Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 49.djvu/191

Rh come chiefly later in the course, language studies taking their just place in the earlier years. We next come to the grammar-school grade, so called, and educators are now beginning to see that this grade, occupying four years, from the age of twelve to sixteen, after the admirable preparation received in the lower grades, should prepare students to enter upon a college course. To this end, too, the requirements for admission to college should be materially lowered instead of being as now too often advanced. This was distinctly announced by Prof. Remsen at Johns Hopkins University in his address before the College Association of the Middle States and Maryland last year, when he made it perfectly evident to all that the best educational interests would be advanced by calling a halt to the colleges which are raising their requirements for admission, thus admitting students younger and graduating them earlier to continue their work in the universities or enter upon the duties of active life. From the age of sixteen to twenty should be devoted to the college course, beginning with few electives in the Freshman year and gradually increasing their number as the course approaches completion. On graduating from college the students should receive their first degrees from these institutions, and all subsequent post-graduate degrees should be earned in and conferred by the universities, in which all college graduates who can devote the additional time and means required should be encouraged to pursue their studies for three or perhaps four years more. As the university course would include the professional courses, students would thus come out at twenty-three or twenty-four years of age equipped thoroughly, so far as our educational institutions can equip them, to cope successfully with the important problems and duties of active life.

It will be seen that for the thorough application of such an outline of study, each institution, of whatever grade, should aim to do its own work most thoroughly and well, and attempt no part of that of an institution of a higher or lower grade. Thus the student should pass from the kindergarten to the primary, from the primary to the intermediate, from the intermediate to the grammar school, from the grammar school to the college, and from the college to the university, entering each institution, as the rule (remarkable exceptions will occur, but they should not change the rule), in the lowest class of that institution, and passing through its entire curriculum in the department selected. No other course than this can assure the successful working of any regularly organized system of instruction.

It is very true that most of our colleges had connected with them in their origin preparatory departments as a necessity of their existence. This necessity has existed, and in some cases still continues to exist, and it is no part of this paper to condemn