Evening journal., 1920-07-08
CHILDREN LEAVING SCHOOL FOR WORK.

uwxyHAT next?" is the question that thousands o
w bewdered children have been asked during The
past week the school doors closed behind them for
The last time
An army Of over 100000 children between IA and i6
years old, says the chjldrens Bureau OF the United
States Department Of Labor marches out OF the schools
each year to become wage earners
In a pamphlet entitled Advising Children in Their
Choice Of Occupation and Supervising the Working
Child the bureau tells what happens these children
and offers suggestions for helping them get the proper
start in life.
Only few children, according to the pamphlet. re-
ceve help from their parents in finding suitable open
nss because parents do not know what opportunities
open TO boys and girls, how TO go about finding them,
or what is The best thing for child to do
The children begin amless Search making the rounds
of factories shops and Offices and answering advertise
ments More than nlne-lenlhs OF them go into blind
alley jobs that require skill and offer opportu-
nifty to get ahead Many drift from Job to job and be-
come incapable on steady work.
Some ind work for which they are physically UNITED
sometimes to the permanent injury Of their health. Some
without any employment for time, since in many
States The law does not require child under i6 to have
job before he is excused from school.
These conditions. the bulletin points out call for some
organization In the schools or in connection with the
schools to tell children what and where the Jobs are
and what training and ability required to lll them.
WJle Hlobl Nocdtondi eulhdlbe pldueihtub WVfh
10 this country has started by private organizations
II has been taken over in number Of cities by The
schools.
Englands experience with her Juvenile exchanges
shows that the most successful work Is done in cos'
cooperation with the school.
In Austria where vocational guidance Is now receiv
Ing special attention, a careful study Is being made o.
how TO link up the work with the school system
In school placement bureaus the child applying for
work may be reached before leaving school and IN
many cases persuaded to remain, provided with
scholarship to enable him to do so.
In one city % to 80 per cent Of the children who
come 10 the placement bureau returned TO school
The placement bureau in this school is connecting
link between The school and the industrial or bus
ness world II keeps in close touch with local indus
tries and opportunities and helps TO make school work
more practical.
The placement bureau endeavors TO place The child IN
work for which be seems best fitted and which offers he
most promising future II that means persuadng hm
and his parents to give up Job that offers higher wage
lat the beginning
Ii attempts to keep in constant touch with the child
after he has gone work in order to learn wheer ne
has been suitably placed TO help him adjust hmse
Aifhougf no general schemes have so far been de-
ysed in this country for supervising the child at work
the requirement in some States that child must secure
a new empoyment certificate each time he changes his
ioh offers opportunity for effective supervision,
ANY scheme for placement and supervision Of work
ing children should the bulletin states, include provision
Cor further training through compulsory daytime con-
tinuation classes.