Evening star., 1927-05-08
| YOUR CHILD
In SCHOOL
By DR.. Frank ". Ballou,
Superintendent of Schools. Washington,
u. c.
COMMERCIAL COURSES IN THE
HIGH SCHOOL.

| A most practical purpose is served
| by commercial courses in the high
school. They provide direct prepara-
| ton for those students who must
enter employment early in life. While
| their purpose is necessarily limited,
! they find a highly important place in
! the curriculum of many high schools.
| The commercial courses aim to give
| the students who follow them the
| fundamental methods of the business
world. Obviously they cannot aim to
do more. In thus supplying those
who avail themselves of their oppor-
| tunities, these courses make very
definite contribution toward the help
| full results achieved by the school.
| That there is need existing for
| these courses in the high school pro-
| gram Is unquestionable, since there
are so many boys and girls who must
| depend solely on them for their train
! ing for the work upon which they will
embark after leaving school. Without
| such courses a great number would
leave the high school without a direct
| training for place in the commercial
world.
Thousands Of boys and girls go out
of our high schools each year, many
unable to complete the whole four
(. years. They enter Immediately upon
some employment because economic
| conditions at home necessitate their
pursuit of a gainful occupation. If
| they leave without training in the ru-
diments Of some business pursuit, the
| first job will be the proverbial any
thing" taken TO bring in a few dollars
| weekly. Without an unusual degree
| of ambition, these individuals, thus
handicapped, are apt to become drift
ers in the commercial world, content
| with a transient job and poorly
| equipped to do anything well.
| Business executives and the person
mel experts of large corporations say
that methods have become SO precise,
intricate and scientifically designed
| that SlipShod selection of employees
| no longer is countenanced. Those
who engage in business nowadays,
/ they assert, are in need Of a vastly
different equipment than heretofore
was adequate.
F.. Leaders of the business world ad-
: vocate as full a preparation of the
| boys and girls who are to enter it
as possible, because of the complexity
| of conditions which they must meet.
! They say, in effect, that the training
| should include a certain number of
| subjects and as many more as con-
/ dltIons make practicable. They in
| sist upon practical and purposive in
struction, because they believe it
most beneficial to business and most
advantageous to the boy or girl en-
/ tering commercial employment.
| What is to be contained in such a
program of commercial education may
differ somewhat according to local
conditions. Any program of COM
mercial instruction inevitably will in
clude stenography and typewriting as
Ia profitable course for many young
men and women desiring to enter
| commercial life. In addition to ste
biography and typewriting, pupils pur-
suing this course will necessarily give
special attention TO English, including
composition, punctuation and spelling.
The other subjects pursued should
| have some relationship to the work
Of a stenographery or typist.
lCopyright,.l937tl