example, a State university might train students in residence in preemployment classes, and offer many useful courses for professional improvement of teachers as they are employed, but State agents might conduct preemployment classes in evening centers, leaving the professional improvement after employment to the university.

In any event, whatever plan may be adopted calls for careful study in order to make it fit the needs of the State and for the purpose of locating correctly the administrative arrangements regarding authority and responsibility.

It is apparent, from the foregoing, that during the first year of operation the Federal Board has been for the most part concerned with the promotion of an idea on vocational education as it is contained in the Federal act. In addition to the promotion of this idea there has, of course, been the clarifying of the problems concerned in the promotion of the work throughout the country, both in the minds of the staff of the Federal Board and those who are charged with the administration of the work in the States.

As a summary of what has been done, it is fair to say that the result of less than a year's work is a coming together on a common ground of understanding of the representatives of the Federal Board and of the representatives of the State board-an understanding of the problems concerned; and, to a certain extent, an understanding of how these problems may be attacked. The solution of these problems, will be the work of years; but with 48 States building up administrative staffs competent to deal with these problems, there is the greatest hope for the future.

HOME ECONOMICS.

GENERAL STATUS OF HOME-ECONOMICS EDUCATION IN 1917.

Up to the time of the passage of the vocational educational act, generally known as the Smith-Hughes Act, there were comparatively few schools in the United States giving courses in vocational home economics. Home economics as a part of the general curricu lum of the day school was well established throughout the country. Every State had some type of home economics in the schools and much of it was of excellent quality, but in most of these schools home economics was given as a part of the general education, and usually had about two periods a week devoted to the work. There was no well worked out program of home economics and related art and science and, in most cases, there was little correlation between the home-economics work and the other subjects of the school program. As taught in a large majority of the schools, the home economics was little more than cooking and sewing.

There is a fundamental difference between home-economics education as a form of vocational education and instruction in home-economics subjects as usually given as a part of general education. Home

economics education, as a form of vocational education, demands a well-rounded course of study directed to one main objective—the preparation of home makers and house daughters. It is the central course in relation to which the entire program is planned. As a part of general education, the essential relations between home-economics subjects and related subjects are seldom recognized; home economics is there considered merely one subject of general educational as well as practical value and as such has a place in a program of general subjects.

There were only a few schools in the East and a few other schools scattered throughout the country which did have the vocational point of view and in which an attempt had been made to provide a course of study which was planned to prepare the student for home making. In many of these schools, however, the ideal was not very clearly defined and so there was frequently a combination of the home-making school with the training in those women's trades that have grown out of the occupation of home making. The idea was more largely a preparation for wage earning than a preparation for the occupation of home making. Only in a very few States was there special legislation for a type of home-making school which was based upon the principles enunciated in the vocational education act. There were a number of evening classes in millinery, dressmaking, and cooking, but there was no general program for the development of such classes as an important part of the school work.

State supervision of home economics was not very well developed. The work in the States was generally supervised by one of the highschool inspectors, rural supervisors, or some assistant in the employ of the State board. The supervisor was often a man with practically no knowledge of home economics which would qualify him to pass on the quality of instruction, the equipment, or to render the muchneeded assistance to the inexperienced teacher. There were only six States with full-time supervisors who were well prepared to do the work required in the States. In very few of the States was there a State course of study for home economics or generally accepted standards for the work. The instruction given in the various communities depended largely upon the teacher in charge of the work and too frequently it was not deserving of credit nor was it accepted as college entrance.

Many of the colleges of the country were offering excellent courses in home economics as a part of their four-year college course and much good teacher-training work was being done. Practically every State had one or more institutions which were training teachers of home economics. In a number of the States this work was up to a high standard, for with the impetus of Federal grants to agricultural colleges strong faculties and well equipped departments had been

established. The teacher-training institutions, however, varied in the quality of work done and the length of the courses offered. In some of the States but two years of normal-school work was given as preparation for the teacher of home economics, while some of the best technical schools, which trained a large number of the teachers, offered three years of work. In many States there was no close connection between the teacher-training institutions and the State boards of education. The teacher-training institutions prepared teachers in the way in which they saw fit to do so according to their staff and their resources. The qualifications for teachers of home economics varied in the States from one summer's preparation to graduation from a four years' course in home economics, for in many States there is no requirement for special certification of teachers of home economics by the State board of education.

INTERPRETATION OF PRINCIPLES OF HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION AS PROVIDED IN THE SMITH-HUGHES ACT.

Due to the fact that home economics education as vocational education is essentially a new form of education, and that even in the States granting aid for instruction in home making, relatively few schools have been established and maintained under conditions similar to those prescribed in this law, it is necessary to clearly set up the fundamental principles upon which this type of work is to be developed under the vocational education act.

