292 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



power of classifying high schools and of requiring certain courses of 

 study from them and the fulfilment of certain conditions relative to 

 equipment, selection of teachers and the form and character of build- 

 ings. In some instances, specifically in the cases of Minnesota and 

 North Dakota, examinations are presented by the board, and in the 

 last named state the high schools are required to accept them as the 

 basis of promotion. This, however, is not rigorously adhered to and 

 usually applies to schools of the second and third class that have hopes 

 of becoming first-class high schools. In other instances, even where 

 the high school board plan of examinations exists, principals' certifi- 

 cates are accepted in subjects for entrance to college, where the high 

 schools have passed the inspection of the high-school board. 



Too strict emphasis upon and adherence to specific courses of study 

 result in lack of adaptation, regarding which much criticism has arisen. 

 Just what credit shall be given for specific courses where the whole 

 purpose of the high school is not taken into consideration is a question 

 which arises again and again. This objection is fully met in the Chi- 

 cago plan and partly in the average entrance requirements of state uni- 

 versities. The tendency in the latter instance, however, is to multiply 

 the subjects in which credit can be given, in the hope of covering, as it 

 were, the miscellaneous features of the high-school course. 



So much emphasis has been put upon the " fitting for life " side of 

 high-school work, that the ability of the ordinary high-school subjects 

 to do this, even where they are called vocational, has not been brought 

 into question. The president of a vocational college in his annual re- 

 port for 1911 says: 



A more difficult aspect of the problem (referring to the question of entrance 

 requirements) is the amount of credit that may be given to the study of voca- 

 tional subjects in the high school. While the pursuit of vocational subjects in the 

 high school would seem to be a natural preparation for the vocational college, 

 and while some of the technical arts are better acquired in the earlier years, yet 

 because the high-school course is designed to be a finishing course and covers the 

 whole of the subject matter in an elementary and superficial manner, it does not 

 give a preparation upon which the more intensive and mature college course may 

 be built. The ground must be covered again by a more thorough method and the 

 time that has been spent on the subject in the high school is largely wasted, while 

 the general subjects that have been replaced are permanently lost. If the schools 

 would separate the technical arts from the elementary consideration of principles, 

 the former might be accepted by the colleges and the later course built upon 

 them without loss of time and with real advantage.* 



In the statement which has been quoted above, the president of Sim- 

 mons College has pointed out one of the difficulties in the teaching of 

 vocational subjects so-called, and in a measure justifies the attitude 



* From the annual report of the president of Simmons College, December, 

 1911. 



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