588 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



determine both his serious pursuits and his refined pleasures. The 

 natural preferences of pupils during the stage of secondary education 

 should, therefore, be heeded, not thwarted. There is no other effective 

 way to cultivate the babit of 'working against the grain' in the only 

 sense in which such work is wise. It is no argument to say that gen- 

 erations of men have been trained to work against the grain under 

 rigidly prescribed programs of study. The sufficient reply to such an 

 argument is already contained in what has been said about tbe relative 

 effect of extraneous motives in youth and in adult life. It may be 

 added, therefore, that this capacity where it exists has been developed 

 in spite of, not because of, the rigid prescription of studies. 



Of course, nothing that has been said applies to shirking. The shirk 

 deserves no concessions, and should have no mercy. What the pupil 

 has chosen to do, both the home and the school must insist that he 

 shall do. 



The question about elective studies is, accordingly, not 'shall we 

 recognize electives?' That question has been answered in the affirma- 

 tive. The question is, 'What is the wisest administration of electives 

 in secondary education?'' While each school is seeking the answer 

 to this question in its own way, there is substantial agreement on one 

 point: namely, that there should be restriction on the pupil's freedom 

 to choose his own curriculum of studies. But opinions vary widely 

 as to what these restrictions shall be, and how thev shall be adminis- 

 tered. I hold that these restrictions should be as few as are consistent 

 with his permanent welfare. To prevent the harm which might result 

 from the pupil's ignorance and immaturity — to guard against the pos- 

 sibility of the pupil's cutting himself off from an illuminating ac- 

 quaintance with nature and her ways on the one hand, and the his- 

 torical culture of the race, as embodied in books, social institutions and 

 art, on the other, some of the secondary school pupil's work must be 

 prescribed. To insure that training in choice that was emphasized a 

 moment ago, and the best possible preparation for complete living in 

 the fullest sense of the term, a considerable part of the instruction 

 should be offered without other restrictions than those of sequence 

 and amount. The fundamental questions are, of course, what studies 

 shall we prescribe for all pupils, and when shall we permit a pupil to 

 •discontinue a study once undertaken? 



The experience of teachers who have worked under both prescribed 

 and elective systems seems to point conclusively to the fact that no 

 study, however highly esteemed by parents or teachers, will be a real 

 influence in the pupil's development, and so contribute to his future 

 usefulness and happiness in any important way, unless it is, in some 

 degree at least, intrinsically interesting to him. Hence, no pupil 

 should be required to pursue a study after it is clear that it does not 



