The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-07
iWHY children
QUIT SCHOOL
CONTINUED From First page.)

if SOOulluucu IIOul fbRe,J
80 per cent. OF It's raw material. Ho
(. wants to know what is the matter,
and particularly how to stop this 80
per cent. OF loss.
This article is written in tho belief
that there are at least four great
underlying sources OF loss which be-
long In varying degrees to all the
schools In all parts Of the country.
both urban and rural, North. South,
East and West. 1t IL true that the
problem OF the rural schools is DIFF
ferent from the problem OF the city
schools. that the standards of the
licensing of teachers varies greatly
in the different States, that the gen.
eral intelligence In different COM
munities varies considerably. that the
courses OF study are widely variant,
and that there are many other factors
which render the problem complex.
Taking all this into account, how
ever. there appear to be at least four
great sources of loss:
"a Losses from the ranks, due to
the lack OF adjustment between tho
length of the compulsory education
j ana the length OF the school course.
(2) Losses due to preventable Ill
health or to removable physical do
fects.-
(3) Losses due to irregular school
attendance.
a. Losses due to the fact that tho
! courses Of study are either too diff
] cult or not adapted to the average
pupil. The school machinery Is such
that every facility Is given children
I to go more slowly than the average.
and but little opportunity to go faster
than the average.
take these up seriatim:
si1-Ycar Laws With Eight-Ycnr
Courses.
In most of the States the law re-
quires six years or less of school at
tendance, and yet the elementary
course in most American states In
wolves eight grades with year apiece.
SO we have sia-year law with an
e!ght-year school. In several States
the law appears TO require eight years.
but In reality demanus only six. For
] example. in Massachusetts, the law re-
qutres the child to attend school from
the age OF eight to sixteen, but ex-
cuses him at fourteen II he has regu-
lar employment at home or elsewhere.
The States demanding eight full years
of schooling are Maine. Michigan, Min
nesota and Washington.
There are two factors basal to tho
length OF the elementary school course
Upon these facts the duration of the
compulsory education period should
be established. These are tl) at what
age is 1t best that child should enter
school? and Cd at what age should
pupils graduate from the elementary
school?
Under existing conditions It appears
that. on the average, children who
enter school at six or seven do better
for themselves and the school than
those who enter at any other age. We
have long been told that child
who enter school at eight would be
advanced enough mentally soon TO
catch up with, Il not to pass, those
who enter at six. The study OF 49,
600 children's records by my asso,
ctate Leonard p Ayres. 10 whom j
am Indebted for all the data in these
articles does not support this claim
chiidren who enter at eight or hine
40 progress faster than those VINO en-
Tar at six or seven, but not enough
faster 10 make up for their haho'cap
More children graduate who enter d.
six or seven than who enter at eisH.
and nine Under present cohoitiohs,
then. children should begin schoo'
when they are six or seven years oio.
Children should graduate at four
teen or fifteen. A change ought 10
and does come over childdcn at that
time which demands less maternalls-
tic environment than that OF the ele-
mentary school. They are gripped by
a new spirit of energy and independ-
ence which demands either the larger
liberty of the high school or the ooli-
cations OF business. Even tho best OF
children are restless and unsuited IN
the elementary school after fourteen
With wonderful uniformity the
average age of leaving school ranges
from fourteen to fifteen all over the
/ country. This is true whether they
have graduated or not. whether they
are native-born or foreign-born. white
or black, whether the course OF study
! Is easy or hard. or even whether the
teachers and teaching equipment are
good or bad.
1t is a great biological fact which
we are dealing with. When the wings
of the nesting are grown it leaves the
nest. The same kind of force drives
children out OF the elementary school
soon after they are fourteen. The ele-
mentary form of school is suited to
children, but not to adolescents. This
is the first reason why children dron
out of school at fourteen, no matter