Laggards in our Schools

DURING the past decade it has been increasingly realized that the education of children who are defective in body, mind, or morals is a matter of great importance to the future of the state. Extensive studies carried on in Great Britain have shown an alarming amount of degeneration. Definite and extensive steps looking toward the care of defective children have been taken in many civilized countries; but the crux of the matter does not lie in the care of these unfortunates. At most they do not constitute more than from one to two per cent of the school population, and it does not appear that any considerable fraction of them can ever be educated so as to become independent members of the community.

The great problem lies in the very much larger class of those who, while they are not defective, do not keep up with their fellows. These, constituting from five to fifty per cent of our school population, can become either failures or successes in life, according to the influences that are brought to bear upon them during their early years.

The book is an investigation of the problem, its enormity and tries to suggest remedial measures.

CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter I : The Backward Children Investigation
Chapter II : The Problems of Retardation and Elimination and Their Significance
Chapter III ; Some Factors Affecting Grade Distribution
Chapter IV ; Extent of Retardation in Different Systems and Schools
Chapter V : Mortality and Survival in the Grades
Chapter VI : The Elimination Study of the Bureau of Education
Chapter VII : Rates of Progress
Chapter VIII : The Money Cost of the Repeater
Chapter IX : Causes of Leaving School
Chapter X : The Nationality Factor
Chapter XI : Physical Defects and School Progress
Chapter XII : Irregular Attendance as a Contributory Cause of Retardation
Chapter XIII : Promotions
Chapter XIV : The Factor of Sex
Chapter XV : Age the Controlling Factor in Elimination
Chapter XVI : Are Conditions Improving?
Chapter XVII : An Index of Efficiency for Public School Systems
Chapter XVIII : Remedial Measures – Legislative and Administrative
Chapter XIX : Reform in and through School Records?
Chapter XX : Retardation and Society