New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-31
Edited by !. Z. TUCKER.


Twice a year the public schools com
plctc their cycle Of studies. As the
great wheel Of education pauses at
either Of these two points Of time
numbers Of children release their hold
and 60 forth into the world 20 seek
employment
The school year commences with the
first day Of school in September and
ends upon the last day Of school in
tho month Of June. For ten months
there is practically continuous school.
The period is divided into two parts,
for the purpose Of convenience, and so
applied to the scholastic grades that
normal child will take FIVE months, APP
proumately, 20 pursue its studies in
each grade. and. consequently, eight
years 10 pass through the elementary
school course from IA through oB,
which latter grade ia known as the
graduating class.
II all children were constituted
alike or. in other words, If all chill
dreu were normal the school authorl-
ties would have less difficulty in de-
terminiug and In providing for the
growth Of school population. The fact
that the element of sub-n0rmahty ln
children enters very largely into any
calculation of school population rem
dcrs a school census at either OF the
given points mentioned a matter OF
speculation. OF course. there are many
other factors which operate 10 render
a calculation imperfect, such as i'm
migration and the migratory move
ment Of population TO and from the
city.
One OF the most important problems
10 be dealt with by the Board Of Edu-
cation is the one which is technically
known az "retardatlOn.' This IS the
pedagogical expression for the cOndl-
tion brought about by the failure OF
children 90 acquire proficiency IN the
grade IN which they are studying and
thus be able 90 pass 20 the next higher
grade of instruction at either of the
two points ip the year when the school
cycle is supposed 10 be completed.
Apart from the loss Of time 20 the
child. there is . perceptible loss in
actual money 20 the city. because the
child rejected for promotion occupies
place which might have been physically
occupied by another child had the for
ncr earned the usual advancement.
From the standpoint Of expenditure
Of the time Of the child and also Of the
taxpavers' money, 10 is essential that
the problem Of "retardation' should at
an times be given place Of importance
in +be administration of school Affairs
Tho definition Of the term of re
tardation' has been given IN its broad
aeDect. and 10 remains 20 suggest some
causcs which lead 20 thls general encct
There are many elements which mill
tate against the orderly educational
progression of children in the pubic
schools. Probably the most important
one is that Of mental effectiveness.
Tho mentally defective child ls not
necessarily an imbecile. On the con
trarv. many detectives are abnormsl!y
developed IN some particulars, wh1lc
thev are sub-normal in other respects.
Cuch "A child. possessing faculties OF
disuroportionatc power, exhibiting an
unbalanced temperament, represents a
,lass by itself Such a type OF child
'oquires the application OF special
course OF study 10 order 20 IL % for
ne work IN such a case, 70 IS neces'
sarv 90 develop and 20 vitalize those
faculties which appear 20 be either
latent or shrunken, and thus raise them
TO such q plane that they viii co-ordi-
-ate 40 least Approximately with the
faculties which are normal m the chud.
So two human beings arc constituted
alike. and few observers have better
Of determining the truth
of this statement than the teachers
in the public schools. Assuming that
n is possible 90 assemble group OF
children which viii measure up 10
certain educational standard or grade,
such a class thus formed may exhibit
several features which will become APP
parent 70 the student and disgnosticiau.
zach educational grade is. theoreti-
cally. related % the chronological age
Of the pupils engaged In pursuing the
studies contained in that particular
grade; in other words, q certain grade
Of instruction should 10 the mental
outfit Of n child of.nOrmal capacity at
y given age. An inspection Of class
formed in the manner described VIII
exhibit the fact that said class con