The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-26
TEACHE RS DECLARE
STUDENTS zEALO Gus
IN NIGHT SCHOOLS
Seven Branches of System
Have Huge Enrolment and
Instruct in Many
Subjects

With 1918 students enrolled up to
public night schools are working
with a zeal that has no parallel in
school records. The night schools
opened October 16. and will continue
Monday. Wednesday and Friday
nights until April 20.
Night schools are conducted for
both white and negro pupils. the
white schools meeting at Central
Ensley and woodlawn high schools,
and vocational classes IN drawing and
foundry theory meetings at Aclpco,
and classes in textiles and mathe-
mates at Avondale mills. The negro
schools are held at Industrial high
! school and Council school at Ensley.
There are no age limits governing
entrance to night school and a visit
to the classes disclosed the fact that
students range In age from 16 to go.
Principals OF the night schools
are. with the exceptions OF Acipco
and Avondale schools, teachers who
are associated with the Birmingham
day schools. They are r. c. Johnston,
Central; e. e. Smith, Ensley; ], d.
Williams, Woodlawn; covering the
white schools and A. Fl. Parker. In
dustrial; w. r. Wood, Council for
the negro schools. The Acipco
school is taught by George William
son and Thomas Reese. while the
Avondale school is taught by J. l..
Byers, DR.. Frazer Banks. assistant
superintendent of Birmingham
schools, is superintendent of the
night schools.
Many Subjects Taught
The work done throughout the en-
tire system is practically the same
as in these classes. New students
come in each night for registration
and superintendent Banks said that
this would continue until within a
few weeks of closing time. While
that may be bad practice from the
standpoint of the student, 1t repre-
sents the idea on which the work is
onducted-service. It is an out
standing case of fitting study to the
pupil. Where as many as 10 stu
dents request certain subject IL is
/ given.
The courses include English. public
speaking, Amerfcanization, penman-
| ship, spelling, bookkeeping, type
writing. shorthand. mechanical draw
ing, business law, vocational ma
chinery. electrical theory, machine
shop mathematics, carpentry, boiler
layout and Spanish. The negro
schools. in addition to the seven
grades of elementary school work
T, includes coures in tailoring, auto
mobile mechanics. domestic science
shoe repairing. cooking and sewing.
The vocational courses at each OF
the schools, including all the work
done at Acipco and Avondale night
schools, come under the provisions
of the Smith, Hughes act. and re-
ceive supplementary funds from this
source
Each course has a good registra-
ton, except the course in mechanical
drawing. In commenting on this Pro-
fessor Johnston of Central said that
he believed that lack of interest in
mechanical drawing was due to fall
ure of students in grasping the adj
vantages the course offers. Training
this course affords would cost a neat
sum If taken in private institution.
With only a few students present,
a boy of sixteen was standing in the
class room with finished plates
scattered on a desk. He was so en-
thusiastic that he could not resist the
opportunity of showing the progress
that he had made. From rough.
elementary drawings. he had begun
to show the touch of a trained hand.
Two Flags Given
The class rooms radiate enthusiasm
and show a seriousness of purpose
1 unsurpassed in any set OF schools.
The class in bookkeeping was so
concentrated on it's work that scarce
ly member noticed that visitors
were present. This spirit was pre-
valent in every room.
One of the most interesting
coures is that OF Americanization,
The Central has two classes In this
course: the first gives work for those
who are just beginning to speak
English and the second for pupils
who have progressed so far as TO
read and write some. Here you may
get an idea of a problem that is ma
tional In scope. At the entrance OF
class two room, two American flags
keep vigil. one presented by the
American Legion and the other by
the Daughters Of the American Revo-
luton.
Editors. lecturers, and people in
general, who rejoice in taking a stab
at the south in its treatment Of the
negro, would be put to shame If they
visited Industrial school and saw
what A. H. Parker has done and is
doing there. The night school has
301 enrolled, and would have two or
three times this number il facilities
permitted
The Industrial night school pre-
sents scene of relentless activity.
Here you may see the negro boy who
shines your shoes. or perhaps, the
colored deacon who delivers your
coal. Inquiry might locate his wife
and daughter, the wife taking SPELL
ing and writing in The first grade,
and the daughter taking cook
ing in the we'll equipped domestic
science room. They are there. all
ages. creeds. motives, and types.
Many have been in attendance since
the schools started three years ago.
Some have made slow progress, but
for perseverance, go out and dig up
a case that will equal that of a negro
man above 40 years of age who has
attended the first three grades Of
school for this number of years.
The registration fee for entrance TO
any of the city night schools is one
dollar, and this will be refunded at
the end OF the year II classes are
attended consistently until they close
NEGROES SENTENCED
John Lewis and John Hightower.
negroes. convicted during the recen.
sessions Of the criminal division OF
the circuit court on charges of buy