Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-28
A SURVEY OF THE SCHOOLS
Federal Cooperation in the Schools-Under-
payment of Teachers Officially Recognized.
Defects in City's Promotion System.

normal children who have performed the
work Of the school term properly. y
very few nervous children might have
to bc excepted from the general exam
nations, but that is one function OF
modern pedagogy -- handling special
cases in a specialized manner ENcmp-
ton from examination has an evil ten
dency. 1t takes both teacher and pupil
or their mettlc II gives opportunity
ior muddling through from grade 10
erade Til the dawdllng or shiftless pupil
inaliy zones up against a blank wall
of ignorance and inctilcieucy.
Several years of test Of the eNamina-
touless system have convinced the ma
Jority Of teachers Of the adyisabilty c.
returning to the older plan. Most Of
them are in favor Of higher promotion
standards. Former generations Of phila-
dclphid school children were promoted on
examination and were required to aver
age higher passing mark than that OF
recent years IN many cities of the
country pupils are promoted only on eN-
aminationl which record grades OF 75
In all subjects but one or two. in which
~ IS required This represents the
standard throughout the country Of
score Or so years ago and 4 has not been
bcttered by later lowering of the bars.
RIGHT Use OF EXEMPTIONS
Exemptions are now merely routine
whereas they should bc made the reward
Jt diigent and intelligent study, III"
standard OF knowledge and studiousncss
/ represented by daily marks aud occa-
Sional class quiZzes of, say. S. or 90 This
would almost automatically lift the inter-
est o' students and the standard of schol.
arship by providing something to strive
I Ter ana melting the spirit Of emulation
/ There is very definite gap between
/ the high schools and the grammar grades
/ that ought to be bridgcd
Many eighth grade pupils ask my
/ advice whether they should go into TIE
/ high school" said the principal oe
/ school located in an industrial section
| I know tAe' w!li not be able TO see tho
! course through. I cannot cousC.eutiously
/ tell them to 90 10 the high school for a
/ term or mayh" q year, where they will
/ get q smatiering OF the rUdmcnts of
advanced studies which viii be of no
earthly use to them II there is any
. prospect or their graduating / am auN-
ious for them 20 go 20 high school "
there T. not, the best thing ] can advise
. ls business college. Yet this IL not al-
together satisfactory. FOR these children
need something disciplinary aud broad
cuing. not something commercial. They
need a rounding out of their grammar
school educatiou. II would be a Won
derful thing II all our pupils could keep
on till their high school diploma was in
their hands--a wonderful thing ror them.
their careers and for the community.
But the facts are against their so doing,
though thu sectional high schools are
bringing advanced education right to the
neiGhbcrhoody Of the children. and more
and moro are taking advantage Of the
opportunities for improving their chances
In life
The Board Of Education handbook fo-
the year ending December 81. 1916.
shows that 52.l per cent of the school cn-
rollment was in the primary schools, 81
per cent in the grammar schools aud 4
per cent In the high schools 1883
pupils out Of total Of 22i,00O--the re-
ma Inder being in the normal. continua
tion and other specialized schools.
THE OLD SENIOR YEAR"
Thirty or forty years ago tie public
; schools had this problem solved through,
: the senior year open to pupils whD
! would not be able 10 enter the high
school curriculum special attention.
was paid to civics. literature aud ele-
ncutarv science. and there was a general
r review OF arithmetic and grammar The