EDUCATIONAL CO-ORDINATION. 177 



come chiefly later in the course, language studies taking their just 

 place in the earlier years. We next come to the grammar-school 

 grade, so called, and educators are now beginning to see that this 

 grade, occupying four years, from the age of twelve to sixteen, 

 after the admirable preparation received in the lower grades, 

 should prepare students to enter upon a college course. To this 

 end, too, the requirements for admission to college should be ma- 

 terially lowered instead of being as now too often advanced. This 

 was distinctly announced by Prof. Remsen at Johns Hopkins 

 University in his address before the College Association of the 

 Middle States and Maryland last year, when he made it perfectly 

 evident to all that the best educational interests would be ad- 

 vanced by calling a halt to the colleges which are raising their 

 requirements for admission, thus admitting students younger and 

 graduating them earlier to continue their work in the universities 

 or enter upon the duties of active life. From the age of sixteen 

 to twenty should be devoted to the college course, beginning with 

 few electives in the Freshman year and gradually increasing their 

 number as the course approaches completion. On graduating from 

 college the students should receive their first degrees from these 

 institutions, and all subsequent post-graduate degrees should be 

 earned in and conferred by the universities, in which all college 

 graduates who can devote the additional time and means required 

 should be encouraged to pursue their studies for three or perhaps 

 four years more. As the university course would include the pro- 

 fessional courses, students would thus come out at twenty-three 

 or twenty-four years of age equipped thoroughly, so far as our 

 educational institutions can equip them, to cope successfully with 

 the important problems and duties of active life. 



It will be seen that for the thorough application of such an 

 outline of study, each institution, of whatever grade, should aim 

 to do its own work most thoroughly and well, and attempt no part 

 of that of an institution of a higher or lower grade. Thus the 

 student should pass from the kindergarten to the primary, from 

 the primary to the intermediate, from the intermediate to the 

 grammar school, from the grammar school to the college, and 

 from the college to the university, entering each institution, as the 

 rule (remarkable exceptions will occur, but they should not change 

 the rule), in the lowest class of that institution, and passing 

 through its entire curriculum in the department selected. No 

 other course than this can assure the successful working of any 

 regularly organized system of instruction. 



It is very true that most of our colleges had connected with 

 them in their origin preparatory departments as a necessity of 

 their existence. This necessity has existed, and in some cases 

 still continues to exist, and it is no part of this paper to condemn 



VOL. XLIX. 16 



