66 



This seems an admirable arrangement, and at first glance, one 

 might think it offered a wide range of selection to suit the indi- 

 vidual wishes of different students. However, when we con- 

 sider the traditions of the high schools, and the still more rigid 

 traditions of our eastern colleges, we find that the sciences are 

 practically cut off from our best class of pupils, the ones who 

 intend to go to our higher institutions, and who, in consequence, 

 are ultimately to be our most influential citizens. 



I propose to illustrate this by selecting three typical examples. 

 Let us suppose that a boy wishes to prepare for an engineering 

 school. In addition to his eight credits, which are required, he 

 selects a language and carries it three years; this leaves six units. 

 Our best engineering schools require four years of preparatory 

 work in mathematics; this leaves two units. These are usually 

 taken in physics and chemistry because they are often required. 

 This boy has no chance to select the biological sciences, unless he 

 takes them as extra subjects. 



Let us now take the case of a girl who wishes to enter one of 

 the better girls' colleges, for example, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, 

 Vassar or Wellesley. In addition to the eight required units, 

 she must have four units in Latin, at least two in a second lan- 

 guage, and two and a half in mathematics. This leaves one half 

 point for science work. 



For the third illustration, we will select a pupil who does not 

 intend to go to college. The traditions of most of the academic 

 schools will cause him to elect a modern language, which he will 

 carry for three years; he will also take at least two years of mathe- 

 matics; this leaves four units to be selected from a second lan- 

 guage, from courses in stenography and typewriting, and from 

 the different sciences. Let us suppose that he selects two sciences 

 the question is shall one of them be a general course or a course in 

 biology. 



The biology courses that are now offered in our city high 

 schools are, relatively speaking, new. They have no inheritance 

 and no traditions. Unlike Greek, Latin and mathematics, 

 they have not occupied for centuries an important place in our 

 educational institutions. They are so new that we have scarcely 



