The Elimination- of Pupils from School
- Author:
Edward L. Thorndike,
REVIEWS AND CRITICISM. Professor of Educational Psychology, Teachers7 College, Columbia University. Bulletin No. 4, 1907, Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Education, pp. 66.
The amount and the cause of the elimination of pupils from school is treated by Prof. Thorndike from the standpoints of grade and age in the study of elementary and high schools, and from the standpoints of grade, age and sex in the study of high schools and colleges. Prof. Tliorndike’s ideal of such a study would necessitate a complete record of the school life, from 8 to 18 years, of from 500 to 1000 children in each of from 20 to 30 communities. As such records are not attainable and could, probably, only be secured by a systematic registration of such data with this definite aim in view from the beginning, Prof. Thorndike has utilized the regular school registration statistics by grade, age, and sex. Such statistics from the public schools of 23 American cities, from 49 additional high schools and from 34 colleges form the basis of the study.
In the section on elimination by grades it is shown that only 8 per cent of the pupils entering school reach the last year of high school. The elimination is a steady and gradual one after the fourth year, there is no sudden elimination at any one grade, there is no especially large falling off between the last grammar grade and high school, and the age limit has no apparent effect. This is most interesting when compared with conditions existing in England and Germany. In these countries there is a sudden marked withdrawal of pupils at the close of the last year of grammar school, only those of certain social standing passing on to the high school. This marked difference explains the lack of interest in trade and continuation schools shown by the American people. The class of children for whom England and Germany find it necessary to provide instruction at times other than working hours, are with us in regular day schools, enjoying educational advantages denied to those of their age and class in foreign lands.
It is shown that of 100 children entering school, the greatest elimination occurs in the grammar grades, the least in the high school; that of 100 children in each grade the greatest withdrawal is after the first year high school, and the next after the third year high school; if the eliminating force is considered as increasing grade by grade by the addition of new causes and the retention of old, the greatest increase comes in the sixth year, the last grammar grade and the first year high school; the least in the fifth year and last two high school grades.
The causes of elimination are not clear. Among them poverty, lack of interest in school work and intellectual inability are evidently important. The two latter causes are probably responsible for the withdrawal of such large numbers after the first year of high school. The fault may lie in the curriculum.
There is a great variation among the cities both as to the amount and the time of elimination, which is attributed to differences of efficiency of the school systems or to differences in the character of the population. The latter cause is most important in Prof. Thorndike’s estimation.
In the section on elimination by ages it is shown that 70 per cent of the pupils remain in the school until 14, 47 per cent until 15, 30 per cent until 16, 15.5 per cent until 17 and 8.6 per cent until 18 years of age. These figures again prove that a large proportion of children remain in school beyond the legal age limit,?they also prove, when compared with the grade statistics, that many do not advance as far as they should in the time spent in school.
Considering the eliminating force as increasing by the addition of new causes and the retention of old as in the previous study, the greatest increase in force is at the fifteenth year, the next at the fourteenth.
Comparing the high school statistics in regard to sex, it was found that about 100 girls enter high school for every 75 boys; that 30 per cent of the girls and 34 per cent of the boys leave during the first year, 25 per cent of the girls and 27 per cent of the boys during the second, and 14 per cent of each sex during the third. Only */4 of the boys who enter finish, and only 31 per cent of the girls.
In the colleges the elimination is much less than in the high schools. It is estimated that about 66 per cent reach the fourth year, 68 per cent the third year, and 79 per cent the second. Withdrawal is most frequent during the first year and least frequent during the third. The loss during the first year is probably due to laziness, lack of interest and incapacity. The conditions in the colleges for women are about the same as in those for men.
The records of schools for colored children in five cities were also studied. It was found that, although these children did not reach as advanced grades as white children, they remained in school until a later age. Though less capable, they are apparently more ambitious. It was also found that the elimination in the late high school grades of the colored schools was no greater than in the parallel grades for white children. This fact may indicate a greater variability in capacity for school work among the colored than among white pupils, which would mean, says Prof. Thorndike, a greater possibility of racial improvement in the future.
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