A Report on Vocational Training in Chicago and in Other Cities

Chapter 17: Test of Civil Government and History

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One hundred and fifty-two of the boys out of school altogether were quizzed orally on questions of civil government and United States history, each boy being talked to for about ten minutes and the result noted by the questioner. In addition to these one hundred and fifty-two boys. twenty-one boys of one room of the Apprentice Schools were given a written test covering the same ground in civil government that was covered in the oral examination. As these boys had had no special drill in this subject, their marks are included in the civil government table for the other boys.

Little comment need be made as the tables speak for themselves very plainly. Very few of the boys could be termed good in this test, not many were even fair, and by far the larger per cent were marked poor or poor minus,[1] which in this table means very close to zero.

Taking the matter up from the standpoint of the grades, it may be said that the eighth-grade boy has enough knowledge of civil government so that the more important points of the subject will probably clear up in his mind as he gets a little older and reads the newspapers more. The same thing can be said for a very few of the seventh-grade boys. The information of the sixth and fifth grade boys is so meager along the lines of civil government and history that it seems doubtful whether they will ever have understanding of what democratic government is.

It was also a disappointing fact that the boys who were nearing their majority were the very poorest, as a rule, while the younger boys fresh from school were able to answer with much more facility.

A list of questions similar to those asked of the boys is here appended, and the tables then follow, showing the grade, age and rank that was given to each boy in this test.

Civil Government

Who has power to make the laws for the United States government?
What are some of the duties of the President of the United States?

(300)

How do Congressmen obtain their office?
How are Senators elected? How many are there from each State?
What is the highest state office? Who holds that office in Illinois?
By whom are the laws of the State made?
Who is the Mayor of Chicago? What are some of the duties of the Mayor? What are the duties of the City Council?

History

Name the most important wars that have been fought in this country.
Name at least one leader on the American side in the Revolutionary War. 
Name the most important leaders on both sides in the Civil War.
Who was President of the United States during the Civil War?
Who was first President of the United States?
Name the last three Presidents of the United States, including the present one.

Table XI. Civil Government Summary -- Boys out of School
Grade No. Good Fair Poor Poor- Poor-
H.S. 19 6 9 4 - -
8 86 4 18 29 18 17
7 43 - 1 11 14 17
6 13 - - 2 - 11
5 10 - - - 10
4 3 - - - - 3

(301)


Table XI-A -- Civil Government Details -- Boys out of School
H.S. Age H.S. Age H.S. Age H.S. Age
Fair 16 Poor 17 Fair 17 Fair 17
Fair 16 Good 18 Good 17 Fair 16
Poor 16 Fair 17 Good 16 Fair 17
Good 17 Good 19 Fair 18 Fair 19
Poor 17 Good 19 Poor - -
8th Grade Age 8th Grade Age 8th Grade Age 8th Grade Age
Poor 17 Fair 15 Poor 18 Poor 17
Poor 16 Poor- - 17 Poor 17 Poor- - 15
Fair 17 Poor- 20 Poor- - 17 Poor- 16
Poor- 17 Poor- 16 Good 16 Poor 17
Fair 17 Poor 17 Poor- - 17 Poor 16
Poor- 16 Poor 15 Poor 16 Poor- - 15
Fair 16 Poor- - 17 Poor 17 Good 16
Poor 15 Fair 15 Poor- - 19 Poor 15
Poor 16 Poor 16 Fair 16 Good 16
Fair 16 Poor- - 17 Poor- 15 Fair 16
Poor 16 Poor 18 Fair 17 Poor 18
Fair 17 Fair 17 Poor 19 Poor 17
Poor- 17 Poor 16 Poor- 16 Fair 16
Poor- 17 Poor- 17 Poor- 18 Poor- 19
Poor 19 Fair 18 Poor- - 19 Fair 16
Poor- 18 Poor 18 Fair 17 Poor 16
Poor 16 Poor- 16 Poor 18 Poor 16
Poor- 18 Poor 17 Poor 18 Poor- 16
Poor 17 Fair 14 Poor- - 15 Poor- 16
Fair 16 Poor- 15 Fair 17 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 20 Poor- - 19 Poor- - - Poor- - -
Poor- - - Poor- - - - - - -
7th Grade Age 7th Grade Age 7th Grade Age 7th Grade Age
Poor 17 Poor- 19 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 19 Poor- - 16 Poor 16 Poor 18
Poor 16 Poor- 16 Poor- - 18 Poor- 16
Poor- - 17 Poor- 17 Poor 19 Poor- 17
Poor 18 Poor- 17 Poor- 15 Poor- - 17
Poor- 15 Poor 19 Poor- 18 Poor- - 18
Poor 19 Poor- - 17 Poor- - 18 Poor- 16
Poor 17 Poor- - 20 Poor 20 Poor- - 20
Poor- 19 Poor- 19 Poor - Poor- 18
Poor 20 Poor- 18 Poor- - - Poor- - -
Poor- - - Poor- - - Poor- - - - -
6th Grade Age 6th Grade Age 6th Grade Age 6th Grade Age
Poor- - 17 Poor 18 Poor- - 16 Poor 17
Poor- - - Poor- - 16 Poor- - 17 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 16 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 15 Poor- - 19
Poor- - 20 - - - - - -

