Putnam patriot., 1930-12-18

ing. The training of these schools will minister to aptitudes, to the right enjoyment of life and to the material we'll being of our active and vigorous commonwealth.
 "The character of the needed school IS clearly expressed by the commission which reported to the fast general assembly.
 "'rhis title trade school however is applied tG something which diff fers in purpose and in method from either the manual training school or the technical school Both of these lap into the work of the trade school, but they really have different pur- pose. The object of a trade school is to offer to boys primarily, and to girls also if they desira to avail them selves of it's privileges. the opportu- nity to learn a definite. specific, wage producing trade"
 Two Schools
 Acting upon these conclusions the State Board of Education recom- mendcd to and were authorized by the Legislature in 1909 to establish two schools. The following year these were established at Bridgeport and New Britain. In 1913 the Legis- lature authorized the establishment Of another school at Putnam. The following year this school was or gan zed. Schools were later author zed and established tn towns as fol- lows: South Manchester and TOrring- ton in 1915. Danbury in 1917. Meri- den in 1918, Middletown in 1925, Willimantic in 1928, and Hartford in 1929.
 The plan of Connecticut Trade and Industrial Education starting with an original appropriation of fifty thousand dollars by the 1909 Legislature has grown over a period of twenty years from two schools to eleven with q total yearly budget of over one half million dollars. In ad- dition to these yearly expenditures the towns in Connecticut have vol untarily provided in cooperation with the State Board of Edueation's ac- tivities. approximately two million dollars worth of land and buildings to house these schools. To this the state has added over eight hundred thousand dollars worth of nstruc- tional equipment.
 Figures taken from the latest State Manual show that these schools are giving instruction to 4,9s3 students divided into the following classifica- tions--day students, 2.059; part-time students, 415; evening students, 1 ,5S3; industrial arts students, 926
 An institution having such rapid growth must have popular appeal. and achieve satisfying results. Per haps the policy of training in these schools has had something to do with their success in a practical way. The first year or two after the Trade Schools were established appears to have been a period of experimenta- ton, instructing by exercise work was general but later the policy was adopted that instruction be given on work of : practical and necessary nature and to this end the schools sought work of q, sssaole instruc- tional value in the various trades and contracted for the performance of this work in q manner satisfac- tory with the current trade stand ards. lt was found that real life experiences and businesslike admin stration tended to bring about an conducive to learning lu the part of the boy and also seriousness of purpose on the part ,f those entrusted with the instruc- Ion and direction of the schools.
 A House s Year
 Instruction in the building trades ias been carried on by actual par icipation in the building programs ,f the community. The usual policy g for the carpentry students to build me house each year. drafting, masonry, electrical, and plumbing tudents cooperating in the work. [ Machine instruction departments .entract for the building of special