Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/537

Rh After thus formally taking over the night school, the board of directors fitted up a room in the high school building on Morrison street, and opened the night schools as a part of the public system November 11, 1889. The first teachers were taken from the regular corps of teachers and paid for their extra services at night; three nights in each week being devoted to night school work. The first teachers were Prof. J. Burnham, Mrs. Alice Gore, Miss Helen F. Spaulding, Miss Kate S. Downs, (elocution), Mrs. Nina Larowe, (gymnastics), Mrs. Margaret Allen, and Mrs. L. E. Butler. In connection with the school while under care of the Woman's Union, the following ladies gave lectures to the girls on Saturday evenings, when the girls and their friends could attend: on "Emergencies," Dr. E. J. Welty; on "Our Girls," Dr. C. Peaslee; on "Self Reliance," Miss H. F. Spaulding, (now Mrs. Sitton, president of the school board); on "Dress," Dr. Lydia M. Hunt.

Frank Rigler, superintendent of city schools, reports that during the last two years there has been considerable modification of our high school courses. Most of our high school students select their course on the principle followed in Boston, Minneapolis and a number of other progressive cities. The plan is suggested in the report of the "committee of ten" of the National Educational Association, but was not worked out by that committee. It has since been worked out independently by a number of cities, Portland being chronologically the first, in 1894.

Instead of frittering away his energies upon a great number of subjects, the student concentrates his efforts upon three lines of work for which his aptitude has been revealed by his work in the elementary schools. This sort of course qualifies a pupil to enter Stanford and some other universities. But there are colleges which require a little of everything for admission, and a student desiring to prepare for any of these was permitted to select such subjects as would meet his particular requirements. Recently a closer agreement as to entrance requirements among the various institutions of higher learning has enabled us to print an explicit "college preparatory course." This seems to have silenced the unwarranted criticism that our high schools do not prepare students for college.

Perhaps the most radical departure in public schools from the conventional curriculum, is the school of trades where boys and girls are taught gainful occupations without entirely abandoning cultural studies. It is important to notice that physical fitness rather than intellectual attainments is made the basis for entrance to these schools. Otherwise many of the pupils whom they are designed to serve, could never gain admission to them. The establishment of such a school in Portland in 1908 came ill advance of a widespread agitation in favor of vocational training. Little doubt remains that such training will soon become a prominent feature in the school work of all progressive cities.

As to public school sanitation, Prof. Rigler says: Suspended drinking cups and the widespread use of private individual cups have greatly decreased the danger of spreading throat and mouth contagions in the schools. The real solution of this problem, however, is the drinking fountain.

During the present school year, vacuum cleaners are on trial in four of our school buildings. While it is yet too early to pronounce judgment upon them, there is, nevertheless, a strong probability that they will solve the dust problem without soaking the floors with filthy and highly inflammable oils.

The medical inspection of our schools, now in its second year, seems to have proved its value. If it renders no other service than the discovery of physical defects unsuspected by parents, this alone would justify its continuance. But the inspectors have also been very helpful in their suggestions as to sanitation, and in prescribing measures for the detection and isolation of contagious diseases.