The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-20
Vocational Glasses
Make School Equipment
Chairs. Tables, Cabinets, and
Other Articles Made by
Children Prove Economic
Factor In Educational Adj
ministration institution IS
Held Up as a Model for En-
tire Nation.
nv GEORGE FRANKLIN.

lunbia public schools with various
articles Of school equipment, and
in this way becoming an economic.
factor in local school adlninistra.
ton, the Smallwood Vocational
School, street near Fourth
street southwest, has established
precedent in school evolution,
which illustrates the practicapility
Of combining an educational and
an industrial factor in public edu-
cation. h
Some Of Articles Produced.
Chairs. tables. paper-holding files,
cabinets OF metal or wood. gal
vanized iron recepticles. tin cups,
and various types OF containers
are among the products OF its in.
dustrial classes. They are supplied
to the various grade and high
schools as required, taking the
place of equipment formerly pur-
chased by the school board, which
it has been found difficult to obtain
from manufacturers.
A work shop from cellar to roof,
with it's numerous mechanical aIo.
pliances crowding the floors, yet In
no way does the vocational educa.
ton given the Sic pupils interfere
with the courses prescribed in con.
nection with the grade schools
At the Smallwood School the
foundation of vocational training
begins in the Kindergarten and
continues through the grades to
the completion of the eighth grade,
when boy or girl graduating Is
regarded by the school authorities
as equipped to insure earning q
livelihood. Educ tors recently visit
ing the school declare that 1t
foreshadows the grade school OF
the near future and that it 10 being
conducted along sound educational
lines when considered In connection
with the changes In social and in.
dustrial conditions during recent
years. Graduates OF the Smallwood
School are admitted to high school
as from other grade schools.
I'VE begin training vocationally
In the kindergarten and continue
it through the eight grades. said
w. F. Smith, principal of the Small
wood Vocational School today.
e4'In the fourth grade we start
specializing for the child. BY that
time 1t Is possible to form some
opinion OF what the child likes to
do best and that is the thing we
keep him at The time spent in
vocational work increases as the
pupil advances. In the fourth
grade three hours q week - re-
quired. In the seventh and eighth
grades from eight to nine hours
week. Vocational training Is
under the direction OF practical
shop men and that in turn insures
the pupils learning not only the
mechanical details OF q trade, but
how It is carried on in q shop.
Actual shop work starts in the
age about eleven years of age. In
the eighth grade they are per-
mitted to devote their entire time
to the work they select
Mechanical Drawing Courses.
Courses are given the pupils
in mechanical drawing in the
sixth and eighth grades inclusive.
This has been made possible by
five of the teachers taking up me-
chanical drawing and in turn be-
coming instructors of the classes.
The added course mas cost the
school administration nothing, as
the teachers have volunteered to
render the service in the interest
of the pupils.
Boy pupils are given vocational
training in woodworking. includ.
and pattern making. They are
taught upholsterinE, the classes
doing this work for the various
public schools. Then they are
Practically all branches of sheet
metal working are covered in the
course in that department Al
print shop is operated where the
boys learn to set type, operate
hand presses and where they do
considerable printing for the
other schools. Bookbinding is
also taught
In the girls division domestic
art, including millinery. dress.
making, tailoring, reed and bas-
ket work, designing for ornamen.
tation as well as costuming, and
the chemistry of textiles are
taught. Then there are lessons
In housekeeping, in cooking and
practical nursing. Instruction in
commercial illustrating begins with
the sixth grade, while drawing for
costume designing is taken up in
the eighth grade.
"Hand Minded" Picked Out. !
According to Prof. Smith, it is
possible, about the time a child
enters the fifth grade, to pick
out those who are hand mind.
ed, a phrase indicating the child
who is naturally inclined to work
with his hands along mechanical
lines. Many children, school rec.
ords show, are perfectly normal
but nevertheless incapable OF COW
ering advanced courses in AGA.
demic education. In no sense are
thew to be classed as defective.
but rather as those in whom Ma.
ture has implanted the desire toI
do things with their hands rather
than devote themselves to pur-
suits requiring only brain work.
With the increasing percentage Of
this class being introduced into the
public schools taken in connection |
with what educators recognize as
permanent and widely effective |
changes in social conditions a re-
modelling OF public school systems OF |
education is declared inevitable. /
In the Smallwood vocational school,
.,,lxI. ika hlandinr If trade inStruc-