Lurton—A Study of Retarded Children. 285 
forty-four on 75%, one on 80% and one on 85%. In general 
then, about 80% of these school systems require 75% as the 
passing mark. 
The final marks are made up in all cases of both class work 
and examinations, and in the following proportions: 
Examina¬ 
tions. 
Class work. 
In 35 schools the two count as follows. 
i 
1 
In 6 schools the two count as follows . 
i 
1 
In 3 schools the two count as follows.. 
i 
* 
The next practice that might affect the amount of retardation 
is the question of how frequently promotions are made. The 
facts are very uniform: fifty-two promote yearly, in June, two 
promote half-yearly, and one “when ready,” whatever that 
means. 
This rigid system of class marks, examinations, and annual 
promotions, while seemingly an essential part of the necessary 
system, so long as we are obliged to handle children in large 
masses, say forty to a teacher, would appear, offhand, to be the 
most serious obstacle to the easy progress of a pupil through 
the grades. And while at the present moment we are concern¬ 
ing ourselves with those who are retarded, there is another 
aspect of the question—that of the child of especial promise. 
Can he progress faster than a grade a year ? I asked how many 
schools were in the habit of selecting for promotion whenever 
they were ready, such children. [Forty-five schools say that 
they do, often if not generally qualifying the statement with 
•such words as ‘seldom/ ‘rarely/ etc. Eight schools say no. So 
much for the willingness of the schools to promote children in¬ 
dividually, because it might be the means whereby retarded 
children would regain their lost place with their grade. The 
number of such promotions actually made is insignificant. 
Twenty-one schools, the only ones making definite answers, did 
so promote only 166 children last year. Comparing this num¬ 
ber with the number that failed of promotion at all, and yon 
see there is little hope in this practice. 
