
be losing each year by attending the
vacation school.
The United States Bureau OF Edu-
cation shows by various statistics
which IL has compiled for several
years In all OF the states. that the
vacation schools are an essential fac
tor in keeping childre In school
after they have reached the sixth or
seventh grade, or after they have
passed their 18th or 18th birthday.
The statistics for the whole coun-
try show that but one student out Of
every % entered In the schools Of
both the grammar and high schools.
Less than half OF the school children
In this country leave the grammar
schools as graduates, 10 per cent
at IA. 75 per cent at Is and IS per
cent have left school by the time
they have reached their 18th birth
day and have no schooling at all after
that. This shows that but Is per
cent of the vast army of more than
100000 school children In this
country receive any education at all
after that have passed their 18th
milestone In life. Not even all OF
education, as but per cent OF the
original 100000 children who are
in school. or should be there. ever
reach the high school. and not all OF
1t is here that the summer or va
cation schools are OF value In giving
more school children a better educa-
ton than are receiving one now, a.
more students would graduate from
A school building 10 q big invest
ment, but unlike other investments IL
not utilized as fully as 1t should be.
Most OF the public schools are open
u
o'clock The summer school system
at least will make them pay n better
return on these investments. as they
will keep the schools open for at least
eleven and half months during the
year.
Most school children do not need
the 10 weeks vacation which the
boards of education allot them. II
they would spend eight OF the 10
some OF them are going now. they
would be able to make q grade which
ordinarily would take them five
months to cover. and they would
stu have two whole weeks In which
cation schools have but one session q
day, and that Is from 8 to IL. The
rest OF the day is at the disposal Of
the student. to do with a. he pleases.
low who does not attend summer
school. and at the same time ne can
beat that fellow out by making a
grade quicker than he will.
Quoted In such a manner in every
city that at least 50 per cent OF the
total number Of students going to
school can be taken care Of during the
city where the movement is only
three years old. about three or four
per cent of the $1,000 children OF
school age attending public schools
are being taken care OF In the five
schools which are open for the pur-
pose. the four grammar schools aver
aging about 900 students and the
high school about 500
If more schools were open this
year for the purpose. there would he
a much larger enrolment. as some
OF the children now have to travel
quite a distance to reach the summer
schools and many of the students
who would like to go to school dur
ing the summer time are not attend =
ing because the schools are not situ-
ated conveniently for them
There Is bound to be an increase
In the number of children who gradu-
ate from both the grammar and hlgh
schools az soon as the summer school
movement spreads ltself into all parts
OF the country. Even now. I'm the
cities where the schools are open, an
Increase In grammar and high school
graduates il already shown. and the
time II not very far distant when not
per cent of the school children will
graduate from the high schools, but
at least so per cent, and the whole