Normal College has since then offered the same kind of courses that the Salem school offers. The private normal school at Valparaiso, Ind., has long conducted training courses for commercial teachers, as have also several other private normal schools of the Middle West. It is further interesting to note that the Teachers College of New York City is preparing to inaugurate (1910-11) a course in commercial arithmetic, and later one in stenography and typewriting. Simmons College for Girls, of Boston, for the past few years has also been meeting the demand for instruction suitable for preparation for teachers of commercial departments of high schools. It can readily be seen that a great many teachers of commercial subjects in the future will get their preparation from these normal schools. It is well that these schools offer this opportunity, for the demand for commercial education becomes more pronounced year by year, and there is constant demand for more and better trained teachers. REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SECONDARY AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS. The agricultural high school is of recent origin in the United States and owes its existence to several causes. Probably those most potent are the growing conviction in the mind of the rural community that it must furnish some form of education beyond that given in the district school of grammar grade, the recent awakening to the necessity of industrial education of some form for every community, and the attempt to induce the General Government to appropriate funds toward the support of agricultural high schools in each congressional district. That the concentration of school districts in the country, with provision for the transportation of pupils from a sufficiently large territory to form a graded school, has materially increased the efficiency of the rural schools is undisputed. That the same principle extended to the secondary school will be successful is expected by the rural communities which have undertaken the task of secondary education. These secondary schools, started in agricultural districts and maintained in practically every instance by public funds, in many cases by the State itself, have attempted with more or less success to adapt the work of the school to the principal industry of the section that of agriculture, and accordingly they have formed their curriculum to give prominence to the sciences underlying that industry and have curtailed the instruction in other lines, most noticeably perhaps that of foreign language. This brief statement is made by the subcommittee in order that the result of the questionnaire sent out may be better understood. Your subcommittee sent to the department of public instruction of nearly every State a request for the list of secondary agricultural schools within the State, and in practically every instance a reply was received giving the information asked for. In many instances schools not of secondary grade were mentioned, as well as schools in which "some" agriculture was taught, but which were not styled agricultural schools. The subcommittee, believing that an inquiry into the teaching of such schools was not within their province, rejected all schools mentioned which did not seem to come under the head of secondary agricultural schools. As a result of the inquiry, a list of 65 schools was obtained which seemed to embrace all that properly came under the class delegated to this subcommittee. The distribution of these schools was of interest to the subcommittee. About half the number were in the Southern States, and nearly as many in the middle Western States, while the East and Far West were represented by an occasional school. Some of the leading agricultural States seemed to have no schools of this kind, notably Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas. It was found that schools of this class existed in only about one-fourth of the States, and that in but 8 States, of which 5 were Southern States, did they seem to be established by districts. A questionnaire of limited scope and admitting of easy reply, covering the source of students, method of support, kind of control, special aim of school, general and mathematical curriculum, methods of admission, and special questions on the instruction in mathematics, was framed and sent to the schools listed, and replies were received from about 40 per cent of the number, and judging from the replies, in most instances from typical schools of the different sections. Based on these replies, the following deductions and comments are given: The schools are generally located in the country, or in small rural towns, and draw their students largely from the homes of the farmers, although a number report that the students are recruited from all classes. They are all supported by public funds. Some have State support and others are maintained by local taxation. In most instances both State and local funds are used. They are practically all coeducational. The predominant aim seems to be to fit the pupil for farm life, and to emphasize those subjects bearing on agriculture and domestic science. In many instances the avowed purposes of the school are to create a deeper interest in things agricultural, to direct the interest of the pupil to the problems of the farm, and to hold the attention to the advantages of rural life as compared with those of the city. To attain these ends the curriculum is more or less affected. Special stress is laid upon the sciences, and departments bearing directly on agriculture and domestic science are introduced. A number report that the curriculum is not materially affected, some that it is more practical or more scientific, others that it is industrial, and one that all subjects are taught from the standpoint of the farmer. To provide for the vocational subjects in many instances the amount of foreign language taught has been curtailed. The mathematical curriculum is reported by many schools as not at all affected by the special object of the school. A few report that the amount of mathematics is reduced. One reports more geometry and surveying than would otherwise be given. Quite a number report that the work is more practical and that advanced arithmetic and farm accounts are included. The replies to the question asking how the specific aim and object of the school affected the method of teaching mathematics