238 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8 :6— Sept., 1912 



Editorial 



Almost every month some one or more of the popular maga- 

 zines give prominence to an article on the lack of efficiency in the 

 public schools. These articles call attention to the fact that the 

 public schools succeed in driving away from them the great 

 majority of the pupils who enter them so that before the high 

 school is begun a large percentage of the children who enter the 

 grades have already fallen out. Furthermore the articles em- 

 phasize the fact that much of the work that is given in the schools 

 is relatively useless to the child who must enter the commercial 

 world to win from it a living. Xow I would not for a moment 

 attempt to check the spirit of diss^atis faction with the achievement 

 of the schools which is voicing itself in these current magazines. 

 Only a thorough realization of how defective our education really 

 is, and how effective it may be, will stimulate the rapid progress 

 which is desirable and which is to be achieved. Yet I would have 

 in all our efforts a spirit of optimism. Xo one is more thoroughly 

 awake to the responsibilities that rest upon the schools and the 

 new demands which are being made upon them than is the school 

 man himself. Any one who attended the summer sessions of 

 the X. E. A. must have felt that the school men are alert to the 

 problems of their profession and are steadfastly facing the diffi- 

 culties involved. The atmosphere of the meeting was optimistic. 

 There were a number of inspiring speakers, a confusing array of 

 inspiring topics and stimulating discussions, but the most sug- 

 gestive thing of the entire week was the large attendance and 

 the persistency with which these people went to the various ses- 

 sions earnestly attentive to the discussions in hand. The program 

 was optimistic in its very appearance. Elementary agriculture, 

 nature-study, domestic arts, vocational training, and all these 

 newer phases of education received a large share of attention. 

 The papers presented accomplishments rather than theory. The 

 American schools are certamly occupying the promised land of 

 their opportunity. 



There comes to the editor's desk the two volume Report 

 of the Commissioner of Education for 1911. This is a document 

 to reinforce the impressions gained at the summer meeting. X'o 

 tone of pessimism lurks in its pages. Every teacher would do 

 well to possess these volumes, at least to read carefully the In- 

 troductory Survey of \^olunie 2, so that he may feel himself en- 

 thused with the achievements of a decade, and may be proud of 

 the fact that he is a i)art of this rai)id jirogress. In that time there 



