280 Folkmar—The Duration of School Attendance. 
ideas that are inherited rather than reached through rational 
conviction, ideas that are a survival of the fittest. Dr. Harris 
rationally voices this thought in his relating education to the 
“needs of civilization.” 
Which, now, are the chief causes of early withdrawal from 
school? Is not the greatest cause the economic? If so, the 
remedy is to be found in improving the economic conditions, 
and we know that this is not easily done. The next best remedy 
is to educate parents and the community to the need of more 
schooling; but this is a slow process. The most direct remedy 
is the enactment and enforcement of a good compulsory educa¬ 
tion law. This may, in turn, require a brief term of education 
on the part of the law makers and the makers of public opin¬ 
ion. But it must be recognized that another great deficiency is 
the failure on the part of the teacher to make school work as 
interesting as it should be. The remedy in this case is to edu¬ 
cate better the teachers and to exercise more care in the selec¬ 
tion of them. One further suggestion may be made. Since the 
child’s education is not now compulsory before the age of seven, 
add a year or two before that in the compulsory education law, 
and provide kindergartens for the earlier work. 
SUMMARY. 
The chief proposition which has been elaborated in the fore¬ 
going pages maybe stated as follows: Of all that enter the 
public schools of Chicago and Milwaukee, 
(1) About one-third go no further than the first grade; 
(2) About one-half go no further than the second grade; 
(3) About two-thirds go no further than the third grade; 
(4) About three-fouths go no further than the fourth grade; 
(5) About nine-tenths go only half way through the twelve 
grades; 
(6) About ninety-seven in every hundred drop out before 
reaching the High School; 
(7) Only three in every thousand finish the entire course. 
Or, more exactly, the following per cents drop out at each grade: 
Grade, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. 
Per cent., 32 51 66 78 86 92 95 97 98.6 99.3 99.7. 
