PREPARATORY EDUCATION.

At a recent meeting of the Secondary School Education Society President Eliot was present and spoke on "Desirable Changes in the Programs of Public Schools." He said that of late there had been at Harvard considerable discussion on the Greek question, or rather on the questions which are the best constituents of a secondary education, and in what proportion should they be mingled? There is no controversy among the college faculty as regards the desirability of French and German. The fact that Latin has ceased to be the fundamental language of scholars, and its place taken by French and German, should alter the course of secondary schools. French and German ought to be begun early. Of the four languages, Latin, German, French and Greek, it would seem natural to take the easiest first, and yet it is believed that Latin is the hardest. The requirements for admission to American colleges today, including Harvard, are absurd, the boys having devoted, their attention chiefly to Roman and Grecian history in elementary text books. Probably a beginning at Cambridge will have to be made by allowing, for admission, an option of ancient and modern history, but if a choice could be made, the American and English history of the past 200 years should be taught at the preparatory schools. It is a question whether the progress necessary in public schools can be obtained without optional studies. A youth of 18 cannot obtain even a fair mastery over all the subjects which today are offered for a secondary education. Those who think otherwise think that the five languages, mathematics, history, and all the other studies can be acquired if the boys would only use all the time at their disposal. The solution of this grave problem lies in the hands of the teachers of the secondary schools.