Evening star., 1940-07-18
Defense Trade
Courses Await
Board Approval
Nine Types of Work
Troinine Expected in
Schools Next Week

Nine courses in trades vital to
national defense may be opened by
the Board of Education next week
to selected persons from w. p. A.
rolls and public employment service
registers.
The courses were recommended by
the boards Advisory Committee on
vocational Education yesterday and
probably will be approved by the
board before the end of the week.
On the basis of present equipment
ana requirements of the Capital
area, the committee selected ma
chine shop, automotive maintenance
and repair, sheet metal, woodwork,
spray painting, welding, electrical
work, drafting and blueprints and
alrplane repair and maintenance.
Assistant Supt. of Schools Lawson
j. Cantrell, in charge of vocational
education, presided and told the
committee that with board approval
he hoped to have the courses GET
/ ting under way in five vocational
schools and three senior high schools
Monday or Tuesday.
The courses probably will operate
from $3.50 am. to 3 pm. during the
day until early September and then
probably will be night courses.
Refresher Courses Urged.
The regular school teachers are
expected to be used, but as of Sep
tember they go back on the pay roll
for the regular school year and will
have their usual classes of chill
dren. 1t is understood that they
could teach the defense courses at
night without violating Government
! rules.
At the same time it was recon-
mended that the board set up ex-
tension courses of refresher nature
for persons already employed in
vital field but wishing further train
ing. Mr.. Cantrell said the school
officials probably would be ready to
organize any such classes for which
there was a sufficient demand. He
said that employment in the field
of the course would be prerequisite
OF enrolment in this phase of the
program. The extension courses
will be at night.
No attempt will be made at pres.
ent to expand the capacity of the
eight schools which has been esti.
mated at 1,402, it was indicated.
The course in airplane repair and
maintenance already is set up for
the colored schools. and equipment
is available to get under way First
Assistant Supt. Garnet c. Wilkinson
said the teacher already is under
EconJract.
/ Approved by Board.
| He said he obtained School Board
approval of the course after How
ard University took up only the
pilot training course in the Fed.
eral Governments air-eXpansion
program operating through the Civil
Aeronautics Authority.
Drafting was not one Of the
courses indicated as vital to national
defense by the Federal Office of Ed
ucation, which is supervising the
SIS 100000 Federal fund allotment
for the Notwithstanding program.
The committee, however, decided to
recommend it any way and, if the
Federal group approved, set it up.
The other courses, the commit
tee members decided, would prepare
men to fit in number of phases
of national defense where highly
skilled work was not required.
Just how many men w. P. A. Ad-
mlnistrator Paul Edwards will dele
gate from his rolls to take the
courses is not yet known, but he has
said it may be as high as 500.
The Advisory Committee is COM
posed of employer and employe
groups and homemakers. Mr.. Cam
trell has conferred with labor union
officials on the question of labor
shortage in the various fields.