CHAPTER X. SECONDARY INSTRUCTION. EFFORTS AND PURPOSES OF THE OFFICE WITH RESPECT TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS. Since 1872 the Office has made great efforts to secure reliable statistics of the secondary school work of the country. Two purposes have animated these efforts; the first was to make the statistical record complete as regards the educational provision of the country, and the number of youth yearly instructed; the second was to collect a body of information relative to secondary instruction, which might lead to a clear understanding of the conditions under which this important part of educational work is maintained, and promote measures for its improvement. In order to arrive at the desired information, an inquiry as to the number of pupils in private schools has been embodied in the forms issued in successive years for the reports of State systems and city systems. On the other hand, the forms prepared for secondary schools, individually considered, have been sent to public as well as to private schools. Each year has witnessed an increased fullness in respect to the report of private school enrolment on the first two classes of forms specified, while at the same time the number of individual schools, both public and private, reporting under the head of secondary, has also increased. It appears that the first purpose of the inquiries, namely, the securing complete statistics of school attendance, is likely to be as fully accomplished as is possible by continuing the inquiries specified on State and city forms. For the accomplishment of the second purpose, viz, the exhibit of scholastic conditions and tendencies, it is desirable to limit the inquiries to schools which present in their organization and conduct, the recognized characteristics of the secondary grade of educational work. For obvious reasons, discrimination in this respect is extremely difficult. Some progress toward the end desired has been accomplished by the classification of the schools according to the sex of students. The division of the schools into secondary and preparatory, formerly employed in the Reports of this Office, had very little application outside of New England, and even there was the occasion of more or less confusion and complaint. Classification on the basis of sex, which is a basis universally employed, suits the characteristics which are at present stamped upon the private schools of the country in general. The end under consideration, namely, the exhibit of scholastic conditions, is further served by removing the statistics of public high schools from those of academies, seminaries, etc. The former are regulated by law, and are or should be in great measure adapted to the practical requirements of their respective localities. The latter must, necessarily, owe their distinction, if they possess any, to their power of maintaining the highest order of scholastic ideals. The more clearly and distinctly the work of both classes of secondary schools (i. e., public and private), is displayed, and the more thoroughly it is comprehended, the more certain it is that funds will be forthcoming for its free and full development. As the high schools of the country are for the most part located in cities, repetition is avoided by including their tabulation in the city systems (Table 24). The form prepared for private seminaries, endowed academies, etc., contained an inquiry as to the number of pupils below the secondary grade. Schools which reported their entire attendance in elementary grade have not been tabulated. The elimination of these is also, it will be seen, in the line of specialization mentioned previously. The inquiry as to the number of pupils below academic grade was answered by 54 per cent. of the private schools for both sexes; 44 per cent. of the schools for girls and 42 per cent. of the private schools for boys. The difference between this number and the total enrolment has been entered in the detailed Table 42. The totals have not been included® in the summarized view, as they represent less than half the whole number of schools reporting. 31 ED 481 SCHOLASTIC WORK OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS. The important part which private schools perform in the preparation of students for colleges is indicated by the analysis of statistics relating to that work recently collected by this Office. Massachusetts led all the States in the number of schools answering the inquiry upon that point, and as all classes of secondary schools are well represented in that State, and all well organized, the information supplied therefrom is particularly significant. The schools of Massachusetts answering this special inquiry were classified as follows: High schools, 71; private schools for girls, 17; private schools for boys, 17; private schools for both sexes, 31. The proportion of students reported as preparing for college or for scientific schools in the several classes of schools were as follows: High schools, 15 per cent.; private schools for girls, 10 per cent.; private schools for boys, 63 per cent.; private schools for both sexes, 10 per cent. Of the seventeen private schools for boys included in the report from Massachusetts six are endowed academies, and four others possess property ranging in value from fifty to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Twelve of the seventeen schools reported each more than 50 per cent. of their pupils preparing for colleges or for superior schools of science. For the other classes of schools the proportions were much lower. Three private schools for girls reported from 40 to 80 per cent. of their pupils in preparatory course, while in the remaining fourteen which made any report under this head the highest ratio was 11 per cent. Of the mixed schools two reported above 40 per cent. of their pupils in preparatory courses, the ratios for the remainder ranging from 1 to 37. Of the public high schools one, namely, the Boston Public Latin School, had 100 per cent. of its pupils in preparatory courses; one, the North Brookfield High School, 75 per cent.; two others reported, one 30 per cent., the other 40 per cent.; nine others between 20 and 30 per cent., while for the remainder the ratios were less than 20 per cent. The statistics for the country at large have the same goneral bearing as those for Massachusetts. They show a much larger proportion of pupils in the private schools for boys preparing for college and for scientific schools than in the other classes of schools answering the inquiries. The percentages as reported were as follows: Public high schools, 10 per cent.; private schools for girls, 2 per cent.; private schools for both sexes, 7 per cent.; private schools for boys, 32 per cent. The inquiries of the Office as to the scholastic work of secondary schools for the present year were directed to the following particulars: First, the amount and character of special training; second, the relative time devoted to the principal studies of the general curriculum, and the number of students pursuing each. The special training is of two classes, commercial or business, and the professional training of teachers. The statistics relating to these particulars are summarized in Chapters IX and XVI, treating of the specified particulars. The information elicited by the inquiries relative to curriculum and the division of time in private secondary schools has been summarized in Tables 36 and 37. For convenience of reference and study the corresponding information from public high schools is summarized in the tables immediately following, viz, 38 and 39, TABLE 35,-Number and Classification of Students in Specified Branches and Courses for all Private Secondary Schools. Total number of students distributed...... 73, 081 | Percentage pursuing- English language and literature......... 87, 399 English language and literature........ 51.17 23.68 5,57 4,076 French 11.03 TABLE 36.-COMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF ENDOWED ACADEMIES, SEMINARIES, and OTHER PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS. TABLE 36.-COMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF ENDOWED ACADEMIES, SEMINARIES, AND OTHER PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS-Continued. TABLE 36.-COMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF ENDOWED ACADEMIES, SEMINARIES, AND OTHER PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS-Continued. 22 280 146 18,111 45.32 24.83 5.94 9.35 12.31 57.70 13.26 7.38 12.58 United States.... 665 895 48,371 47.69 19.60 4.09 5.06 9.95 59.94 11.99 5.48 15.65 16 |