Evening star., 1951-01-25

1t serves colored students who
keep 1t running with capacity
Z houses" from early morning till
late at night. In fact, the last
class of the day ends at 1918 pm.
The purposes of vocational
training are exemplified by this
school. which first opened It's
doors for service in 1912. as a
manual training center" At
first it was used largely fol- "in-
corrigible and atypical groups,
manual training and vocational
classes" Today its students are
Of the caliber to be found in any
high school.
1t 10 full-fledged vocational
high school, covering not only
vocational but academic and re-
lated subjects. It's students get
Job training in such fields as
craftsmanship. office machine work,
child care, dress designing, tailor
ing. laundering, cleaning and
pressing. baking. cafeteria and
restaurant services, household
operation and many others.
Mingled with youth and adult
students at the Washington Vo-
cational High School are about 20
little children from 2 to years
Of age, who come from various
parts Of the city. These tiny pu-
pills, Of course, are not Officially"
studying some phase Of vocational
education. but they receive and
give a valuable contribution In
learning. The children them
selves receive nursery training.
thus getting a beginning for their
own education: they contribute
to the training Of some 20 young
women students who want to be-
come proficient In handling pre-
school children.
Learn From Museum Pieces.
The students taking these child
care courses learn the art of
handling little ones at work. at
play, at meals and for sleep
periods. When they have COM
pleted the courses, apprenticeship
opportunities are available in
various nurseries throughout the
city.
Perhaps one would not think of
finding museum pieces in a voca-
tional school. but in the Margaret
Murray Washington Vocational
High School is the upper part of
a gown worn at President Nc
Kinley's Inaugural Ball. The
costume designing classroom also
has garments from various coun-
tries, all of which are used to
help the Is to 20 girls in the
class get ideas for their own crea-
tions.
Geometry, to most of us, may
seem a far cry from dressmaking.
and we might not be able readily
to associate algebra with our
cooking. But listen to Mrs. E. P.
Wilson. mathematics teacher,
at this vocational school, who
says: Lets teach living mathe-
mates. Make 1t real, make 1t
meanful, make techniques more
simple, point out the usefulness
Of each branch of mathematics
to the students everyday life.
"Our fundamental principles in
arithmetic are carried over to our
related algebra. Learning skills
in algebra is carried over to our
related geometry. Learning to
reason problems out by use of
equation will definitely carry over
to our related geometry because
logical thinking means clear un-
derstanding of assertions which
will help the pupils learn to reach
definite conclusions. In other
words, learn to integrate arith-
metic. algebra and geometry to
the extent that the usefulness Is
inevitable to the individuals work
in everyday life"
May Dye Own Clothes.
At this vocational school, nine
men and two women students in a
dry cleaning class were consider
ing dyeing methods. There were
two huge copper kettles in the
room, which are used in the dye
ing processes. Students may
bring their own clothes to practice
on-and get their work done
free"
There is no lack of confidence
In that class ability to do fine
Job. These students are taught
to renovate various types of fab