New Britain herald., 1920-02-07
SCHOOLS OF CITY
 WIN HIGH PRAISE
New Bedford Committee on Edu-
 cation Makes Report

Out1Oh NAuhON
 As result of the visit paid to this education from the New Bedford Chamber of Commerce. New Britain has received compliments upon it's educational system in the printed re port of that body to the chan Der. The adoption of Il system similar to this citN'S has been r3COmm ended for New Bedford. Figures are given, comparing the school systems.
 The report. as far as it is of inter- est locally IS as follows:
 Your committees has studied the systems in various cities and the re- suits attained and has visited Spring field. Mass. and New Britain. Conn.,. and personally studied the systems and equipments in operation in those cities.
 These two are frequently quoted as cities with school syst ems which have been proved exceptionally successful and we, therefore. submit u brief de- SCriplion of them together. with a tab ula lion of results
 New Britain. Conn., has q popula- lion of only one half the population of New Bedford. but il is in propor- ton fully as industrial. It's popula- ton is fully as foreign in percent and fully as cosmopolitan. It's industries vary in character but do not as a whole require nor do they employ a different type or class of workers Neither do their scales of wages as d whole vary materially from those in New Bedford.
 Springfield Mass. has a popula- ton slightly less than New Bedford. but it is composed Of a somewhat different class of citizens as it is not so largely mdust rial. and it's indus tries are more diversified.
 Your committee feels however. that the only effect the different condi- lions in Springfield has on the prob lem is that they naturally cause an increase in the number of pupils who remain in school for higher education It does not. however. change the prin- ciplcs of the system necessary to give the best results.
 Comparison of school Systems.
 The public school system of Ncw Britain. Conn. covers twelve years and is divided into three periods. the elementary of six grades covering six years, the PreVoca tional Grammar schools of two years, and the High schools, covering four years. New Britain has two High schools. the Academic and College High school and the Trade and Commercial High school After completing the six Neass in the elementary schools and previous 10 entering the High school all pupils attend the Prevoca tional Grammar school for period of two years. This covers the usual seventh and eighth grade work with additions. The object of the PreNocationa1 school is to teach in addition to the funda- mental subjects which are the foun- dation of all education. such studies as will Cnahc the students to select the courses in the High school in which they are most interested. and for which they ar~ best fitted. and to lay a substantial foundation for such future studies The plan in brief is for all boys to devote a certain num- her of study periods each year to six or seven trades in addition to com nercial and acajCmiC studies. In the ease of the girls the Sa me plan is fol- lowed only substituting home cco- monies. dressma king and other Simi- lar studies for the trade studies taken hN the boys. Tho same ground is: gone over during each of the two NearS except in a more advanced fornl the second year. This form cffCctu- ally brings out all there is in each type of boy and girl and enables them with the assistance of their parents s and teachers to more intclligentlv SC ltCt their future cOurNc of study in the High schools. It also presents a vision Of possibilities 10 the pupils and creates the desire for flrther educ 1tion and ena hleS them to take up their High school studies in a more advanced way than by any other method and is without question ul- most WhOlly rCSpOnSibl, for the un- usually large attendance in the New Britain High schools. This fact is clearly brought out when q rompari- is made of the studies taught in the rrcVo, ational ,rnool in New Brit = ain with those of the seventh and eighth grades iu the schools in many other cities
 Comparison of Graduates.
 The following table compiled from the three official reports of the school departments of New Britain. spring field and Now Bedford showing the number of tmrolIrients and cradua = lions from the schools above tho for comparison of the results at taIned.
 bay Srhools-T 19lS-1919.
 Academic High
 EnrollmentS Graduates Sew Britain ...... s3a o<