AT WHAT AGE DO PUPILS WITHDRAW FROM THE 

 PUBLIC SCHOOLS?* 



C. M. Woodward. 



1. Before attempting to answer this question, I desire to 

 call attention to the obvious importance of a correct answer. 

 The best planned course of study takes into consideration 

 both the probable duration of a school course, and the age of 

 the pupils. The direct bearing of this question is seen in the 

 fact that an estimated average length of the period of pupil- 

 age is frequently made the basis of arguments for or against 

 some proposed modification of the course of study, or some 

 other detail of school management. 



2. I use the word ** withdraw " in a somewhat restricted 

 sense, and as properly excluding the effect of mortality 

 among school children ; that is to say, I exclude from the 

 number of those who can with propriety be said to ** with- 

 draw from school," those whose school course is cut short 

 by death. Fortunately, this allowance is small, but it is not 

 on that account to be ignored. The propriety of omitting 

 from my calculations those who die cannot be seriously ques- 

 tioned. The practical inquiry is: At what age do pupils 

 leave school to enter upon the active duties of life, or to enter 

 private schools? 



3. The data for my calculations are the reports of the 

 superintendents of the public schools of St. Louis, Chicago and 

 Boston. In these reports the ages of all the children enrolled 

 are recorded either at the beginning, or in the middle of the 

 school year ; and the number for each year of age is given with- 

 out any regard to the grading of those pupils. For example, we 

 have the number that are between seven and eight years old, and 

 the number between eight and nine, the number between nine 



* Read before The Academy of Science of St. Louis, April 20, 1896. 



(185) 