(302) 

Table XI-A.-- Civil Government Details -- Boys Out of School
5th Grade Age 5th Grade Age 5th Grade Age 5th Grade Age
Poor- - 19 Poor- - 20 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 18
Poor- - 15 Poor- - 17 Poor- - 18 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 17 Poor- - 17 - - - -
4th Grade Age 4th Grade Age 4th Grade Age 4th Grade Age
Poor- - 17 Poor- - 18 Poor- - 16 - -

Table XII. -- History Summary -- Boys Out of School
Grade No. Good Fair Poor Poor- Poor- -
H.S. 18 7 9 2 - -
8 75 4 33 24 11 7
7 29 - 1 14 7 7
6 16 - 1 1 - 11
5 10 - - - - 10
4 3 - - - - 3

Table XII-A. History Details -- Boys Out of School
H.S. Age H.S. Age H.S. Age H.S. Age
Good 16 Fair 17 Fair 17 Fair 17
Fair 16 Good 18 Good 17 Fair 16
Poor 16 Fair 17 Good 16 Fair 17
Good 17 Good 19 Fair 18 Fair 19
Poor 17 Good 19 - - - -
8th Grade Age 8th Grade Age 8th Grade Age 8th Grade Age
Poor 17 Fair 15 Poor 18 Fair 17
Fair 16 Poor- - 17 Poor 17 Poor 15
Fair 17 Poor- 20 Poor- 17 Fair 16
Poor- 17 Poor- 16 Good 16 Poor 17
Fair 17 Fair 17 Poor 17 Poor 16
Poor 16 Poor 15 Poor 16 Good 15
Fair 16 Poor 17 Fair 17 Fair 16
Poor 15 Fair 15 Poor 19 Good 15
Poor 16 Poor 16 Fair 16 Fair 16
Fair 16 Fair 17 Poor- 15 Good 16
Poor 16 Poor 18 Fair 17 Fair 18
Fair 17 Fair 17 Poor 19 Fair 17
Poor 17 Poor 16 Poor 16 Fair 16
Poor- 17 Poor 17 Poor- 18 Poor- 19
Fair 19 Fair 18 Poor- - 19 Fair 16
Poor- 18 Poor 16 Fair 17 Fair 16
Poor 16 Poor 16 Fair 18 Poor 16
Fair 18 Poor 17 Poor 18 Poor- - 16
Fair 17 Fair 14 Fair 15 Poor 16
Fair 16 Poor- 15 Fair 17 - -

(303) 

Table XII-A. History Details -- Boys Out of School continued
7th Grade Age 7th Grade Age 7th Grade Age 7th Grade Age
Poor 17 Poor- 19 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 19 Poor- - 16 Poor 16 Fair 18
Poor 16 Poor- 16 Poor- - 18 Poor- 16
Poor- - 17 Poor- 17 Poor 19 Poor- 17
Poor 18 Poor 17 Poor 15 Poor- - 17
Poor- 15 Poor 19 Poor 18 Poor- 18
Poor 19 Poor 17 Poor 18 Poor 16
Poor 17 - - - - - -
6th Grade Age 6th Grade Age 6th Grade Age 6th Grade Age
Poor- - 17 Fair 18 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 17
Poor- - - Poor- - 16 Poor- - 17 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 16 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 15 Poor- - 19
Poor- - 20 - - - - - -
5th Grade Age 5th Grade Age 5th Grade Age 5th Grade Age
Poor- - 19 Poor- - 20 Poor- - 16 Poor- - 18
Poor- - 15 Poor- - 17 Poor- - 18 Poor- - 17
Poor- - 17 Poor- - 17 - - - -
4th Grade Age 4th Grade Age 4th Grade Age 4th Grade Age
Poor- - 17 Poor- - 18 Poor- - 16 - -

Notes

No notes

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