Evening star., 1918-08-18

NJ country VIII he reopenlnS
their doors to their book pu-
piis. To another class of
students another set OF doors will be
opened but their teaching viii not all
come from books; moreover, the
students will be encouraged to create
some OF their own class manuals.
The schools referred to are the ones
known as Continuation classes" be.
cause they continue to give instruc-
tion to pupils who have left school to
enter industrial life. and they are be-
coming popular feature In the larg-
OF commercial houses in the great
cities. New York city now supports
haif a hundred continuation classes
'or the benefit of the younger en-
pioyes whom circumstances have
driven Into the field of Industry be-
tore they have had the chance to gain
q thorough elementary education.
~ X
AS far back as 1883 Germany
realizing that her young boys thrown
upon the world for living before
they had mastered the fundamental
branches could be made of greater
service to the state and to them
selves with fuller educatlon.-began
to make laws compelling them to at
tend evening schools. But this was
more than the average young wage
Garner could stand. and In time the
business men came to an appreciation
of the fact that the economic value of
their boy power warranted the grant
ing of training time from work hours.
Wisconsin was the first state in this
country to adopt the idea of giving
her young struggle -for-lifers' an
even chance In the race for existence
with their elder and better-trained
brothers and sisters In industry.
As early as 1907 wisconsin made a
law regarding the education OF work.
Ing minors that had been tried ex-
perimently a few years before. Mass
achusetts next took up the idea. then
Pennsylvania and. In the nature of
things progressive. New York state
fashion by making state law that
her youthful wage-earners should
have certain amount of schooling
q week.
Today there are fifty continuation
schools in New York city, carrying
Oh tno WOTk OI euuCdliHk tno lOTty
thousand boys and girls of fourteen
and fifteen who leave school each
year. compelled by circumstances to
become wage-earners. The board OF
education has taken the work In
hand and is now giving them that
teaching Of mind and hand which
will At them for the particular work
to which they have been set
Today also the merchants and man
ufacturers Of a score of other big
American cities are realizing that the
time and room given their young en-
ployes for, their training is like
coming back to them even before the
scriptural "many days" for. as a rule.
Improvement commences to manifest
itself in the pupil saleswoman or
factory helper Immediately after the
opening Of the school session.
The woman who has been instru-
mental in organizing the continua-
tion classes In New York's mercan-
tile houses during the past Ave years
is Mrs Anna Howell Wilcox. who Is
today supervisor of the work In Man
haitian. under the department of edu-
cation, and she is also the most en-
1t was in the spacious and bright
restroom, sun parlor and school,
room, all in one, of one of New York's
largest department stores that the
interviewer met Mrs. Wilcox re-
Gently. 1t was close to the noon hour.
and the girls. with their books and
papers. their knitting and fancy
work. sat around In comfortable arm
chairs or walked out. arm-inarm,
under an awning In the adjoining
roof garden.
'I think that l make no mistake
when I say that the employer gets
full hundred per cert return on
the time and space he bestows on his
employees continuation classes" said
Mrs. Wilcox, land the schooling Is
doing wonderful things for the
youngsters. too. The law makes few
specific rules. leaving the employers
and teachers free to fit in the school
work as 1t best suits the establish
ment. But the law does require that
an ungraduated pupil of public
school under sixteen, who has re-
ceived his or her working papers and
Is employed. must attend a continua-
tion school for not less than four
hours week and for thirty-six
weeks In the year.
x*
"Our teaching all bears on the future
work of the pupils. For this reason
you can see that they take a far
keener interest in their own progress
than they do in their regular school
classes where much of the tea ching