The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-10-02
By DR.. HAROLD TASCHER

By DR.. HAROLD TASCHER
Editors Note: The following is
the seventh article by DR.. Harold
Tascher on the work Of the Social
Work Laboratory at the University
of Montana at Missoula.)
Students who see how the Labor
atory accomplishes things and know
from experience how good 1t feels tt
do something creative often exhibit
unusual leadership skill after they
leave the Lab. They do something
constructive. One offshoot is espe
cially interesting to me because 1t re
suited in a handbook to help high
schools in Montana apply the labora
tory method developed here. Last
week, finished describing the launch
ing of the Student Cooperative Asso
citation by the Lab. The handbook
shows how the problem of the batch
ing and boarding student in the high
school might be met as the university
met it's problem. l shall quote freely
the quality of student workmanship
and it's fine practical idealism.
Laboratory Method in High
Schools Visualized
During the summer of 1910, Mr. Ray
Bjork, superintendent of schools at
Glendive, taught at the university A
former Lab student was in one of his
classes. Term papers were required
of all students. The former Lab stu
dent wanted to develop a handbook
for use in the high school which
would help the school set up labora-
tory program. If it could succeed on
the college level, why wouldn't it sue
coed on the high school level? In or
der to draft this handbook some spe-
cific project which the high school
might administer was needed. Mr..
Bjork had expressed an interest in
the student coop program as devel-
oped by students at the university
who batch in order to attend school.
Why couldn't the handbook show the
laboratory method applied to the prob
lem of meeting the needs of the high
school students who batch? Mr.. Bjork
encouraged the writing of the hand
book. 1t was completed and remains
in unpublished form.
Problem of Batching Students in
High School Recognized as Serious
The handbook is based on the as
sumption that many high schools in
Montana have a patching and board
ing student problem. Every year,
families far from school try different
ways to keep their children in school.
Many batch and some board. A town
house" is often rented and one parent
lives with the children while the rest
of the family stay on the ranch. Teen
age children are often left to shift
for themselves without benefit of
home guidance. Nutritional, health,
clothing, cooking, and behavior prob
lens are left largest to chance. De-
linquent behavior appears. Many
school teachers see the problem and
want an answer to it. The commun-
tiles are often poorly organized. The
Aceltu, Welldlo, OuuCdtiolleai, SSIVlCe
clubs, P.T.A.'s and other local groups |
seem to do little to meet the needs |
of these young people. Most towns
have no satisfactory recreation pro-
gram. There is probably much truth |
to the fact that we have a serious
problem in Montana involving batch
ing and boarding students in high /
school. 1t is likely to become even
worse because of the increasing rural
school teacher shortage. Even the
grade schools are probably involved.
The handbook is divided into three
sections: Cd justifying social