obtain an effective secondary education for the sparsely settled community? There are various needs to be met, of which preparation of a few students for college is not the most important." And the small high school will do better work by learning these needs and how to meet them than by following the traditional courses of the past.

COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS.—The committee of the Secondary Department of the N. E. A. that has had under consideration the articulation of the high school and the college has made a report which, supplemented by the words of its chairman, Clarence D. Kingsley, of Brooklyn, emphasizes the following:

1. That the present college entrance requirements were devised at a time when there was practically no demand in the high school for the applied arts and sciences. Consequently, "preparation for college" was defined in terms of foreign languages, pure mathematics, pure science, and history. But many high schools have heeded the changed demands of the times and already have well-developed courses in mechanic arts, commerce, household economics, and agriculture. Unless we are willing to assume the responsibility of dividing pupils at the beginning of their high-school course into those who are to go to college and those who are not, by giving each class a separate line of work, we are forced into the position of urging that the college recognize these new subjects that have been demanded by the public. With the coöperation of the college, these vocational subjects can be made to combine in an interesting way the cultural and vocational and, at the same time, to contribute to the mental power, the social outlook, and the moral purpose of the student.

2. That the field and function of the high school embraces: (a) For every student instruction carefully designed to return him to society prepared to be an intelligent, able-bodied, and progressive citizen; (b) The opportunity for the student to test his capacity in a fairly large number of relatively diverse kinds of work, as this is the time for trying out his different powers and for forming his life purpose; (c) The duty of making specific contributions to the efficiency of the individual along various broad lines, as well as the laying of the above broad foundations of

good citizenship and of helping to a wise choice of a vocation. This contribution should be made by blending rather than by keeping separate the cultural and the vocational, for only then does the liberal receive its social significance and importance"; (d) The recognition as rational elements in the education of all boys and girls, and especially of those who have not yet chosen their vocation, of mechanic arts, agriculture, or household science; (e) The idea of the president of the Carnegie Foundation that the students taking the newer subjects should not be required to carry all the older subjects, also that it is the duty of the college to adjust itself to the high school thus broadened; (f) The idea that each high school should reflect in a real sense the major industries of the community which supports it.

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3. The Committee recommends that: (a) Fifteen units be required for admission to college, each unit representing a year's study in any subject in a secondary school, constituting approximately a quarter of a full year's work." This definition of a unit assumes a school year of from 36 to 40 weeks, that each period is from 40 to 60 minutes in length, and that the study is pursued for 4 or 5 periods per week; (b) That pupils should not be admitted with conditions the committee disapproves of the practice of admitting students to college weighed down with conditions, on the ground that it is injurious to the student, to the high school from which he comes, and to the college to which he goes; (c) That as a qualification for admission 2 majors of 3 units each, and I minor of 2 units be required-"irrespective of the possibility that the student may go to a higher institution, it is desirable for him to do in the high school a certain amount of work of an advanced character"; (d) That one of the required majors should be English. Every high-school course should include at least three units of English, one unit of social science (including history), and one unit of natural science." The requirements in mathematics and in foreign languages should not exceed 2 units of mathematics and 2 units of one language other than English. However, for the engineering course 3 units in mathematics is a reasonable requirement, and for a literary or classical course 3 units in a foreign language; (e) That II of the 15 units must be for academic work, the

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other 4 units being left as a margin for additional academic work or for mechanic arts, household science, commercial work, and any other kind of work that the best interests of the student appear to require." The only limitations that should be placed upon the use of these 4 marginal units are "that the instruction should be given by competent teachers, with suitable equipment in classes not too large, and that the student's work should be of a satisfactory grade."

