Elementary school: 



Fifth grade, 1930-31 1,000 



Sixth grade - 943 



Seventh grade - 872 



Eighth grade -- 824 



High school: 



First year 770 



Second year — 652 



Third year __.... 529 



Fourth year - 463 



Graduates,' 1938 -- 417 



College : 



First year 146 



Graduate, 1942 72 



[Statistical Summary of Education, 1939-40 

 (p. 39)] 



In prewar years, of these 72 college 

 graduates, only a few went on to 

 master's degrees and an even smaller 

 number received doctorates. 



The foregoing data reveal the gross 

 declines measured in terms of student 

 enrollments. More detailed and indi- 

 vidualized studies (cited later) of 

 those who drop out of high school 

 or who fail to go on to college show 

 that there is a significantly large pro- 

 portion of students of ability, of high 

 level of intelligence, who do not go 

 to college because of lack of funds. 

 In addition it is believed that there 

 are many able, talented, students, 

 whose numbers are difficult to esti- 

 mate accurately because only a few 

 sample studies have been made, who 

 do not continue their education be- 

 cause schools are inadequate or 

 inaccessible. 



Among those who do enter college 

 there is a progressive decrease in each 

 succeeding college year. A study 

 conducted by the United States Of- 

 fice of Education on "College Stu- 

 dent Mortality" (Bulletin 1937, No. 

 11) found that in 1936-37 the per- 

 centage of students leaving each year 

 was as follows: 



Percent 



In the freshman year 33.8 



In the sophomore year 16.7 



In the junior year .._ 7.7 



In the senior year 3.9 



In short, of every 100 students who 

 entered the university in the first 

 vear, some 62 withdrew or left before 

 graduation. The figure 62 is, how- 

 ever, a gross figure since it includes 

 45 students who left to enter other 

 institutions (e.g., students who left 

 after 2 years to enter professional 

 school) or who returned later to the 

 same or went to other institutions of 

 the same level. The reasons for with- 

 drawing or leaving were as follows: 



Percentages 



18.4 were dismissed for failure in 



work. 

 12.4 because of financial difficulties. 

 12.2 miscellaneous reasons. 



6.1 lack of interest. 



3.4 sickness. 



1.1 disciplinary causes. 



0.8 needed at home. 



0.6 death. 

 45.0 unknown. 



Those with the lowest academic 

 marks had the highest percentage of 

 withdrawals and those with the high- 

 est academic marks had the lowest 

 percentage of withdrawals. But it is 

 to be noted that 12.4 percent, or 

 about one in eight, withdrew because 

 of financial difficulties, indicating 

 that economic need, personally or of 

 the family, was responsible for their 

 leaving college before graduation. 



As the foregoing material indicates, 

 students drop out of school in large 

 numbers between the ages of 13 and 

 14 and likewise during the high 

 school years. Among those who thus 

 drop out there is a significant propor- 

 tion who have the capacity for fur- 

 ther education but who do not con- 

 tinue their schooling. It appears that 

 this premature leaving from high 

 school (and failure to go on to col- 

 lege) arises from — 



Failure to provide educational 

 programs suited to different 

 students who therefore be- 

 come bored and drop out. 



169 



