The Washington herald., 1921-11-29
DECISION ON HIGH
SCHOOL COURSE
SERIOUSPROBLE
Many Lack Opportunity
TODiscover Talent or
Preferences.
TOO MANY TAKE
BUSINESS STUDY
District Needs More Junior
Schools to Help Bridge
Gap.
Continued from Page One.

tfN'' -
John would have been slipping into
high school without knowing IL. In
a Junior high school Mary would
have been given an opportunity t.
try out her talents before she
reached the ninth grade. Also she
would not have been thrown from
grsie into a big educational ma
chine like a senior high school
sThe junior high school is fitted
into the school system OF cities
to bridge the break between TIE
grammar grades and the high
school. 1t includes the seventh and
eighth grades and adds a ninth
Grade, or first year of regular high
school work.
Helps Pupils Decidedly.
Under the Junior high school sys-
TEN John would have been caught
just when the monotony OF the reg
ulsr grades began to irritate him
and his interest would have been
rekindled by a new kind of school
Organization. with departmental
teaching. a more varied curriculum
anu . ONNAcE ~OPPOA AOA
ual training. Nine-tenths of the
Johns who don't like school are
sufficiently interested by the end Of
the Junior high course to go on to
the senior high school.
II James had been trained in
junior high he would have had an
opportunity to try out his talents
IN various lines while pursuing his
regular academic work Under
tactful guidance he would have un-
doubtedly discovered himself before
the end Of the ninth grade and had
no difficulty in deciding what course
to take in senior high school.
Half Choose Busines. Course.
While visiting an eighth grade
room a few days ago IL was dis
covered that practically all the
pupils had decided what high
school they would attend when
they left the grades. Out of the
thirty-hve who had made a deci-
sion only four were going to an
academic high school. twelve had
chosen a manual training high
school and nineteen. or more than
so per cent. were going to busi-
ness high school. II these boys
anu hdNC hdu yhhiSE
high school training that large per-
centage for business high school
would have been greatly reduced.
Washington has two Junior high
schools, the Columbia Junior High
on o street between Sixth and
Seventh streets. and the NJ. Street
Junior High (coiored). The junior
high school was made a part OF
81.
alone to relieve congestion in the
senior high schools. but because the
educational authorities were con-
WINGED from the success Of the
plan in other cities that IL was a
progressive step. They had come
to believe with many forward look
ing educators that the six-three-
three plan was the best division
for the modern grades and high
schools-six years In the grades.
three years in junior high and three
years in senior high school.
Occupies Old Building.
The Columbia Junior High occupies
the Old Central High School building
erected in 1890 and much the worse
for wear and lack OF repairs. Tho
enrolment for the school is Sal. the
rrpils coming from all sections OF the
,.ity and from Maryland and Virginia.
II is ~ interest to note that despite
this wide scattering of homes repre-
sented there is strong Parent
Teachers Association. The principal
NJ the school believes that n Junior
hizh school should be a strong conn
munity center. but because Of serting
all parts Of the city the community
development has not been possible.
The average parent probably would
like to know Just what the junior high
school offers that cannot be found In
the usual seventh and eighth-gra
course. First. the Junior high pre-
pares the pupil gradually for the more
complex organization Of the regular
high school by introducing him to de-
nartmental teaching and to a school
organization somewhat like the senior
high school. There is more freedom
and responsibility given the pupils as
there are no lower grades to be con-
sidered. The special subjects are bet.
ter taught because handled by spe-
cialists instead Of the regular grade
teacher.
Advance Courses offered.
Best of all more subjects are offered
in the Junior high. The seventh-grade
pupils in the second semester can
choose a foreign language and through
out the three years science is taught.
giving the pupil an opportunity to dis
cover II his talent and interest points
to further work along that line. There
are better opportunities for manual
training and domestic science asd art
There is a business course offered with
fthe background Of academic work so
essential to such a course. There are
classes In mechanical drawing and de-
sign and these are closely correlated
with the hand work.
The Columbia Junior High was
the one place visited where hand
work had a definite art value and
training back of II. Boys were not
simply learning to handle tools and
make something. Before the tools
were taken in hand. or the scissors
and thread prepared. a definite les
son in mechanical drawing or IN
design had been worked out. and
the child given an. opportunity to
see why certain combinations of