262 
Folkmar—The Duration of School Attendance. 
99 per cent, would be shown to have dropped out on an average 
before reaching the eleventh grade; 97 per cent, before reaching 
the high school; 77 per cent, before passing beyond the primary 
grades; and 32 per cent, before reaching the second grade. The 
next table would then show the per cents that dropped out at 
each grade during fifteen years. 1 
The same facts are more vividly shown to the eye by the fol¬ 
lowing graphic representation (Diagram A.) The per cent, that 
never went beyond the limit of the first grade, the second grade, 
the third grade, and so on, are cut off by the heavy boundary 
lines. 
Incidental Observations. — Some interesting facts may be no¬ 
ticed in passing, though they touch only indirectly upon the 
inductive method. In the first place, it will be seen from 
Table III that there has been for ten years past a slight but 
regular tendency toward decrease in the primary grades and a 
corresponding increase in the grammar and high school grades. 
The largest decrease has been in the first grade — from thirty- 
five to thirty per cent. The twelfth grade of the high school 
has made a corresponding increase from one-tenth to four-tenths 
of one per cent. This indicates that a slowly increasing num¬ 
ber stay in school long enough to reach the grammar and high 
school grades; a fact which would be expected to accompany 
the increase of wealth and intelligence among the parents and 
the increasing educational demands of society upon the young. 
These laws of attendance evident during ten years, would no 
doubt hold good back to 1880. The apparent increase in the 
primary grades and decrease in the grammer grades in the five 
years following 1880, is explained by the superintendent of 
schools as being caused by the new method of promotion which 
went into effect at that time. Some time after dropping the 
examination system, it was found that principals were not mak¬ 
ing recommendations for promotion with sufficient freedom. 
Upon having the matter brought to their attention it was 
remedied, and the rate of promotion regained its old regularity. 
Yet from the curious fact, that in the culminating year of 
1 Table IV. Per Cent, of Pupils that do not go beyond the Grade 
Named (Chicago), p. 285. 
