for entrance or take it up on entering college, it would be altogether to his advantage to induce him to take it up in the high school. And this could in most cases be accomplished, particularly if he could know that it would result in the saving of time.
As for English, it is a recognized fact that the first college courses in composition and literature are of an elementary character, quite within the reach of the high school to accomplish in the time now devoted to the study. This as recognized by the practise of some colleges which allow the better trained pupils credit for these courses on proving by examination, and in some cases by the recommendation of their high-school instructors, that they are competent to go on with more advanced work. First-class high schools are able to give the preparation required for the present college courses in three years. A great gain would be made in training high-school pupils in the effective use of the vernacular both in speaking and writing, if not only the teachers of English, but those of all subjects, would come to share in this training. At present the pupil feels that high standards of form are required only in the English class rooms. If in history, science and other subjects, the same standards of form in the notes and papers and in spoken language were required as in the English classes, our students would be better prepared for college in less time than is now devoted to the work. Many papers required in other departments might also be used to meet the requirement for written work in English, thus saving time which the pupil devotes to the preparation of themes used by the English teacher alone.
In science, the preparation at present required by colleges is doubtless of a more specialized form than our high schools can profitably give to the large number of pupils who will never enter college. It should be possible, however, to organize courses in high school of the highest value to the students as a training in the materials and method of science, which could also form the basis for further work in college without going over again the same ground covered in the high school. High-school science would be more profitable in itself as well as for college preparation if the various courses in the high school were organized in a more unified and progressive sequence. Their value as preparation for further courses in college would be greatly enhanced if college teachers could become well acquainted with the aim and method of high-school science.
The situation in history may be described as similar to that of the sciences. Of both history and science, it may rightly be said that some and often all the work of a student has been taken in the earlier years of the high school when he was too immature to pursue the subject in any other than a most elementary manner. In this case repetition is not only necessary, but desirable, if the student is to take up these subjects in college. Repetition is not necessarily wasteful if it be from a
