Causes and Remedies. 
279 
attend only four months in a year for seven years, he receives 
a total schooling of 28 months, which is a little less than three 
grades — even if we disregard the fact that he will have to take 
the work of some term a second time over, and probably of 
more than one term, because of the long intervals between his 
terms of attendance. 
CAUSES AND REMEDIES. 
It would be interesting to make a thorough investigation of 
the causes that account for this small amount of schooling on 
the part of the average pupil; in fact, it is absolutely neces¬ 
sary to secure a correct diagnosis of the case before adequate 
remedies can be applied. It is rather a thankless task, how¬ 
ever, for everybody considers himself able to point out the real 
difficulty; although there should be no need, before a scientific 
association, for saying that only the judgment of the specialist 
is of much value. It is a difficult problem in itself and is not 
the problem of this paper; therefore only a few brief sugges¬ 
tions have been added by request. 
The actions of pupils, like those of other people, are governed 
by their interests. To a great extent they do not like the school 
or the teacher, or they like other things better. But the control¬ 
ling motive is to do as their parents wish or command. Hence we 
must determine what causes the attitude of parents in regard to 
sending their children to school. I answer without hesitation that 
the chief factors are economic conditions. Too many either cannot 
support their children as they desire, or cannot spare them through 
a longer period of schooling; others simply wish the wages their 
children may earn more than they wish their education. A 
few are opposed to higher education. Others humor their chil¬ 
dren in their dislike of school. But a most important motive 
still remains, namely, the wish to live in accordance with the 
social demands of the community or to obey the law which the 
community makes. 
So we finally must ascertain the causes of the social senti¬ 
ment which may lead as one result to compulsory education 
laws. An analysis would reduce this sentiment to ideas con¬ 
cerning the safety of the state and the need of education — 
