The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-08-09
NIGHT SCHOOL
 CLASSES ARE PLANNED HERE
Trade Extension Instruc- titon in Line with Vo-
 cational Program

Plans for the organizing of trade extension evening classes in con- nection with vocational education in Alaska are being made by A. E. Schoettler, new Vocational Educa- tion Super visor. In discussing the evening SC h ool program, MT. Schoettler said:
 "The evening school. as conduct ed under strictly vocational lines. is primarily a school for people who seek additional information in the work in which they are already em- ployed. The instruction is therefore known as trade extension work, ex- tending the knowledge and skill which one has already acquired. ''The evening school could well be looked upon as booster type of education, meaning that it boosts, or increases, the knowledge of the worker to the point where he may be enabled to increase his earning power, consequently increasing his income
 Exchange Ideas
 "The evening school may be con- sidered as a place in which one recites or exchanges ideas, taking away from each class new ideas which may be useful in connection with the daily work. Under these conditions, the student is learner on the job as well as a student re- relying instruction in the evening school. Without 4he shop, or con- tact with actual work, evening school instruction cannot be effect i've For this reason evening schools with few exceptions are known as trade extension schools.
 Z How does a man learn a trade? By the school of experience. Ap- premiership has materially declined <. in the past quarter of a century; in fact with few exceptions th4re ]. has been little attempt to organize real apprenticeship training except in connection with vocational edu- cation programs in the larger offic- es in the States. True, many or ganized crafts demand an appren- ticeship period of from three to five years, but it has been more a matter of serving time, with the young worker picking up what he can learn by observation rather than by organized instruction, with definite training in the technical aspects of the trade.
 Learned Trades Abroad
 True, there are many men who have learned their trade in Europe, under real apprenticeship condi- tions, but the most of these are men now past middle age; they came to this country as young men attracted by better wages and working condi- tions in the States.
 Again there are many men who stole their trade picked up a little here and there by the process of bluffing, learning little here and there, being hired and fired repeat edly until now they are able to get by under prosperious conditions, but find it difficult to retain a job when work is slack and only the best men kept on.
 Occasionally one finds especially ambitious men, who by the dint of hard work, application, correspond ence study, trade magazines,f plus constant practice of their trades, become really expert through their own efforts.
 Movement Grows
 "The passage of the Smith Hughes Act in 1917 started the pub lie schools of the States on a meth cd of remedying this difficulty. Since that time the development of trade extension classes in all of the States has grown uutil almost all cities of any size operated trade extension classes during the winter months. Not taking into considera- tion private and endowed schools, the schools under federally aided vocational work enrolled in, 1884, 1f4.825 males and l6,676 females, part-time trade extension classes accounted for 25,l10 males and 12,- 906 females. And this was in the field of Trade and Industrial Edu- cation and did not take into con- sideration the large numbers en- rolled in classes in Agriculture and Home Economies.
 The Territorial Plan for Voca- tional Education includes the de- velopment of evening trade exten- sions classes. and 1t is the desire of the Supervisor that some classes be organized in Juneau this coming school year.