Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 65.djvu/449

Rh the elective system is more freely allowed the choice of culture courses by women and of utility courses by men is still more marked. At the Leland Stanford Junior University in 1901-02, the number of students registered was 1,295, of whom 737 were men and 458 were women, the latter numbering only about three fifths as many as the men. Of the students electing English as a major subject, 156 were women and 58 were men; in Latin, 44 majors were women and 26 were men. On the other hand, in chemistry and economics the women made but a small showing; in the former there were 56 men to 13 women, and in the latter 62 men to 7 women. These figures will be more apparent in

the case of both universities cited, by reference to the graphs below. A large number of college women prepare themselves for teaching; it is probable that still fewer would be found in science courses if these were not demanded in the teaching profession.

The great preponderance of girl students in our high schools coupled with the fact that more than half the teachers are women may account for the loss of ground which the sciences have recently met with in secondary schools. The period from 1890 to 1900 was one of rapid expansion in high school work; the requirements for graduation were greatly strengthened, in some cases the amount of required work being almost doubled. During this decade the number of students pursuing courses in history, algebra, English and the languages (Greek excepted) was greatly augmented; from 5 to 50 per cent, more of high