unrestrained. The teachers participate in all the leading games and sports of the boys. No reserve keeps the boys at a distance, no espionage renders them uncomfortable. Truth, honesty, and fair dealing are the basis on which it is assumed that all wish to stand, and the boys are encouraged to maintain this basis. Their sense of responsibility is developed by placing many matters under their own control and by consulting them about others. Thus jurisdiction is given them over offences committed by one boy against another. These matters they regulate with firmness and good judgment. Offenders are often regularly tried by them, and rarely have their decisions been found harsh or unjust. Cheating in recitation or other school work is almost unknown, because of the strong public sentiment against it, and of the promptness with which the boys repress it. This matter is in their charge almost altogether. A boy guilty of such practices is looked upon as one willing to take unfair advantage at the expense of his fellows. He loses caste and soon finds it necessary to reform his practices, and a reform of principles is likely to follow. Our boys, in short, constitute a community; they are taught as far as possible to govern themselves with justice and right; the moral and religious lessons given them are impressed by practice; they learn from experience the value of good motives of action, and the inconvenience and sorrow that flow from bad ones." For 1886-87 the schedule of studies was as follows:

* * *

The Sawin Academy and Dowse High School, Sherborn, Mass., is an endowed school, having substantially the same course as an English and classical high school, with special facilities for preparing boys for technical institutes. It reports distribution of time

as follows:

Thayer Academy, South Braintree, Mass., is an endowed school intended to supplement the school system of the town. It offers two courses of study to graduates of the high school or to those who have had at least two years at a high school. One of these courses is called the general; in this English, mathematics, and modern languages predominate; the other is preparatory to college. Both courses are the same during the first year, so that distinction between the two does not begin until the second year.

The following is the programme of studies and time as reported for 1887-88:

a Classical, five hours first year, two hours second, third, and fourth years.
b Scientific, three hours first year, one hour each second and third years.
c Astronomy by lectures to the whole school.

4

The Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, N. H., is a school of distinctly secondary grade. Candidates for admission must be at least thirteen years of age, must present certificates of character and a full statement of the amount and kind of work previously accomplished.

The school comprises two courses, classical and English. The students in the former are all preparing for college, which work covers a period of four years. The English course is designed for students who do not purpose entering college. It includes all the requirements for admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Sheffield Scientific School, and similar institutions.

The total attendance for the present year is three hundred and twenty pupils, of whom 67 per cent. are in the classical course. The academy is well endowed, possesses a fine gymnasium, and has excellent provision for science instruction which will be greatly increased by the new laboratory now in process of erection.

Liberal provision is made for meritorious students who have not the means of defraying their expenses at school. During the past year $1,670 were appropriated for scholarships, free tuition was given to ninety-two scholars, and the sum of $135, contributed by the alumni association, was lent to meritorious students.

The Preparatory School for Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., offers a course arranged with special reference to the admission requirements of that university. Experience shows that the young men who have mastered these have no difficulty in passing the examinations for admission to other universities.

The following schedule of studies and time is reported by the school:

The William Penn Charter School, Philadelphia, Pa., founded in 1689, has nearly reached its second centennial. It has an ample endowment, a superior teaching force, and full equipment as a college preparatory. The following detailed account of its organization is taken from the catalogue for 1887-88:

"The school is arranged in six classes, and these classes, when their size demands it, are subdivided into sections. The work of each class covers a period of one year. The three upper classes constitute the senior school, the three lower the junior school.

"The staff consists of a head master and thirteen assistants. The head master, in order that he may concentrate himself wholly upon the management of the school, is relieved both of teaching and of clerical work. Each subject of study, or at most two, constitutes a distinct department and is placed in charge of a competent specialist, whose entire time and efforts are devoted to this school; that is, the school enjoys the advan tage of a complete and exclusive staff of experienced specialists.

"The requisites for admission to the senior school are, ability to read English with ease and expression, to spell any word of common occurrence, to work all the important rules in arithmetic, to read and parse selections from Cæsar's De Bello Gallico, III, to take up with profit such French as About's Le Roi des Montagnes, and to pass an examination in general geography and the history of the United States.

"From the examination of those new boys who choose the classical side, French will be omitted; from that of those who choose the modern side, Latin will be omitted. Provided a candidate's ability were above the average, and his knowledge of English and mathematics at least one year in advance, it would be possible for him to enter with no knowledge of either French or Latin, as the desired language could be brought up by extra lessons during the periods which would otherwise be occupied by English and mathematics.

