Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 64.djvu/209

Rh along some lines have been increased is true, but one must not forget that opportunity for preparation has been increased to a much greater extent. Fifty years ago, schools offering good preparation for college were rare in agricultural districts, and young men in such districts were dependent upon the country clergyman for preparation. Now, however, secondary schools are within reach in almost all parts of our country and a farmer boy can be made ready for college at almost as early age as the city boy. Despite these facts, the cry was heeded, the college period was shortened and, in a number of our universities, professional study during the last year of the college course counts toward both college and professional degree; so that from entrance into college to final graduation with professional degree in law, the period is the same as it was years ago, when the course was one year shorter, or one year less than it was forty years ago in institutions where the course has not been lengthened; forty years ago, the medical degree was reached in six years, now it is obtained in seven, though the professional course has been lengthened by two years. The suggestion has been made that the time spent at college should be shortened still further and that mere training should be thrown back upon the secondary schools. This plan, if adopted, would bring little relief, for, no doubt, the secondary schools, in their anxiety to avoid oppressing their pupils, would find it necessary to insist on still shorter lessons and on ampler time for recreation, so that nothing would be saved in time unless the college period be shortened still further—at last to extinction.

The injury has been more serious in another direction.

In all fairness, one must concede that the 'regular' college course of twenty or twenty-five years ago, despite the preponderance of classical teaching, had gained so far by the introduction of new subjects that it did give a broad aspect of things to the average student. It offered such a thorough taste of many branches of learning as to let him find where his strength lay. Even forty years ago it had developed much along the same lines in the larger colleges as well as in the newer of the small colleges. But specialization grew up rapidly in the scientific schools and this example, reinforced by a popular demand for broader opportunities of selection, led to specialization in college work. Practically the old college course has disappeared in many of the more prominent institutions, and in its stead one finds broad election in some, narrow groups in others. In some, a compulsory broad course is the freshman's lot, but in higher classes the student follows a chosen group, in which some special branch absorbs most of his time, all others being subordinate; in others, election begins with the sophomore year and is nominally almost unfettered, though adroit manipulation of the recitation schedule may impose serious limitations.