made obligatory, German remaining elective for all the grades. Returning to the study of table III, for the purpose of comparing now the number of German-Americans with that of the Anglo-American, in the German classes we find that in the first four grades the latter decrease at much greater ratio than the former, while in the highest three grades this relative proportion is reversed. The explanation of this latter seemingly strange phenomenon is to be found in the fact that a great many German children are withdrawn from public schools at the ages of from twelve to fourteen years, some for the purpose of taking a course of religious instruction in parochial schools, others to begin learning a trade or to render assistance at home.

Considering that German in our schools is not only an elective but is also an extra study, imposing upon those who pursue it a considerable amount of additional labor in and out of school hours; looking at the many causes for discouragement a pupil will meet in a course of study extending through several successive years; finally taking into account the fact that the present system of classification and course of study have been in operation in the upper grades but about three years, it is not surprising that the number of pupils in the German classes of these grades is yet small. Those pupils who began this study in the lowest grade and are now advancing through the middle grades, will find the difficulties in their way diminish each succeeding year, and it may, therefore, be confidently expected that the majority of them will continue the study of German to the close of their school course.

To pupils who continue the study of German in the high school the opportunity is offered to pursue a three years' course in literature, grammar and composition, which enables them to pass successfully the examination demanded of the candidates for positions of German teachers in the public schools. For the Anglo-Americans, who desire to commence German in the

high school, provision is made by the organization of classes using Otto's German-English grammar, the study of which they complete during the two years allowed for this purpose.

In closing this report I cheerfully acknowledge that the credit for whatever progress in improving German instruction in our schools has been made, is chiefly due to the ability and faithfulness of the teachers, and that the success of the present plan is due in a great measure to the hearty cooperation of the principals.

Respectfully,

J. C. CHRISTIN,

Assistant Superintendent.

THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS.

The aim of the public school system is to secure the greatest good to the greatest number. What is most useful to the pupil provided that it comes within the scope of his capacity to learn it, should be placed first and most prominent in the course of study. This demand is so simple and its claims so obvious that it is complied with in the public schools throughout the land. Reading, writing and arithmetic are undoubtedly the most useful and practical of all studies (see my report for 1872-73, page 72, et seq., where the question is discussed psychologically); they are the most prominent branches in the course of study in the District Schools.

If the St. Louis schools have any strong feature it is this one of teaching the pupil to master the art of reading in the shortest possible time. I do not mean by this that the pupil learns to read understandingly all books of science and literature— for this is attained only through maturity of life and experience. I refer only to the ability to master the printed form of words. The pupil in his first half year has generally acquired this ability, and it is only a matter of application and experience to master all books after this.

Our course of study aims in the first year to teach the pupil how to master the powers of the letters of the alphabet, punctuation, the script alphabet, the elementary operations of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), applied to small numbers, counting as far as 1000, and the elementary ideas of geography and the representation of surface by maps. Once a week he participates in a lesson on plants and learns the structure, shape, habits, and uses of flowers, leaves, fruit, seeds, buds, roots, stalks. trunks, etc., of plants. He learns the elements of drawing-the ability to recognize, define, and reproduce lines, angles, triangles and foursided figures, cultivating his hand and eye for delicate mechanical work. He learns to sing and to read music to some

extent.

Quite as important as this he learns the moral lessons of regularity, punctuality, self-control, respectful behavior towards equals and superiors. He learns the first lessons of the greatest art of life—the ability to combine with one's fellow-men to produce a rational result.

Is not this inclusive enough for the work of the first year in school? Does it contain anything that we could willingly omit? Those who clamor for economy would exclude all that is "ornamental" or "adapted to fit for higher education." They would exclude drawing or natural science or music, perhaps. If these branches were so taught as to interfere with or impede the progress of the pupil in other branches it would be well to curtail or exclude them. But music is a recreation which freshens and invigorates the mind of the pupil when wearied and jaded with close attention to the other branches of the course of study. It is moreover a great moral influence in softening and harmonizing the dispositions. Drawing as taught in our schools is industrial drawing, and is certainly not a mere ornamental study, but one that fits the pupil for usefulness in the trades by giving him skill in the use of his hands and eyes. Natural

science is taught in weekly lessons of one hour each (Wednesday, P. M.), and furnishes rest and diversion from the regular course of study by being taught in a radically different manner. The tendency of the ordinary recitation is always towards mechanical methods, towards memorizing at the expense of intelligence. The natural science lesson is a relief to the pupil and a corrective to the teacher's methods.

These subordinate studies—music, drawing, and natural science, then reinforce and improve the instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and do not impede or interfere with their progress.

In order that a course of study may be adapted to any and all pupils, and furnish the best course of study alike for those who are to leave early or attend irregularly, and for those who are to continue through the whole course, it is requisite that it be constructed so that each subject shall recur at intervals, i. e. what is laid down in the first year must be taken up again and again in subsequent years. This is a spiral movement of studies, and is the only true one from a psychological standpoint. The development of mind is such that it requires to return upon a subject after a considerable interval in order to exhaust it. The child should not study only addition this year and only subtraction next year, and try to exhaust each of these subjects before proceeding to others. Just as is prescribed in the Grube method, we must learn the methods of all the elementary processes at once, but with easy applications quite within grasp of the child's mind during his first year's work. The next year the return of the spiral brings him to those topics again but in connection with more difficult applications. The course of study in natural science is a spiral of this kind completing its first revolution in the third year, thus:

First year Outlines of Botany.

Second year Outlines of Zoology and Physiology.

Third year-Elements of physical nature and natural philosophy.