subject in the latest annual school reports of San Francisco, Cal., where the system was tried a few years since, and where much was expected of it.

The experiment was also made in Springfield, Mass., in 1887, at the request of the principal of one of the grammar schools. The disposition was apparent to give the plan a thorough trial, for the school controlled by the principal making the recommendation was selected for the experiment. Subsequent reports fail to state the outcome of the movement, and since it appears from the report for 1887 that the teachers of all the schools are to be assigned to separate grades in the usual way, it may be inferred that the plan failed to produce the beneficial results hoped for and was allowed to take its place quietly in the list of unfruitful and abandoned experiments.

The following paragraph leaves no doubt as to the results of the system as tried at Nashua, N. H.:

The change which the board has made, and which went into effect at the beginning of the present school year-the abandonment of the departmental system in the grammar grades-has proved a wise and progressive measure. There is now less friction in maintaining good order in the school-rooms, the responsibilities being no longer divided. The same is true in regard to scholarship. If a class is doing good work and making commendable progress the credit belongs entirely to the teacher in charge There is no reason for specialists among the regular teachers of the grammar grades. All who pretend to teach such classes should consider it their duty to be well prepared in all the branches required, not excepting drawing and music. A certain degree of symmetry of ability and attainments is as necessary for a teacher as for a pupil. It will not do to attend specially to any one branch to the exclusion of others equally important, or to consider that being an expert in one excuses an ignorance in another. A specialist's province is not in our common-school branches. A thorough knowledge of all these is as essential to his success as to those of the ordinary individual. Such knowledge is fundamental, upon which all true success beyond must rest. Regarding this change, I have heard no adverse criticism from parents, teacher, or pupil, and I anticipate the best

results."

A greater degree of success has attended the efforts made in this direction in Newport, R. I. There the system under consideration has been in use on a small scale for several years and appears to be very satisfactory for the grades into which it has been carried. As described in a report for a former year, by Superintendent George A. Littlefield, it

is as follows:

"In the first [highest] two grammar classes, which occupy adjacent rooms connected by a door-way, the departmental plan of instruction has been continued, whereby each teacher, passing to and fro, instructs both classes in certain subjects. The plan greatly economizes the teacher's time and strength, enabling her to present her few subjects most exhaustively and entertainingly."

Mr. Littlefield refers to the matter in reports subsequent to that quoted, in terms of highest praise. It will be observed, however, that this experiment was made under the most favorable circumstances possible, and although the results obtained in this instance may have been of a very gratifying nature, it does not follow that the plan would operate eally satisfactorily if it were introduced upon the more extended basis that the term "departmental instruction" itself implies.

One other city, Oshkosh, Wis., has experimented with departmental teaching during the year. The principal of the Algoma-Street school says: "At the request of the superintendent, a change was made on the 1st of March from the usual way of teaching. This change consisted in confining each to the teaching of one study in the several grades, rather than the several studies in one, and was instituted in the intermediate departments. This, in these grades and with us, may be called an experiment, though successfally followed in many higher institutions of learning. The change has caused no great commotion, and the results must be summed up later on."

and was

THOROUGHNESS.

At the spring meeting of the Department of Superintendence of the National Edurational Association, at Washington, in February, 1888, Dr. C. W. Eliot, president of Harvard University, read a valuable and suggestive paper entitled, "Can school proammes be shortened and enriched?" The paper attracted a great deal of attention, published in full in the last Annual Report of this Office and in the Atlantic Monthly magazine for August, 1888. The importance of the subject, the prominence of the author, and the publicity it received were such that it may be assumed that the essay ame to the attention of a considerable proportion, if not a majority, of the school supertendents. It will be remembered that after pointing out the great need of shortening the time devoted to the studies of the elementary schools the essayist made five sugges3 to the best means of securing the object desired. These were substantially as

1 Better teachers should be obtained by making tenure of office more secure, and by increasing the proportion of male teachers.