1. Conditions and standards set up by the vocational education act which apply to all-day schools or classes.

Age of admission.-The minimum age required for admission to vocational day schools is 14 years. Home economics instruction may be given either in the upper grades of the elementary school, in the high school, or in separate schools or classes, provided the instruction is designed to meet the needs of persons of over 14 years of age. For some it would mean vocational education of secondary grade based upon completion of the elementary school; for others it would mean vocational education for girls of secondary age based upon the educational experience of at least the fifth or sixth grade. This would be education essentially secondary in character in its vocational aspects but not necessarily of secondary grade.

This interpretation would make way for the organization of vocational day schools, classes, and departments open to girls 14 years of age who have not completed the elementary schools as well as to girls who are in secondary schools. It is undoubtedly the intent of the law to provide for vocational education suited to secondary school age, not necessarily to secondary school grade. Furthermore, it is the experience of the States maintaining vocational education in home economics that girls of less than secondary school age are seldom of

the size or maturity to enable them to profit adequately from instruction of the vocational type.

Equipment and maintenance.—It is required that before work in the schools can be approved satisfactory provision must be made for adequate laboratory facilities and for maintenance, so that the work undertaken may be given as nearly as possible under conditions which will enable the courses to function in the work of the home.

Course of study.-Home economics education demands special courses of study, appropriate methods of instruction, and special qualifications on the part of teachers. The guiding principles to be used in formulating such courses of study are certain established principles of vocational education applied to the field of home economics education. These are: (a) The controlling factor in determining the subjects to be included in the course of study designed as preparation for an occupation must be the vocational needs of the persons who are to follow the occupation; (b) the central feature of such a course. of study must be a group of so-called technical or home economics subjects designed to meet the special needs of the special group; (c) this group of home economics subjects must be supported and supplemented by a group of related subjects; (d) certain subjects from general education are needed to complete a well-rounded course of study. These are denominated nonvocational subjects. A course of study designed for vocational home economics education is therefore divided into three groups: Technical or home economics subjects, related subjects, and nonvocational subjects. The home economics subjects and the related subjects are together called vocational subjects.

In planning a course of study which will prepare for any given occupation the vocational subjects to be selected should be determined by an analysis of the occupation. The first step, therefore, in determining the content of a course of study which will fit the student for the occupation of home making is an analysis of the occupation of home making. Home making is a composite occupation made up of a number of skilled but undifferentiated occupations. In addition to this, home making is both a social and a business enterprise. Under ordinary circumstances the efficient home maker must be a reasonably skilled worker in at least four or five skilled occupations. Under emergency conditions this number may be greatly increased. In addition she is usually joint owner and manager of the whole enterprise. Hence she must be skilled in household management. The duties of the home maker as a skilled worker and as a manager so overlap that they can not be entirely disassociated.

Qualifications of teachers.-The demands of instruction in home. economics subjects are superior skill in the household occupation and an understanding of the significance and of the demands of the vocation of home making; knowledge in the field of home economics and

in related fields of science and of art; an ability to teach, using the methods of instruction adapted to this form of vocational education. Such qualifications can only be secured through experience and through special preparation. It is difficult to determine the amount and character of vocational experience necessary to develop the degree and variety of skills essential to an appreciation of workmanship, in the household occupation, or to furnish a basic fund of knowledge essential to a feeling for the occupation and to an understanding of its needs and responsibilities. Nearly all girls grow up in some sort of a home. Whether they participate in the household occupations or not they have, as it were, the atmosphere of the occupation and at least a superficial understanding of its needs and responsibilities. Moreover, a very large proportion of girls participate in the work of the home. It would, therefore, seem reasonable to assume that, as compared with industrial education, a shorter period of actual participation in the household occupations should be required to provide the necessary contact with the vocation. In this assumption it is understood that the participation in the occupation involves a wide variety of experience and all-round responsibility for management.

Training in home economics which is accepted as the qualification for teachers of home economic subjects is the course in home economics given in a two-year-preferably four-year-college course designed to give special preparation for teaching the vocation of home making.

Such a course must be made up not only of technical work in home economic subjects, but these must be strengthened and supported by prerequisite or parallel courses in science and art. The home economic subjects in such a course include food study and cookery, dietetics, home management, house planning, textiles, dressmaking, etc., and the related science and art includes chemistry, physiology, bacteriology, drawing and design, etc.

In no case should a teacher qualify as a vocational teacher who has not had an all-round course in home making, even though the class work is so divided that only one phase of home making, clothing, or food preparation is taught by each teacher.

Professional training includes a group of so-called professional courses-courses in education. In the case of students of home economics this group of courses is not a part of the regular home economics curriculum, but comprises the group of teacher-training courses offered for students who are preparing to become teachers. The courses offered as a basis for certification vary in the different States both in character and in extent. Everywhere, however, they include certain general courses in education and special courses for special groups of students, together with experience in teaching, which is called practice or student teaching.