The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-09-03
UNIQUE SCHOOL PROVES BIG
SUCCESS.

SUCCESS.
Work Done by Summer Pupils, Who
Attended Class Voluntarily, Justi-
fies New Departure in Educational
System Here.
st. Louis, Mo-, Sept. IA new de-
parture in the education of Negro
children, a school course without
books or study hours that has called
willing recruits from neighborhood
street gangs, bore it's first fruits
when the L'Overture School, 2612
Papin street, held an exhibit of work
done in the vocational training class
es inaugurated this summer. officials
of the school recalled to mind on
this occasion the plying smile of a
certain learned educator when it
was proposed that a summer school
be opened at L'Overture for volunteer
attendance
you coludn't keep them in school
during vacation time with a prison
guard" he scoffed. why seek to
stuff education down their threats?
Besides, whoever heard of asking
kids to go to school to learn how
to make beds and sweep fioors?
But the Board of Education, when
petitioned by Miss Leora May Evans,
a social service worker, decided to
give the plan trial Miss Evans
secured enough money by popular
subscription to launch the project,
and an institution unique in the his
tory of Negro schools here came into
being.
Results have. shown that not only
were the children and their parents
eager to take advantage of the oppor-
tunity offered, but the steadiness of
attendance and the class of manual
work turned out by the little crafts
men prove the permanent benefit of
the courses. A steady stream of
visitors from the Negro settlements
in the Chouteau avenue district at
tested to the great interest that has
been taken in the school, and il is
certain that the Board of Education
will maintain the project upon a
permanent basis.
AS organized now the 300 or more
students who attended the five daily
sessions a week were divided into
various sections which took up in
turn the many branches Of manual
traininw work that are taught. A
staff of seventeen instructors under
the supervision of John W. Evans,
principal of the school directed the
work.
The most interesting fact brought
out in interviews with the various
teachers was the fact that the child
rem were not content with the pres
ent plan of going to school only in
the mornings. They wanted TO ex-
tend the sessions to the afternoon
period also. There are approximately
40 students in the millinery classes,
80 in manual training, $50 in sew
ing, so in the kindergarten and about
100 more scattered through the spec
ialized sections Of Housekeeping, rug
weaving, basket work and broom
making.
OF all the exhibits OF the work
which has been done the model kitch-
en-, dining room and bedroom were
the most striking. Here the girls
were taught to keep things clean,
they learned neatness, how to ar
range a table, how to- make beds
and were drilled in the routine of
housework. The furniture for the
rooms was loaned to the school by
the Board of Education the students
supplying utensils and minor fur
nishings' Rag rugs upon the floors
were woven by other pupils. The
rooms were swept with brooms and
the furniture cleaned with brushes
made in the manual training shops.
1--WE consider this an important
part of the curriculum" said Prof.
Evans. Our students can then carry
back to their home surroundings the
lessons they have learned of SANTA
ton. Neatness and cleanliness are
two virtues which we continually
impressed upon both boys and girls.
Simple articles of furniture, serv-
ing trays, basket work, rugs made
Of sisal Irvine, and toye were the
primo iPal exhibits. In most cases
the work was executed with extra
ordinary precision considering that
the workmen are boys Of from 9 to
Is years of age.
In one room there were hats de-
signed ana, maze by Ine SlTl SUI
dents. On each hat a card gave the
market value of the hat and the cost
of the materials. In some cases a
hat which was valued at $40 cost
the school 68 cents to make. When
the exhibition in concluded the stu
dents will be perm tilted to wear the
hats they made.
The school opened the third week
in June and adjourned August 1.
The classroom hours were from 8:15
until II a. m. There was no after
noon session.
The teachers in charge OF the sew
eral departments were: August O..
Thornton, manual training; Mrs. Jane
Gordon, domestic science; Mrs. Wan
eta Grady, weaving; Miss Helen
McWorter, sewing; Miss Emily Park
err, kindergarten, and Miss Elizabeth
Campbell, art work. All members
of the faculty have been associated
with the regular session of the
school and are Negroes.