(2) The school programme should be made more substantial, and the work made more interesting and attractive to the children.

3 Much time can be saved in primary and secondary schools by diminishing the number of reviews and by never aiming at that kind of accuracy of attainment which reviews, followed by examinations, are intended to enforce. Why should an accuracy of knowledge and of statement be habitually demanded of children which adults seldom possess? How many well-educated adults can add long columns of figures correctly or find the least common multiple or the greatest common divisor of six or eight numbers? Nothing but practice can keep one skillful in these exercises, and we may reasonably be grateful that few people are compelled to keep in the necessary practice. Few adult minds retain accurately considerable masses of isolated facts, and it is commonly observed that minds which are good at that are seldom the best minds. Why do we try to make children do what we do not try to do ourselves? Instead of mastering one subject before going to another, it is almost invariably wise to go on to a superior subject before the inferior has been mastered-mastery being a very rare thing. On the mas tery theory how much new reading or thinking should we adults do? Instead of reviewing arithmetic, study algebra: for algebra will illustrate arithmetic and supply many examples of arithmetical processes. Instead of rereading a familiar story, read a new one; it will be vastly more interesting and the common werds will all recur-the common words being by far the most valuable ones. Instead of reviewing the physical geography of North America, study South America. There, too, the pupil will find mountain-chains, water-sheds, high plateaus, broad plains, great streams, and isothermal lines. The really profitable time to review a subject is not when we have just finished it, but when we have used it in studying other subjects, and have seen its relations to other subjects and what it is good for. For example, the French programme puts a review of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry into the last year. With all his mathematical powers strengthened by the study of algebra and geometry, and with all the practice of arithmetic which his study of mensuration and algebra has involved, the boy returns at seventeen to arithmetic and finds it infinitely easier than he did at fourteen. Further, the French boy has escaped those most exasperating of arithmetical puzzles which a little easy algebra enables one to solve with facility. Many an educated New Englander remembers to this day the exasperation he felt when he discovered that problems in Colburn's Arithmetic, over which he had struggled for hours, could be solved in as many minutes after he had got half way through Sherwin's Algebra. Is it not an abominable waste of the time and strength of children to put them to doing in a difficult way, never used in real life, something they will be able to do in an easy way a year or two later? To introduce any artificial hardness into the course of training that any human being has to follow is an unpardonable educational sin. There is hardness enough in this world without manufacturing any, particularly for children. On careful search through all the years of the public school programmes now in use, many places will be found where time can be saved and strain lessened by abandoning the effort to obtain an exaggerated and wholly unnatural accuracy of work. It is one of the worst defects of examinations that they set an artificial value upon accuracy of attainment. Good examination results do not always prove that the training of the children examined has been of the best kind."

(4) Children should not be retained in grades for which they are too old. The ambition of teachers which tends to keep pupils too long in the several grades in order that classes may appear well in examinations, and the caution of parents to prevent overpressure, should alike be restrained.

(The tendency to diminish the time spent in school should be checked; some steps need to be taken in the other direction.

Concerning but one of these recommendations can there be any serious difference of opinion. An entire change must be wrought in the generally accepted theory of what common school education should be before the ideas embodied in the third suggestion will be carried out. Mistery-accuracy-is the one thing insisted upon more than any other, and the greater thoroughness of instruction is held to be the chief advantage that graded common schools possess over private schools. To cite expressed opinions of snperintendents in support of this assertion is not necessary. The object of this recom mendation was to lead to a radical change of sentiment in a matter concerning which there had been practical unanimity of opinion-not to champion one side of a question already open.

A diligent search has been made in the official utterances of school officers for an echo to the suggestion. But one has been found, that in the report of Mr. A. P. Marble, city superintendent. Worcester, Mass.

