Evening star., 1939-09-19
Attendance Rises
Al CoIored Schools,
Decreases al White
ofe-Drivine Course
Will Open Tomorrow
At Abbot Vocational

School officials announced the
opening of the Districts first actual
safe-driving course at the Abbot
Vocational School tomorrow, as
83,428 pupils returned to their
school books yesterday.
The enrolment figure represents
an increase of 203 over the opening
day a year ago, mostly due to a
rise of nearly 1000 in the colored
schools registration. The white
schools registration showed de-
cided drop.
First-day enrolment figures tele-
phoned into the statistical office Of
the Franklin School indicated, of
the total, 53,187 enrolled in the
white schools and 30.241 in the COL
ored. Compared with last year,
this is decrease of 753 in the
white divisions and an increase of
$50 in the colored, it was stated.
Written Reports Due Today.
Officials in the statistical Office
said the drop in the white enroll
ment may be due to the fact that
many families have moved over the
District line into Maryland and Vir-
ginia. Some others, it was sug-
gested, might have entered the
parochial schools.
These early figures will be verified
by written reports from principals
later in the day, and at the same
time second-day enrolment report
will be phoned in, it was stated.
BY the end of the week, if last years
figures are comparable. some 10000
students should be back at their
studies.
Tomorrow the Board of Education
will hold its second meeting of the
year, at which report will be pre-
sented by Acting Supt. Robert L.
Haycock on the possible abandon
ment of the Allison Street Health
School, where about SO children
with arrested cases of tuberculosis
have been taught.
Face Rigid Tests.
If any of the enrollees of the safe
driving course have a collision after
the course is over it will probably
be because some one ran into them
at a stop light. Here are a few of
the tasks which M. B. Huffman, the
instructor, has outlined for his
charges at the end of the course
after they acquire some proficiency
in handling the car and a realiza-
ton of the responsibility attend
ant to driving:
Marion street will be blocked off
between P and @ streets NV. and
eight pairs of stanchions will be
placed in a staggered line. The
posts will be Is feet apart length
wise and Z feet apart in width.
Through these the student will drive
in the dual-control car loaned by
the American Automobile Associa-
ton at 20 miles an hour without
touching brake or a stanchion.
The width spacing will allow clear
ance of only inchees on either side,
Mr.. Huffman said
A further test of control over the
car and Judgment of distance will
require placement of six single
stanchions Is feet apart through
which the student must zig-zag in
high gear. When he gets to the
end he must back the car the same
distance.
Learn to Park.
The pupils also will learn to park
in 10, 81 and % foot spaces, Mr.
Huffman said.
Although the course opens tomor-
row, Mr.. Huffman said he did not
expect to get around to teaching
the boys any actual driving for about
a week. There is a certain amount
of textbook matter to be learned
he pointed out, and this will be
alternated with the driving prac-
tice. He anticipated between 10 and
80 boys would enroll.
Mr.. Huffman emphasized an ef-
fort would be made to cultivate the
right attitude toward driving in the
pupils.