"The course of study of the senior school is arranged to meet the wants of three classes of students, those intending to complete their studies at school, those preparing for a scientific or technical school, and those aiming for a classical course in college; the first named take the modern side, the second the modern side with modifications, the third the classical side.

"The requisites for admission to the junior school are ability to read and spell selections from a third reader, to work federal money and decimal fractions, to pass an examination in the geography of the United States, and to write a legible hand.

а

"The school has a completely equipped gymnasium in charge of a member of the staff, who has given special attention to physical education, and every boy is required to exercise daily under his supervision."

The course comprises six years of thirty-six weeks each, the division of time being as follows:

The Cambridge School for Girls, Cambridge, Mass.-The increasing efficiency of secondary schools for girls is one of the most important results of the movement for the higher education of women. It is indicated by the large number of college graduates who are sought as principals or teachers by the number of schools established for the professed purpose of preparing girls for college, and by more thorough and definite work in the entire course of training for girls.

One of the most recent examples of secondary schools growing out of this movement is the Cambridge School founded by Mr. Arthur Gilman, who furnishes the following relating to it: My experience led me to found the Cambridge School for Girls in 1886, and more than sixty young women are now instructed in it in a building adjoining the 'Annex. The teachers in the Cambridge School are eight-one graduate each from the Annex, Wellesley College, and Smith College, two from the State Normal School at Framingham, and a teacher in each of the departments of German, French, and drawing.”

AGENCIES FOR PROMOTING SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.

The value of private instrumentalities in the work of secondary instruction cannot be questioned; but it is evident that the absence of all legal requirements with respect to material resources and the professional qualification of teachers gives opportunity for the existence of inferior schools. As communities advance, however, inferior schools find less and less favor, while those that are suitably equipped voluntarily seek the conditions most favorable to successful work. Thus there is seen to be a natural tendency to improvement in the private as well as in the public schools of progressive communities; nevertheless the opinion is very general that the former should be regulated by law to some extent.

Thus far New York is the only State in which provision has been made for the systematic supervision of private schools considered apart from their relation to colleges. This is done by means of the regents' academic examinations, which were fully described in the Report for 1886-87. As there stated no school can share in the literary fund unless it comes under these examinations, and in order to secure this privilege it must fulfil the required conditions with respect to buildings and equipments.

The examinations, instituted originally with sole reference to the distribution of the literary fund, have proved to be of much greater importance as a means of systematizing and stimulating the work of the schools.

In 1886-87 the number of academies visited was 294, having 1,376 teachers and 39,523 scholars, of whom 14,448 were academic. The total number of subjects covered by the three grades of academic examinations was 41. The number of answer papers submitted was 92,108, and the number for which allowances were made from the literary fund was 84,440.

In several States, associations have been formed, some long standing, others of recent organization, which have for their object the improvement of secondary instruction. The Office has received the report of but one such during the year under review. The following is a brief résumé of the proceedings at its annual meeting.

The organization known as "The Associated Academic Principals of the State of New York" held its third annual conference at Syracuse, December 27 and 28, 1887.

"The committee appointed to represent the Associated Principals at the Conference of College Presidents, in connection with the convocation in June, reported that a series of resolutions was prepared and submitted to the conference. The discussion, however, resulted in nothing definite, and the question of college admission remained much as before."

Following the report of the committee the first subject discussed was "The Teaching of English." The importance of the branch seemed to be fully recognized and progress was reported both in the methods and the results of the instruction. The "Teaching of Greek" and the "Regent's examination in mathematics" were also considered.

Among the resolutions which were unanimously adopted were the following: "That the increasing attention given by our schools to the study of English is grati fying and should be further encouraged, and the correction of errors of expression should be such as to stimulate the pupil's thought.

"That the use of special topics in the English literature and history regents' examinations is helpful in arousing a spirit of original investigation.

"That it be the expressed opinion of the Associated Academic Principals that the time now prescribed by the regents for the examinations in mathematics is the proper time. "We wish especially to commend the excellence of the questions sent out from the regent's office, contributing, as they do, so effectually to raise the standard of scholarship in the secondary schools of the State.

"That we request the colleges of the State to accept the regents' diplomas instead of an entrance examination for the subjects covered by them."

The Massachusetts Association of Classical and High School Teachers and the New England Association of Colleges and Preparatory Schools are vigorous societies whose influence is felt throughout the country. Similar societies are working successfully in Western States; among the most efficient of these is the Northern Illinois High School Teachers' Association. As a rule, State teachers' associations have a department devoted to the interests of secondary instruction. The inquiries, discussions, and practical efforts of these organizations are reflected in the advancing standards and the better organization of this department of educational work.

*Statistics of 1886-87.