Though hundreds of others must have read Dr. Eliot's essay and carefully weighed his arguments, none was induced to abandon his views upon the value of thoroughness. On the contrary, instructions to teachers and school reports generally continue to teem

with injunctions to aim at absolute accuracy and complete mastery of the subjects taught. Nor is it infrequent that superintendents are found who would add still another year to the usual elementary course of eight years in order to increase the thoroughness of preparation for higher studies and to secure greater maturity of mind and body in the students of the high schools.

The remarks of Superintendent Marble are as follows:

There is high authority for the opinion that pupils ought not necessarily to be detained upon a subject till it is completely mastered; in other words, that it is quite possible to over-do in the matter of thoroughness. If a pupil is to be kept in a class or a grade, and upon a certain part of a subject, till he knows absolutely all about it so far, he would never advance; for the complete comprehension of arithmetic, for example, is • not possible without a knowledge of the higher mathematics; and the elementary knowledge of grammar is not perfect till it is illumined by the light of a broader knowledge. All elementary knowledge appears to be incomplete. Now, with only an imperfect apprehension of the earlier steps, it may sometimes be better for a pupil to advance, trusting to future study to let in the light upon what is now dim, than to keep him groping too long in this dimness for the light, and thus to destroy his interest. It may often be better to promote pupils who are not fully "prepared," than to keep them back. Idleness, indifference, carelessness, are bad habits, which ought to be corrected; but it may well be doubted whether the best cure for these evils is a refusal to promote. Fear of not being promoted is not the best spur to activity. If no other means can be devised to arouse the indolent, it is quite doubtful whether this will do much good. What is here said about the extreme of thoroughness must not be understood as giving countenance to carelessness or a slip-shod kind of study or teaching. By creating an interest in study, and by the very best presentation of every subject taught, the minds of pupils should be directed and led, and made alert and active so far as possible. But, after all has beer said and done, there will be many pupils by whom a part, greater or less, will be but feebly comprehended; and the question is, whether they should be detained at this particular stage till they understand and can do as well as the rest, or whether they should pass on.

"In general, it is useless to attempt to bring all up to the same degree of excellence, and it is better to go forward. Our teachers are too conscientious, it is believed, to relax their efforts at all because they know this truth.”

HALF-DAY SESSIONS.

There is no doubt that the adoption of half-day sessions in other than primary grades is condemned by a majority of educationists. As to the advisability of their use in the lowest grades there is no general agreement, though it is worthy of note that none of the advocates of the plan are found among the school authorities of the largest cities. In every case in which it has been necessary to divide the classes in these cities into morning and afternoon sections, that necessity has been deplored and urgent recommendations have invariably followed for new buildings in sufficient numbers to restore the schools to their wonted conditions.

The following is from the report of Mr. William H. Maxwell, superintendent of public instruction of Brooklyn, N. Y., for 1887:

"It will be noted that while the number of pupils promoted from the seventh primary grade is larger than that from any other grade, it is smaller in proportion to the average attendance. The cause is easily explained. It is found in the half-day classes organized in many schools. The children attending this grade are younger than those attending any other, and hence their attendance is more irregular. As a consequence, the number of half-day classes is a constantly varying quantity. When the attendance is large apart of the pupils are allowed to come only in the forenoon, the remainder in the after100. This system, though never legalized or endorsed by the board of education, has been forced upon the schools by a commendable desire to do everything possible to accommodate all the children whose parents apply for their admission. It is, however, of very doubtful utility. It is questionable, even, whether it serves to any appreciable extent the purpose intended. The statistics show that only about forty-four per cent. of the average attendance is promoted from this grade at the end of each term. This means that the majority of the children are detained in this grade two or three terms. Nor can it well be otherwise while half-day classes are tolerated. If one hundred children, as is not infrequently the case, are placed under the charge of one teacher, it certainly better, both for them and for her, that she should teach half of them in the forenoon and the other half in the afternoon, rather than that she should try to instruct all of them at one time. But those who come in the forenoon are defrauded of part of their time, while those who come in the afternoon receive only about an hour and a half schooling each day, and learn but little, if anything. As a rule promotions are made

only from the forenoon division, and the afternoon scholars of one term become the forenoon scholars of the next.