were so diversified that no general conclusion can be given. About a third of the replies state that the methods are more practical, but only a few state in what way-that is, whether in subject matter and character of problems or in methods of teaching. About a fourth of the replies state that the method of teaching the subjects is not affected. Several make no reply, probably because the methods are unaffected. One states that the laboratory method is used and one that the work is mostly individual on account of the uneven preparation. The subject of the correlation of the various mathematical subjects seems to have received but little attention, and but few report any effort in that direction. No attempt seems to be made to correlate mathematics with agriculture, except in the case of arithmetic. A few report that an attempt is made to correlate with physics and with science. In general a favorable opinion of correlation is expressed, although it appears that very little attention is given to the matter. The use of the laboratory method with mathematical subjects seems in general to be very limited. Where used the reports state that the results are good. In general the requirements for entrance are the completion of the work of the common school, which varies somewhat in the different localities. Eighth grade arithmetic seems to be about the maximum requirement in mathematics. One reports no entrance requirement excepting a minimum age limit of 14 years for boys and 13 years for girls. Entrance is generally secured by either examination or certificate, although a few admit by examination only. The work in mathematics in the different schools, while showing a considerable variation, differs more in degree than in subject matter. A majority of the schools present arithmetic of some sort, under the name of prac tical arithmetic, farm accounts, bookkeeping, mensuration, etc. Practically all include a reasonably good course in algebra. Wellknown texts are used and a fair amount of time allotted to the subject. The same may be said of the course in plane geometry, while a number pay attention to the applications as well. Solid geometry is given in quite a large number of the schools, and the time allotted to the subject seems sufficient to do the work satisfactorily. In about 25 per cent of the schools replying trigonometry is given, and in a somewhat smaller number, plane surveying. The relative stress placed upon mathematical dexterity, analytical power, accuracy, and logical keenness seems to differ widely in the different schools. A disappointingly large number seem to put no special stress on accuracy. Owing to the recent establishment of this type of school in this country the curriculum is yet in a formative state. Undoubtedly a satisfactory course for these schools will be developed, probably as a part of the larger problem of industrial education. On account of its practical character and wide application, mathematics is sure to occupy an important place in this kind of education. That the subject matter, problems, and applications of mathematics to various industries can and should be much better presented than has been done in the past seems obvious. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT ON THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOCL OF SECONDARY AND INTERMEDIATE GRADE. Within the last decade the industrial school of secondary and intermediate grade has assumed an important place in our system of education. It has been felt that both elementary and secondary schools have made it too generally their aim to prepare the pupil for eventual higher education and have in consequence laid too little stress on preparing him for immediate vocational efficiency. To this may be attributed the sudden decrease in school registration at the end of the period of compulsory attendance.1 To satisfy this demand for vocational education of intermediate and secondary grade numerous technical and industrial schools have been established and are being established in all parts of the country. In order to determine the nature of the mathematical curricula of these schools, and in particular to determine what mathematics their authorities consider essential for industrial efficiency, the following circular was sent to about 40 schools listed in Bulletin II of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education: I. What is the mathematical preparation required of a candidate for admission to your school? 1 Massachusetts Commission on Industrial and Technical Education. Report, 1906. II. What textbook, if any, do you use in each branch of mathematics taught in your school? III. Is the mathematics in your school similar in scope, content, and method to that in the ordinary academic secondary school? IV. If it is not, is it practical, applied, or shop mathematics? V. What topics, parts, or subdivisions of algebra, geometry, arithmetic, etc., do you include in your course in mathematics? VI. How much time (hours a week, weeks a year, and years) do you devote to each branch of mathematics? VII. Can you furnish me with a few specimen problems used by you in the various branches of your practical mathematics? VIII. Could you send me specimen examination papers which you have set for your classes in the various branches of mathematics? Replies to these questions were received from 21 of the 40 schools. It appears from the answers that of these 21 schools 2 are of college grade, and hence need not be considered here; 6 are high schools of the usual type, listed as industrial schools because they offer a certain amount of shopwork; 2 are schools for apprentices; and the remaining 11 are really industrial schools. The replies may be summarized in part as follows: I.-Preparation for entrance. No preparation required for entrance-- Knowledge of the fundamental operations_ Mathematics of the first six grades of the elementary school_. II. Use of texts. Number of schools. 1 2 3 13 It appears that a number of the schools use no text in certain or in all of the subjects, but that when texts are used they are of the type employed in general secondary schools. The results in detail are as follows: Most of the schools aim at including in their course the mathematical work ordinarily given in the general secondary school. They ordinarily give in addition instruction in such matters as percentage, mensuration, and the use of formulæ. |