The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-26
CLASSES IN FIVE TRADES OFFERED
Three High Schools Are Spreading Out In Voca-
 tionaI Training Work

Hughes act, passed by Congress in 1917, providing funds to be given to states to encourage and promote vo- cational education, and funds from the state, the board of education is able to promote and develop trade training In the day, evening and part time schools.
 Of the three types of work men- tioned, the all-day trade classes are the best known. This all-day work Is preparatory in that 1t Is offered as part of the regular high school course and Is open to high school boys who wish to prepare for indus trial employment while attending high school. Before student is al lowed to enroll In these classes, he is informed of the purpose of the class and the ends to which it leads. If after deliberation and thought the student decides that he wishes to fit himself for a trade, he is allowed to enter the class of his own choosing. Some boys find out they have not made a wise choice; that they do not have the mechanical ability, or do not like the work. The boys are all lowed to discontinue their work and resume their other high school courses.
 EnrolIment IsSVoinntary.
 No student Is ever placed in vo- cational classes against his will or required to remain against his or his parents wishes. The school reserves the right to drop 8 student from its rolls and place him in other high school courses if it is apparent that he has no ability, or when his work and interest are so poor that he is wasting time of the class and pre- venting some other deserving boy from enjoying the benefits of voca- tional training.
 At tho present time there are five trade preparatory classes in opera ton in the white schools. They are machine shops and printing in the Phillips High school and printing in the Woodlawn school. In the negro Industrial High school, classes are held in shoe making and repairing snd chauffeur mechanics for negro boys. The work in all is practical and on a productive basis. All boys spend three hours daily in the shops, the other three hours of the school day are given over to related sub jects. such as English, mathematics, science and drawing. The courses are two years in length and at the end of the course students are given vocational certificate.
 Trade extension work for men al-
 
 by the board of education in the form of evening school classes or part time work. Classes for tradesmen are in operation in the Ensley night school; Phillips night school, Wood lawn night school, American Cast Iron and Pipe company's plant and the Avondale Mills. The Negro h. dustrial High school and the Council school of Ensley are also offering
 
 present time there are 23 vocational classes each class consisting of a corporation of men bearing from 10 to 20 in number all employed in the same line of work.
 Outside Glasses Held.
 Part time classes for men and women already employed in industry are held at tho American Cast Iron and Pipe company's plant at North Birmingham, Stockham Pipe and Fittings company at East Birming- ham, tho Avondale Mills. Loveman, Joseph and Loeb. and Louis Pizitz company. The students in these classes attend from three to 15 hours per week. This work is of practical nature and supplements their daily employment, as those who arc att tending are relieved from their work, without loss of pay.
 The manual training work in the Birmingham public schools parallels closely the work done in the voca- tional classes except, of course, in quantity and quality, because of the shorter periods which are devoted to the manual training classes. The work begins in the fifth grade where the little fellows are introduced to few tools and processes, making chiefly mechanical toys. The sixth
 Iaa nn nP common carpenters hand tools and make a number of projects such as foot stools, shoe shine boxes. tab erettes and other useful things.
 The Birmingham schools are this year introducing into the eighth grade a course called household me- chanics. This course consists of variety of projects involving sheet metal work such as soldering, sim pie electrical repairs, installation Of door bells and buzzers. The boys are also taught how to repair faucets and plumbing fixtures, how to re- glaze windows, put in new sash coros and weights, refinish old furniture and floors. In short, this eighth grade work involves practically all of the repairs that will come up Tn the average home owners every day life.
 
 In the high schools. the courses offered are cabinet making, pattern making and wood turning. printing, machine shop, forge work ana me ohanical drawing is elective for four or six semesters and is series or problems. There is radical chanse in the method formerly used in teaching this subject. The boy no longer Is Civen a blue print to copy or reproduce and then expected to understand the principals involved in the drawing, but builds up from day to day or plate to plate his informa- ton and experience until he Is able to analyze and execute wide va rlety of drawing projects.
 Tho forge and machine shop work are given interest by using such projects as small steam engines ana air compressors, the patterns or which are made in the schools ana the boy machines and makes his own engine involving all of the tool pro- cesses practically which were form erIy taught by the very uninterest- ing method of exercise work.
 In the manual training printing classes the work while done with the same equipment and the same in structor who teaches the vocationai classes, has not the same aim' put while the boy Is taught simple com position and press work the man object of the course Is to teach anu prepare him for service In other businesses and teach him what goou or correct printing should cost. These manual training classes wniie part of the curriculum are expected and do contribute to the membership of the vocational classes. The boy | sometimes finds from taking some subject in the manual training course AI.ak Ill tn