The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-01-21
Educational Problems.
MORE BOYS IN HIGH SCHOOLS.


with other States in this increase in sec
ondary school enrolment. Last year,
for example, high schools and academies
of the State had 723 students more than
for the preceding year, while the number
was %, 225 greater than for the cores
pondlng period five years ago. That the
increase in secondary school enrolment
is taking place chiefly in the public high
schools is shown by the fact that acad-
emies last year enrolled 81 pupils less
than for the year preceding. A very
large increase is also indicated in the
number of students living in towns not
maintaining high schools who take ad-
vantage of the free tuition privileges
afforded by the law.
While the report shows that of the en-
tire secondary school enrolment. there
were somewhat fewer boys than girls,
yet in the last five year period there has
been a gain in the number of boys going
to high school amounting to 81 per cent.
while the number of girls has increased
during the same period II per cent.
Altogether there were 241 approved
high schools and academies in Maine last
year. Of the high schools, 1873 were in
the A class, 81 were in class B and 81 in
class C.
The report shows that there were five
towns and cities maintaining two high
schools, while in four others high school
and academy were to be found within
the limits of the same municipality. In
the city of Portland there were two
high schools and two approved academies.
Two hundred and twenty-nlne out OF
521 municipalities have secondary schools
within their limits. Distributed ty
counties, in proportion to school popula-
ton, Lincoln county is best supplied with
secondary schools while Aroostook coun-
ty has the fewest.
On the basis of secondary school en-
rollment in proportion to school popula-
tioB, it is found that Oxford c. unity leads
the State in the number of secondary
school pupils enrolled, that county hav-
ing one pupil in high school or academy
for every nine and four-tenths persons
of school age. Six other counties, while
somewhat less, closely approximate Ok
ford county. These six are Cumberland,
Franklin, KenneSec, Knox, Lincoln and
Somerset. In York, Androscoggin and
Aroostook counties the ratios of attend
ance to school population are respect
lively one to fifteen, one to eighteen and
one to twenty -one.
STUDENT LOSSES FROM HIGH SCHOOLS.
The student losses from secondary
schools may be regarded as matter of
concern. Any examination of general
statistics can only approximate actual
conditions. Comparing the registration
by classes, the figures show that the
second year class is % per cent smaller
than the first year class; the third year
class is smaller by 22,2 per cent than the
second; the fourth 20 per cent smaller
than the third, while during the fourth
year per cent of the class left school
or failed to graduate.
The percentages show the approx
mate losses from year to year. Compar-
ing these conditions with the best oh
tainable figures for the country at large,
even this showing is favorable to the
Maine high schools. For the United
States as a whole. the first year high
school class is 400 per cent of the total
enrolment. For Maine, it represents Al
per cent. But the fourth year class for
the country at large is only la5 per
cent while the fourth year class for
total enrolment in the high schools. In
studying the losses for our schools it is
noted that between the first and second
year a considerably larger number of
boys than girls left school last year.
Between the second and third year the
condition was reversed, though the differ
ence was less marked. In the last two
years of the course the losses of boys |
and girls are approximately the same. |
Secondary school attendance is often a |
hardship. Boys and girls of secondary
school age begin to realize that they |
have attained wage earning capacity and
the opportunity for individual gain Is
difficult to put aside in favor of the more
remote and, to them, less easily demon /
strabe value of an educational invest
ment.
Then again, by reason of remoteness
from the homes, attendance at high !
school or academy presents the physical
difficulty of the hardship or expense of
going to and from school. 1t IS safe to
say that hundreds of boys and girls in
our secondary schools travel an average |
of five miles day. Hardly school but |
has some student or students living at a
distance of five or six miles from the
schoolhouse and driving or walking |
throughout the year. 1t may be said,
too, that these children are not seldom |
the most regular IN ndance, the |
least often tardy and the most thoroughly |
interested of the student body. The fact |
that Maine holds so creditable position
among the States Cd point of secondary
school attendance must in the face of the
relatively sparse population be construed |
as favorable to the enterprise of the
youth and to the zeal felt among the |
people for the promotion of education.
WHAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS STUDY.
The question is not infrequently raised |
as to whether Maine High schools are
giving expression to the changing con-
ceptions in the education of boys and |
girls of secondary school age. The
changes in enrolment in the various
courses offer some evidence upon this
point. Comparing the English, or gen.
eral, course enrolment with that of five
years ago, there is a gain of 536 pupils
while the number of pupils enrolled in
college preparatory courses has fallen
from 6, 400 in 1910 to 6,267, loss of l42.
In courses which may be said to have
some trace of vocational tendency, in
GLIDING commercial, mechanic arts, do
nestle science, training for teaching and
agriculture, the increase in enrolment
was 1891 or 108 per cent. This gain
may be compared with the gam of 73
per cent in the English course and loss
of IL per cent. in the college prepara
tory course. This significant showing
for vocational courses would doubtless be