The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12
Waste in Elementary and
in Secondary Education

! ing college continued in the same sub
jects and from the same point at which
his work had ended in the lower school,
Bu. with the greatly expanded scope OF
high school courses and the corresponding
Increase in the range OF subjects accepted
for admission to college II has become
necessary for the college to offer elemen-
tary courses In almost every subject OF
the curriculum We find IN college be-
ginning courses In Greek, French and
| German. and in Latin the courses CORE
spending to the second and third year
OF the high school elementary courses in
all sciences In mathematics one half the
courses offered in any first class high
school and in history a repetition of most
or all the work OF the high school.
THE practice OF colleges to admit stu
dents with conditions sometimes eduiva-
lent TO a year or even more OF high school
work indicates the acceptance on the part
/ OF the college faculties OF the fact that
! the first year or more Of the college
course Is concerned with secondary work
The latest statistics OF the colleges and
universities OF the North Central Associa-
ton illustrates this.
THE problem Is clearly stated as
sumng that two years must be eliminated
from the period OF elementary and sec
| ondary education. find the years 1t Is
plain that this can be done only by a
careful study OF the material and methods
work OF the period involved. II Is a
study involving not only the twelve years
which have preceded the college course,
but also the earlier part OF the college
course itself. Having found It possible to
eliminate one year from the elementary
school, the problem Is reduced one-half
/ | am confident that conferences OF high
school and college teachers in foreign
! languages, English. mathematics. history
and science. going over the materials and
methods of secondary work in the same
careful manner employed by the depart
ments In the university schools could
easily eliminate a year by the avoidance
| OF duplication and closer coordination
OF courses.
There is no doubt that a student enter
ing college with thirteen units secured
I with high grade Is better fitted for a
| successful college course than one enter
ing with fifteen units secured with a low
grade. very serious obstacle TO eff
| nciency in high school work liz found in
| the Lack OF incentive offered to able pupils
to do their best. Most OF the admins
trative machinery of our schools and
much OF the teaching energy are spent IN
! an effort to lift the Indifferent and In
| competent over the barrier OF a passing
| grade. while the able or exceptional pupil
is allowed to acquire the habit OF being
satisfied with attainment far below his
capacities. In most schools II Is not RE-
| garded as good form TO secure high
grades. The "gentleman's grade" has
come TO be recognized as well below the
median. Distinctions resulting from good
scholastic records are usually petty and
| unsubstantial and make small appeal -
students In general. The position of vale
| dlctorlan is not held in sufficient esteem
| to induce many boys and girls TO pay the
, price OF four years OF hard study. A few
schools have adopted the plan OF giving
.Ntra credit for high grades. In tn
! university high school we give IL units
| fOi years work with n grade OF A. IL
units for a grade of h. unit for a grade
| Of G, and 9 unit for grade OF u. A
| substantial reward Is thus secured for ex-
| cellent work and a corresponding loss for
work OF low grade. We have observe
a steady improvement in the quality Of
, our work since the adoption OF this sys
TEN OF awarding credit. Several students
| will be graduated in June who would not
! otherwise be able TO do so, except ,ra'
/ students having secured In two years
| since the adoption Of the plan two fuI
! units of excess credit. What attitude the
| college will take toward such cases / d.
not know. but / am convinced that this
student with only thirteen units on the
usual basis for reckoning admission
credits Is by all means the best PREPARED
student in the entire class. With tie
rapidly growing tendency for college au-
] lHOTllltN 10 place tue ItSpbISlDllliy ADI
/ the decision as to the fitness OF pupils
to enter college upon the high school,
see no reason why students should not
be accepted from properly accredited
schools a limited part OF whose cred Is
have been given because of exceptionally
good work.
Another means for increasing the ef-
hcency OF school work is a the improve
ment OF classroom methods. One OF the
most frequently reiterated complaints
made by high school and college teach
ers Is that our pupils do not know how
to study. They certainly do not In most
cases, and those who do have not con-
sciously been taught the art by their
teachers. Each teacher who makes the
complaint lays the fault upon the teach
| ers in the grades below and recognizes
no responsibility on his own part for
teaching this neglected lesson. The
teacher OF Cesar thinks 1t SO important
to get his pupils through the four books
| which long tradition has assigned to MS
| years work. that he has no time TO lose
In teaching his pupils how to study. Let
those who cannot keep the pace fall by
the ways!de, And the dead scattered
along the road each year are rs numer-
Gus as those who fell in the most san
| culinary OF Caesars campaigns in Gaul
The usual practice OF daily assignments
Of home work to b. done under varying
and often most usfavOrable conditions,
followed by a period spent in an inef-
fectual attempt to secure anything APP
preaching an adequate and coherent rec
ltatlon OF the days assignment, affords
little incentive to the bright pupil and
| little training 10 the dull one. The
method is most Intellectual so far as the
mastery of the immediate material Is con-
cerned and breeds slpshod, II not dis
honest, habits OF work and OF thinking.
Some valuable experiments have been
made recently. showing that without any
home study at all, by devoting the class
period 10 careful teaching followed by
work under the direction and supervi-
sion OF the teacher, more actual ground
can be covered and better results Sc
cured at the end OF given time. than
under the usual recitation method. This
method has been employed In Latin In
several New Hampshire schools. In
which the classes have covered In three
years the amount OF work usually done
in four, and the fourth year has been
given to the reading OF college authors
in an amount and with facility which
is surprising. And all this has been done
with much less than the usual elimiia-
ton Of pupils ny failure, When teach
ers OF the upper years OF the elementary
school and the first year Of the high
school come to realize that II Is more
important that pupils learn right habits