Evening star., 1939-02-26
Highly Specialized
Work Is Planned
By Training School
Higher Standards Goal
As Institution Is
Being Recognized

The National Training School for
Women and Girls Is being reorgan-
lied to afford highly-specialiZed,
practical education for students who
must cope with widespread unem-
ployment and low wages among col
ored women.
How this will be accomplished at
the reorganized institution, which
has been renamed the National
Trade and Professional School for
Women and Girls, was described
yesterday by Miss Mamie H. Bur-
roughs, president of the school. and
one of its mainstays for the last
quarter of century.
"Our principal goal" she said,
twill be to train students as scien-
tific housekeepers-capable of TAX
ing charge of home, modest or
elaborate, and running it smoothly
with minimum of supervision.
"Too many colored maids know
a little about cooking and little
about cleaning. Too few have been
thoroughly trained to assume re-
sponsibility, to plan balanced family
menus or dinners on special occa-
sions, to budget, market, clean house
and supervise the laundry.
High Standards Sought.
"As a result too many colored
maids receive low pay for unskilled
service. 1t is my idea that house
keeping or home service can be
made a profession with high STAN
dards and corresponding rate of
pay.
washington alone, I am sure, will
readily absorb half of our graduates
in such course. In this city are
many homes where husband and
wife have outside employment and
are anxious and willing to pay
competent person to relieve them of
household duties.
This is true also in larger estab-
Iishments where wealthy women
need housekeepers to take charge of
the manifold activities of their do
mestic staffs. When the new school
opens its first term October l, we
hope to be equipped to train our
students to take their places as
skilled Professionals.
another field which We will
specialize in is social service work
for churches. Many churches in
the larger cities have paid staffs OF
social service workers-sometime
AS many as 20. The demand for
this type of worker far exceeds the
supply. I could place many now if
I had them"
$4,000 Drive Planned.
The school is national in scope
and draws pupils from all States.
Some in the past have come from
Africa and other foreign countries.
A nominal tuition is charged, and
the students are encouraged to be
at least partly self-supporting.
They make underclothing and
other articles of dress for sale, as
we'll as simple household furnish
ings-table scarfs and mats, wall
decorations, etc.
About the middle of March or
the first of April friends of the
school will launch drive through
out the country for $4,000. Half
of this sum. Miss Burroughs hopes,
will be raised by June l.
A special effort is being made to
obtain 1000 patrons who will give
ST a month for the maintenance of
the school. The money from the
drive will be used to install equip
ment for specialized training and to
enlarge one of the school buildings.
I'VE started this school on faith"
Miss Burroughs said. And We still
have faith. In addition we picked
up little property and a lot of
practical knowledge as we went
along. All we ask is an opportunity
to use our knowledge now-to help
the colored woman find higher
place in the economic life of our
country