TEACHING PUPILS HOW TO STUDY.-A great deal was written during the year concerning this problem, which often so seriously affects the prospects of the pupil at the beginning of his high-school course. Attention was focussed on the question during the year by the frequent claims, made by both teachers and by laymen, that high-school pupils do not know how to study in a profitable way. The complaint has also come from parents that high-school teachers do not "teach," but spend most of their time "hearing lessons," and that therefore most of the real teaching must be done at home. While it is true that some teachers assume that, when pupils are not working beyond their depth, the bright ones will have little difficulty in preparing their lessons and the duller ones only need to give more time in order to grasp them, there are also teachers who recognize the positive need of giving pupils suggestions, and, if need be, supervised practice, in regard to how to study their lessons. The general plan pursued by Professor Ernst R. Breslich, of the high school connected with the University of Chicago, and which is given in the School Review for October, is submitted as one affording good results.

Suspecting that, especially for beginners, the difficulties encountered are greater than is usually appreciated, Professor Breslich tried the experiment of seeing what could be accomplished in the way of preparing a home lesson in the class-room during a period of 15 minutes. "The experiment showed at once that the pupils did not appreciate the value of limited time, for all were slow in beginning work. It took some of them the whole 15 minutes to go through the technic of getting started. Several evidently were not in the habit of working alone, for they looked

about helplessly and simply imitated the others." Visits to other classes verified his suspicion "that in most high-school classes there is much time spent in hearing lessons and little attempt to teach pupils how to study. Difficulties which should be mastered by the student himself were explained away by the teacher. The teacher, not the pupil, decided whether a result was right or wrong." In this way the pupil's own ability was not developed, and the feeling of responsibility for mastery of the subject was decreased instead of developed. As many pupils enter the high school with little or no training in preparing difficult work, one of the aims of the instructors should be to make the pupil able to work efficiently without help, to teach him how to use his mind and his books. The class system of instruction commonly in use is not efficient in developing this ability."

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In trying out the best method of rendering effective assistance to students in their methods of study, in addition to suggestions and discussions on the subject made in the regular class-room work, Professor Breslich at first appointed an hour every day in which a class-room would be open to students who wished to make up back work or who had difficulty with assigned home work. "No promise was made that help would be given. They were simply to come there with a definite piece of work and to begin work as soon as they arrived. The students made very good use of this opportunity. They found that they usually received some further suggestions if those made in the class-room proved not to be sufficient." This study hour was conducted as follows: The teacher passed from desk to desk, watched the pupils at work, and made suggestions, but rarely answered a question directly. The student usually was led to answer his own question. Only after it had become evident that the pupil had made a serious attempt, were further suggestions given. Mistakes were always made the basis for a little further discussion.

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But it was soon found that those who came to this study hour" were not always those who needed the most individual attention. Hence the plan was adopted of introducing supervised study in the class-room, by using a combined study and recitation plan for certain work which

was thus done entirely in school instead of at home. The section with which this was done did fully as well, in Professor Breslich's judgment, as the section taking the home work. Especially was this true of the slower pupils and those who had missed time through sickness. But, most important of all, the teacher was able, by following a method similar to that employed in the "study hour," to give suggestions to slow pupils at the point of need, to furnish encouragement to those lacking confidence and much valuable help to all in how to prepare work in good form, with clear and permanent grasp, and with economy of time and effort. Bright pupils, who in this way get most of their home work sufficiently well prepared in the classroom, are expected to do valuable supplementary work at home.

Rural Schools.

GENERAL. The lack of three fundamental things is preventing our rural schools from being what they should be. When these are supplied, all else will fall into line and these schools will become all that they should be. First, they must have more ample funds. As taxable values in nearly all rural districts bear a too low ratio to the amount needed to provide sufficient school funds without a prohibitive tax rate, the State must make up the deficiency. We are rapidly approaching the position where we will see that it not only promotes the general welfare of a State to equalize as nearly as possible the educational opportunities of its children, but also that it has a distinct duty in this direction. While equality in the State can never mean equality of possessions and equality of ability to enjoy and to benefit, the State must, as far as it is able to do so, provide equality of opportunity. And every citizen of the State is in duty bound to provide his quota of the extra tax needed to bring about this equality which is the first great step toward the efficiency of the State.

Second, they lack the kind of education that would best meet their needs. This fact is now receiving more general recognition, and courses of study for the rural schools are providing for other interests besides the merely academic. The older systems provided the academic training