"Since we must judge of the quality of the work in this grade, as in any other, by the number of children promoted, it would appear that nothing is really gained by these half-day classes."

Circumstances have forced the use of half-day schools in Atlanta, Ga., for several years. The superintendent, Mr. W. F. Slaton, has steadily opposed their continuance, and embodies the following in his report for 1887-88:

"The double grades taught in the Marietta and in the Summer Hill schools were abolished in September. They are still retained in Fair, Mitchell, and Houston street schools. It is true that about one hundred and eighty children are seated by this method who would otherwise be deprived of school privileges. But there are many objections to the plan of doubling the grades, among which Mr. Moore, of Fair street school, in his annual report, names the following:

"(1) The plan necessarily shortens the time of both divisions of first grade for one and a half hours daily during a greater proportion of the year. Therefore, it cannot reasonably be expected that these classes will make equal advancement with those classes which are in session full time.

(2) The dismissal of one class while the other portion of the school is in session, to Occupy the same room, must necessarily create some disorder. Many of the children attending these classes are very young and live at a distance from the school. Such require some protection while on their way to and from school-at least many parents think so and this protection might be sufficiently afforded by older brothers or sisters of the higher grades, could they assemble or be dismissed at the same time.

(3) The present management divides the responsibility of both teachers and pupils of these classes with regard to care of furniture and property of the school. When damage has been done it is difficult to discover the culprit or hold him responsible."

"(4) Many parents send their children to the afternoon school under protest, and ask that they be changed as soon as a vacancy occurs in the morning class. This is objec tionable, for the reason that so many desire seats in the morning school, that to decide in favor of one is regarded as favoritism by other applicants, and as a continual removal of children from the afternoon to the morning class, thereby causing vacancies which must be filled by new and untrained pupils, if filled at all, is a manifest injustice to the teacher of the afternoon school.'

"I heartily endorse these objections of Mr. Moore, and hope that at an early day a sufficient number of seats for all the children will be supplied, and the plan of doubling the grades be abolished."

The experience of the Los Angeles, Cal., schools is thus told: "At the close of last school year we were conducting, for want of room, eighteen double sessions, that is, two schools taught for half-day each by one teacher. This was unsatisfactory. Pupils in these schools could not do the same work as those who had all day sessions. Teachers often overwork themselves to get these schools, for the additional salary. The board (your predecessors) therefore resolved to employ a separate teacher for each school and to extend the time for half-day schools to four hours; or from 8.30 a. m. to 12.30 p. m. for morning schools and 1 p. m. to 5 p. m. for afternoon schools. This plan is much more satisfactory.

"Children under eight years of age are allowed by State law to be in school only four hours daily. It is believed that the older pupils can do some studying at home. Therefore, whatever half-day schools were necessary they have been given, if possible, to the higher and lower grades."

Favorable opinions.-The following extracts present the other side of the question: "Our primary grades that attend school but one session a day continue to do satisfactory work; and the advantages derived by the small children from the short period of confinement in the school-room and the increase of time for recreation and outdoor exercise warrant the continuance of the plan. Three hours of school-room restraint and discipline is all that should be required of the average child during the first two years in school. More than this in many instances often proves a detriment, and not infrequently results in permanent injury to many children." [Superintendent E. Stanley, Lawrence, Kans.]

"Children of five years of age cannot profitably be taught more than three hours a day, and the instruction should be in the kindergarten. Fortunately for the little ones and for our educational system, necessity has driven us to the proper pedagogical position in this matter, for the crowded condition of most of our schools has made it necessary to divide the lowest classes into two sections, each to attend a half-day, and the instruction consists mainly of kindergarten work." [Superintendent Clarence E. Meleney, Paterson, N. J.]

