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disciplinary character. I believe it would be decidedly to the dis- 
advantage of our high schools if the subject of general biology 
were eliminated or greatly curtailed. In our own school we have 
substituted general science for elementary biology in the first year 
of the technical course for boys. We would not have been will- 
ing to do this, did not the subject of general science include a 
large body of the essentials of elementary biology.’—Frank Rol- 
lins, Bushwick H. S. 
“T am of the opinion that biology, as taught in this High School, 
is as desirable a subject as could be offered to girls. We are ex- 
perimenting with general science in a few classes, but giving it a 
strong biological trend. It certainly would be a great mistake to 
eliminate general biology, or to put it on such an elective basis as 
to result in its virtual elimination. I am talking with reference 
particularly to girls. With reference to boys, I am inclined to 
think that a general science course may have certain advantages 
over a purely biological course; especially in consideration of the 
fact that we have the hygiene work for all classes that do not 
have biology. I may add, too, that for girls as well as boys this 
hygiene work supplies a certain amount of the knowledge that we 
want the pupils to get in connection with their biology. Boys 
have such a natural interest, as a rule, in mechanical devices and 
chemical and electric operations that they ought to have a fairly 
early taste of that kind of thing. A few girls have that same 
interest ; but for girls no subject comes nearer home than the sub- 
ject which takes up their bodies, health, prevention of disease, 
and general life problems.”—Siuart H. Rowe, Wadleigh H. Si 
“T consider that elementary biology as now taught in New York 
City High Schools contributes essential information and educa- 
tional discipline to all students who seriously and enthusiastically 
pursue the subject. It is fulfilling its function as satisfactorily as 
other high school subjects for such students as are or as become 
thoroughly interested in biology. For such as are not interested 
and can for themselves see no value in the subject, biology as 
now taught offers nothing of value in the way of essential in- 
formation or educational discipline, and in this respect it does 
not differ from other high school subjects. I believe that biology 
should not be required of all students, but that an opportunity 
