Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
JUNIOR HIGH RANK
FOR DISTRICT TRADE
SCHOOLS APPROVED
Board of Education Adopts
Plan to Raise Level of
Vocational Classes.
THREE-YEAR PROGRAM
PROPOSED IN REPORT
Teachers Would Be Required to
Meet Full Eligibility
Demands Here.

Trade schools in the District Pub
lie School system should be elevated
to the Junior high level and their teach
ers be required to meet eligibility
standards equal to those in the regular
Junior high schools, according to a
program just adopted by the Board OF
Education.
With approval late yesterday of a
report submitted by Stephen E. Kramer
and Garnet G. Wilkinson, first assistant
superintendents of white and colored
schools, respectively, the Board of Edu-
cation placed itself on record as favor
ing immediate high improvement of
the vocational school system Of the
District. The report which the board
adopted as its own, represented the
opinion of a group of school officers on
IL recommendations made last Spring
by the Citizens Advisory Committee on
Vocational Education, under chairman
ship of John Colpoys, editor OF Labor.
improvements Possible.
The School Board now is permitted
to favor a provision of more modern
and adequate accommodations for the
classes of the DenniSon, Phelps and
Lenox Schools. It is of the opinion,
however, that the Columbia Junior
High School Building, at Seventh and
o streets, If modernized and adopted
for trade school work, would provide
adequate housing for the Abbot Voca-
tional School for the next few years.
The formal summary in the School
Boards adopted report includes the
following convictions:
That trade schools should be set
up en- definite three-year program.
THAT, while it is not essential that
trade schools be known as junior high
schools, it appears to be highly de-
sirable that trade schools should be
considered as being upon the junior
high school level, and that teachers
should be carried within the ranges
of junior high school salaries.
Eligibility Of Teachers.
"That the eligibility of teachers in
the trade schools should be equivalent
to the eligibility requirements for
teachers in the junior high schools,
with the provision that high degree
of technical training, and trade expe-
rience should be considered as the
equivalent of some of the purely
scholastic requirements, expected of or
binary junicy high school teachers"
The summary further presents five
principles of the characteristics Of a
desirable trade school These are:
l. The schools should make the proper
appeal to both parents and pupils.
2. The pupils should receive the same
consideration accorded pupils of other
schools.
8. Prospective pupils should feel free
to take advantage of the type of edu-
cation they most desire and for which
they are best fitted.
4. Students should be able to main
tain their self-respect while so doing.
5. The school should dignity the work
taught. and do its part in helping to
raise the standards Of labor.
Differs With Committee.
The school board differed from Mr.
Colpoys' Advisory Committee in only
one particular The Advisory Com
mittee had recommended that each
trade school offer "a two-year course
of training such as is required Of APP
prentices. in all trades with respect to
which there is a demand for artisans
in the District and its environs, and
for which not less than six pupils make
application, and giving to each pupil OF
good character completing such course
a certificate of graduation" Mr.. Col
poys' committee further recommended
that entrance requirements to a trade
school shall include satisfactory COM
pletion of the regular eighth grade
work"
The Board Of Education grouped
these recommendations together and
was of the opinion that each trade
school should offer a three-year course
and that entrance to the trade schools
should be permitted following the COM
pletion of the seventh grade work.