“The plan of having pupils in the first primary rooms attend school during the fall

and spring months but half the day has worked well. In many cities this plan is in force and is found to be favorable for the young pupils, and at the same time economical. The large influx of little ones in the fall fills up the rooms to a crowded condition. The storms of winter cause large numbers to be dropped. These remain absent till pleasant weather in spring, thus making light schools in the winter months, if advancements had been made to provide seats for all on entering the school. The continuance of the plan is recommended." [Superintendent O., C. Scott, Oskaloosa, Iowa.]

"Hereafter, the pupils of the first year will attend but half a day instead of all day as heretofore. This change was recommended not in the interest of economy alone, but in the belief that the children can accomplish all the work usually required of them by the half-day plan,' and, furthermore, that it is a physical injury to the children to keep them confined in the school-room six hours per day." [Superintendent F. M. Draper, Atchison, Kans.]

PROMOTIONS.

The wide-spread interest in the subject of promotions has led to the compilation of the following description of the methods of determining the classification of pupils in the largest cities of the country. Those of the first and second classes (or claiming a population of more than 100,000) have been selected, as they, in theory if not in fact, command the services of the most competent and best equipped of the teachers' profession and presumably employ the most approved methods in all branches of school work. San Francisco, Cal.-Yearly written examinations have been dispensed with and all promotions are made by the principals and class teachers, subject to appeal to the superintendent on the part of parents dissatisfied with the non-promotion of their children. Washington, D. C.-"Pupils are promoted from grade to grade below the high school, and from the grammar schools to the high school, on the recommendation of the teacher and the approval of the supervising principal in charge." Examinations have no reference to promotion.

Chicago, Ill.-"In primary and grammar grades promotions are made by the principal, with or without special examination, in his discretion. From the grammar to the high schools pupils pass on recommendation of the grammar principal. The superintendent holds a supplementary examination for those not recommended. Classes in the high schools pass in course, unless some individual pupils have shown themselves unequal to

the work."

Indianapolis, Ind."Pupils are promoted twice each year. They are examined upon printed questions originating with the superintendent of schools. All who pass a credtable examination upon these questions are promoted without further question. All popils who fall low in per cents., but whose daily work has been satisfactory to the teacher a charge, and to the supervisor in immediate charge of said teacher and pupils, are passed upon the recommendation of those two persons-the greater stress being placed on the teacher's estimate as being the more definite and intimate. All pupils who and must repeat the half-year's work." all low in per cents., and who are not recommended by their teachers, are demoted,'

Louisville, Ky. In the district or clementary schools: "The teachers of the several grades make and record monthly an estimate of each pupil's progress. These estimates are based on the success with which the pupils perform assigned work in each subject prescribed in the course of study, and also on the fidelity with which they discharge all their school obligations, including diligence in study, regularity and punctuality in attendance, proper deportment in the school-room and about the school premises, and neat1 denoting very bad; 2, bad; 3, indifferent; 4, good; 5, excellent; and 6, without fault. and cleanliness of person. For this purpose the scale of 1 to 6 is used, the number "The principals of the district schools from time to time subject the pupils of the several grades to such tests, both oral and written, as will indicate their proficiency and progress. They examine and, when necessary, revise the monthly estimates of the

teachers.

"Pupils whose standing, based on the monthly estimates of the teachers, approved by the principal, is not less than 4 in each subject prescribed in the course of study, and b fidelity in the discharge of school obligations, are promoted at the close of the year o the next higher grades and to the high schools, without examination.

The fitness for promotion of pupils not entitled to pass on the monthly estimates is determined by an examination conducted as follows: The pupils of the first [highest] ales are examined by the faculties of the male and the female high schools, in the high school buildings; those of the other grades by the teachers of the next higher grades; free principals of intermediate schools and four principals of secondary schools, appointed In the high schools: "There are annually two written examinations of all classes;