Domestic science in the Gary school is not taught as a separate
“subject.” It means the practical operation of the school lunch-room
under the direction of an instructor and a cook assistant. The
domestic-science room is a real kitchen, dining-room, and pantry in
which the daily lunch is prepared and served to such teachers and pupils
as desire it. The domestic-science work for the girls then consists of
nothing but this daily service, older and younger girls coöperating with
cook and teacher. The salary of the assistant is paid out of the profits
of the lunch-room. Since the food is sold, all expenses for supplies are
charged to the lunch department. The sewing-room is operated on a
similar plan. The instructor has as assistants a practical dress-maker,
laundress, and milliner. Their salaries and all materials used are paid
for from the savings made by doing the necessary laundry and needlework
for the school. Both cooking and sewing departments are therefore
_self-sustaining school-community shops_. The school board makes no
appropriations for the support of the lunch-room, dressmaking, laundry,
and millinery departments other than the salaries of the two head
teachers. All bills are paid directly by the department managers, and no
accounts are kept by the school board. The other shops are
self-supporting in the sense that the ordinary appropriations for
painting, cabinet-work, electrical work, plumbing, printing, etc. (which
would have to be paid anyway), generally pay the salaries of the
teacher-workmen and the costs of the material. The ideal attainment
would be to make the shops all self-sustaining school-community shops.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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