Evening star., 1942-09-06
Board 10 Gear
District Schools
To War Needs
Stress to Be Put
On Vocational,
Physical Troining
BY MARION WADE DOYLE.

at its opening meeting of the year
Wednesday. Six phases of the
schools activities in wartime will
be considered. ~
Robert L, Haycock, acting super
intendent of schools will report te
the board on the proposal of repea,
of the law prohibiting use of schoo,
buildings for day care of children
from two to five years of age, whose
mothers are employed in war agen-
cies.
The board will act on the request
of the District Salvage Committee
for cooperation of Junior high
school pupils in the salvage drive
The extension of the five-period a
week physical education program to
all high schools and the adoption
of a textbook for the new pre-flight
training courses also will be dis
cussed.
Mr.. Haycock will report the avail
ability of almost $4,000 in Federal
funds for night training classes for
both war workers and those inter-
ested in rural improvements. A
course in vocational agriculture in
the high schools is also to be con-
sidered by the board as a step
toward relieving farm labor short
age.
Physical Education Stressed.
Vocational and physical education
have had particular attention from
officials since the selective service
and the demands of war industries
tegan to reveal an inadequate sup
ply of skilled workers on the one
hand and widespread physical de-
tects among those eligible for Army
service on the other.
In the vocational field, special
stenographic courses for war work.
ers in the Thomson School, nutri-
ton classes for mothers in several
elementary schools and full pro-
gram of night mechanical courses
for war workers have been set up.I
To the curriculum of the regular
daytime classes, the officials have
added courses in mechanical re-
frigeration, welding and radio main
tenance and repair.
Although eight of the Ia special
night national defense training
courses last year we're SO overcrowd-
ed that waiting list was set up. &C
Cording to officials, the daytime
vocational schools were far from
crowded. Of the Districts 10000
secondary school children, only s
percent have enrolled in manual
training classes Despite influx OF
families into Washington, this is
only very slight increase over the
enrolment when the vocational
schools first went on an official basis
in 1886.
Not Vocational City.
The attitude of District parents
reflects widespread lack of interest
in manual arts and is responsible
for this low enrolment, according to
Lawson j. Cantrell, assistant super
intendent in charge of junior and
vocational schools, and Garnett @
wilkinson, superintendent in charge
of the secondary and vocational
schools of Divisions 10 to 13.
washington has never been a
vocational city," declared Mr.. Can
treI. "It is not factory town and
opportunities for immediate employ
rnent were not available here until
the war started in December.
In addition. the residents OF
washington consider themselves a
white collar class. They don't Wan'
their children to get their HANDS
dirty"
The same charge of too mucn
parental pride to allow full enroll
ment at vocational schools was cited
bv DR.. Wilkinson. He contended that
many a father who had made
respectable living for years at
trade insisted on an academic course
and a college degree for his son.
Now the demand for skilled work
Frs is so great, according to MT
Cantrell, that boys and girls arr
offered jobs and leave the scnoo
after sometimes only two weeks o
a month of training. During on
month last semester the rate o
pupil turnover was 100 per cent.
Physical Education Extended.
The schools have extended tn
former two and three periods
week of physical education to flv
periods in all senior high schools
BODYBUILDING calisthenics will b
emphasized in three periods and tw
periods of lectures will round OIL
the course.
The lectures include instruction i
nutrition for boys as well as girl
functional physiology and anatom,
personal hygiene and appearance
alcohol and narcotics, first ali
home nursing for the girls an
safety education for the boys an
mental health and social relation
Red Cross certificates will be pre-
sented to those who pass tt
courses in home nursing and fir
aid.
Citing the 100000 congression;
appropriation which made the e2
tended course possible, Hare
Pearce, acting director of the phys
cal education department, declare
ct appreciate what The Star d
In aiding with publicity"
The schools, which in the 1872
maintained five model classes
day care for children, and brief
in the 1930s held nursery schoo
under Works Project Administr;
ton funds, may again be perform
ing this function if Representa-
Randolph's proposed repeal OF
restricting law is successful.
present, no school funds can
used for care of children under 5.
Elective System Blamed.
In the face of severe criticism
the Army and Navy that not enou!
students with qualifications in mat
ematics, physics and chemist
could be found to fill that need
technicians, the schools during t
last year tried by use of teach
guidance to persuade pupils to ia
these courses.
All District secondary schools,
was explained, have for some tir
been under a system of electives
which a student has wide chol