Economics in the Secondary School

lishing houses which covered all subjects taught in about eighteen hundred secondary schools. These records were made for business purposes and were entirely free from bias. There were, of course, many small schools and some good-sized ones which were not listed. About one fifth of the schools reporting had courses in economics. As to the proportion of the pupils who take economics in the schools where it is offered, information is also regrettably incomplete. The writer has statistics from sixty- three schools which in 1912 graduated about fifty-three hundred pupils in all courses, of whom thirty-six per cent had taken economics. Professor Stewart Daggett, of the University of California, in 1912 sent out letters to the large high schools in all parts of the country. Of one hundred and thirty-three such schools, fifty-six taught the subject of economics. These figures appear much more favorable than those before cited, but it is to be remembered that his letters went to the larger schools only. The study of economics in the secondary schools is increasing In 1893 about one twentieth of the schools replying to the circular of the Committee of Ten reported courses in economics. The evidence already given shows a large increase since then. At present economics is usually found in commercial schools and in the commercial courses of large high schools, where it is often a required study. Of the fifty-four schools reporting the date of the introduction of the ...