4 o TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



WASTE IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDAEY EDUCATION 



By Principal FRANKLIN W. JOHNSON 



UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 



THE test of efficiency is being applied to every form of organized 

 activity. Methods of procedure in commerce, manufacture and 

 government are being studied to discover the causes of waste and on the 

 basis of these studies new methods are being devised to eliminate waste 

 in time and effort. The same tests are being applied to our religious, 

 philanthropic and educational organizations. A typical illustration is 

 seen in the investigation made by the Bureau of Municipal Expenditures 

 for the public schools of the city of New York. Another illustration in 

 the field of higher education is afforded by the state of Kansas in which 

 a commission has recently been appointed to study the efficiency of the 

 various institutions of the state with a view to such a reorganization as 

 will avoid the waste involved in the present duplication of equipment 

 and instruction. Similar tests are being made in other school systems 

 and in single institutions. But all of these, though most significant, 

 represent somewhat isolated and local conditions. 



At the same time, however, the efficiency of our entire system of 

 elementary and secondary schools is being called in question. A com- 

 mittee of the department of superintendents of the National Education 

 Association on Economy of Time in Elementary and Secondary Educa- 

 tion appointed in 1911 is investigating the problem. Their preliminary 

 reports indicate that a thorough study of the situation is being made 

 which may be expected to form the basis for important changes. 



The history of education in this country shows that our system of 

 organization, assigning eight years to elementary, four years to second- 

 ary, and four years to collegiate education, was not based on any rational 

 theory, but was rather the result of accident. Each type sprang up in a 

 large measure independently of the others, in response to distinct social 

 demands, and a satisfactory adjustment of these independent parts to 

 the needs of a coherent and efficient system of education has not yet 

 been made. 



In no other country is a similar organization found. Germany may 

 be cited as typical with three years devoted to elementary, nine years to 

 secondary, and four years to university education. The American col- 

 lege with two years of secondary work and two years of university work 

 is unique. It is a significant fact that the Japanese, who have shown 

 wonderful skill in selecting and adapting to their needs the best in 

 western civilization, have modeled their new school system, not upon 



