Annual report. [1946]

4... Education for Development
Life Patterns Take Shape in High School
13

cA high school education continues to be the goal of a large per cent of
Detroit's boys and girls. Observations and
experiences of young men and women as
members of the armed forces during the
past few years have served to re-emphasize
the need for more and better education.
Thousands of discharged veterans have returned to Detroit's classrooms. Undoubtedly
their experiences have been influential in
*emphasizing to their youngeIr brothers and
sisters and friends the need for getting all
the education possible early in life. At any
rate, membership in Detroit's high schools
and in its technical and trade schools shows
a substantial gain for the first time in
several years. At the present time, nearly
1,800 veterans are enrolled in the city's
high schools and the Board of Education
Veterans Institute. A majority of these
students are working for high school
diplomas.
High Schools Have Wide Appeal
The Board of Education operates nineteen
high schools; fifteen are of the comprehensive or "regular" type, two specialize in
business education, one features the technical curricula, and one specializes in vocational work with emphasis on cooperative
education for eleventh and twelfth graders.
Three of the city's public high schools offer
post-graduate work. In addition to the
cooperative program offered at the Wilbur
Wright High School, three comprehensive
high schools include cooperative work-study
programs for a limited number of students.
Part-time employment for such students is
arranged in nearby offices, industries, and

retail stores. Students enrolled in the cooperative curriculum spend four hours a day
in high school and a like time on the job;
for the latter they receive compensation and
some school credit. At the Wilbur Wright
and the Aero Mechanics schools the cooperative program calls for two weeks of employment and two weeks of schooling during
eleven months of the year.
Which Road Next?
High school youth are at the age where
they begin to see a need for patterns. Will
they go on to college? Would a commercial
curriculum best serve, and what are the job
possibilities for youth if he specializes in
technical education? Such questions are
matters of serious concern to both students
and parents as the young people enroll in
high school. The problem of guidance is one
of special importance to youth at this age.
Each Detroit high school has counselor
service for all of its students. In addition,
the Guidance and Placement (employment)
Department at the Board's central office
offers free service by experts in these fields.
There is continued study and research going
on in the city's high schools in an attempt to
improve this valuable service.
At the Northwestern High School a guidance center is the core of a five-year demonstration project. This means that all guidance matters may be considered directly
within the school. Students may be counseled, receive aptitude tests and medical and
dental examinations, apply for employment
permits, and be referred to part-time jobs
through this center. Students may also