Margaret McGregor, U. W. Elizabeth Roberts, U. W. Marie Chamberlain, 1st grade. Waupun H. C. Curtis, Milton Coll. +Emma K. Hegner, cert of ap. *Waupun—†G. F. Loomis, Bel. Coll. †Mrs. M. R. Bliss, U. W. +Frances G. Perkins, U. W. *Wausau-C. C. Parlin, U. W. Helen Merk, U. W. Annie H. Carpenter, Law. Univ. E nilie L. Nohl, Ripon Coll. †Cora Crowe, Law. Univ. +Banno F. Smith, O. N. S. *Wauwatosa-E. C. Cornelius, U. W. A P. Hollis, U. W. Marietta B. Smith, U. W. West Bend-D. T. Keeley, U. W. Katharine Bowen, W. N. S. *West De Pere J. D. Conley, cert. Avis A. McGilvra, U. W. Florence B. Mott, Law. Univ. West Salem-C. E. Slothower, P. N. S. +Lydia Wheelock, S P. N. S. Weyauwega-†J. J Enright, R. F. N. S, +Geo. L. Reynolds, Law. Univ. *Whitewater-H. A. Whipple, life. Lillian R. Barney, S. N. S. Winneconne-Geo. R. Frye, R. F. N. S. +Carrie L. Bates, 1st grade cert. Wonewoc-†M. H. White, S. P. N. S. +Hattie Funk. Three Years' Courses. Albany-J. Allen Montgomery, sp. cert. Leonard Stroebel, R. F. N. S. Belleville-A. G. Hough, U. W. Bloomer-E. C. Roberts, P. N. S. Brillion-R. E. Carncross, W. N. S. Cambria-C. F. Spicer, life sp. cert. Cadott-Harry Mortenson, S. P. N. S. Cambridge-J H. Hooper, M. N. S. Mary Rutherford, 1st grade. +Mae L. Gleason, Ist grade cert. +Harvey A. Schofield, cert. of ap. Kiel-G. M. Morrissey, life. Max Goeres, S. N. S. Benedict Melby, cert. of ap. Oakfield-Anon M. Olson, O. N. S. +Eliza McGillis, Ypsilanti N. S. Platteville-Chas. W. Macomber, state cert. Pt. Washington-T. J. Jones, U. W. Jennette Cenfield, 1st grade. Reeseville-M. E. Terry, life. Rosendale-Alice M Tetherly, Mass. life. Shell Lake-John M. Foster, life. St. Croix Falls-Wm. Hedback. So. Milwaukee-John E Roets, ltd. state cert. Kate E. Buckley, cert. of ap. Stanley-T W. Davies, N. S. Unity-G. A. Rogers, R. F. N. S. Ginn & Co. BOOK TABLE. -ESSENTIALS OF PSYCHOLOGY, by Colin S. Buell, (238 pp.; $1.10), gains in favor with the reader as he advances in the reading of it. The book is modern in character, laying foundations in the so-called "new psychology," but with due appreciation of the value of the older doctrines. It is direct and simple in style and drives vigorously to its purpose, to introduce the reader to the main features of the science, avoiding details and digressions. It is at the same time concrete and practical, aiming to help young readers to reflect upon their own experience, to observe and in some degree to experiment. An interesting feature is the number of questions and problems introduced into the text, leading to test, to think about and to apply principles and distinctions brought to view. Some of these problems are difficult, so that a satisfactory answer can hardly be expected from young students; but many of them are easy and they are all stimulating. On laying down the book we find ourselves surprised at the extent of the ground which it covers without indefiniteness and without confusion. Certainly a high school class ought to be able to deal profitably and interestingly with this subject under the guidance of such a text. -DE QUINCEY'S REVOLT OF THE TARTARS, edited by W. E. Simonds, (84 pp.: 35c), more familiar, perhaps, as "The Flight of a Tartar Tribe," belongs to the attractive Athenaeum Press Series. The introduction combines a biography, critical appreciation and bibliography, and the notes are excellent, and prefaced with Prof. Masson's discussion of the original sources of the narrative. A map makes clear the supposed route of the flight. Macmillan & Co., 66 Fifth Av., N. Y. -FREYTAG'S Die Velorene HANDSCHRIFT, with introduction and notes by Katherine M. Hewitt (223 pp.; 60c.), abridges, so as to bring it within the range of academic use as a text, one of the most graceful and instructive of modIt deals with German university nistorical insight, poetry and nobility of sentiment. ue editor has given us an excellent bio ern German life in a way full *Accredited by the University of Wisconsin for one or more courses of study. †Those who began work in their position this year. DO YOU WISH to be brought into direct touch with the ablest writers and It reproduces the latest utterances of the highest British and Continental authorities, French, THE LIVING AGE A WEEKLY MAGAZINE OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE AND THOUGHT FORMING FOUR LARGE VOLUMES annually, aggregating about 3500 double-column, octavo pages. It alone, among current magazines, has the space to present with Com- PRACTICAL AND POPULAR it appeals to all alert and intelligent readers. 'Here is reading matter, and the best of it, for all the world."-Churchman, New York. FREE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR. To all New Subscribers for the year 1899, remitting before CHOICEST LITERATURE AT CLUB PRICES. For $9.00 The Living Age and any $4.00 monthly Magazine THE LIVING AGE CO., P. O. Box 5206, Boston, Mass. Journal of Education Vol. XXVIII. MADISON, WIS., DECEMBER, 1898. A PROGRAMME like that prepared for the coming meeting of the Wisconsin Teachers' Association, which we publish elsewhere, appeals to so many interests as to assure a very large attendance of teachers of all grades. There are a dozen section meetings, if we inculde that of the city superintendents, but these are not scattered about as they were last year, so that it will be easy to visit several of them in an afternoon. Moreover, one comes on Monday and two on Thursday afternoon, so that but nine are in session at once on Wednesday. The lecture Tuesday evening by Prof. Moulton will be perhaps the strongest single attraction. His reputation as an extension lecturer both in England No. 12 and in this country makes the opportunity to hear him especially valuable. Discussion and practical results are especially to be desired, and the avoidance of crowding in the programme gives opportunity for the first and the committee reports, especially, provide the latter. Why not more of them? to study, for example, the desirability of transportation to school in Wisconsin, the enrichment of grammar school work among us, the improvement of our system of certificating teachersbut the subjects needing study are very many. FALSE methods of appointing teachers, bad influences affecting the adoption of text books, how to deal with conscientious but ineffective teachers, how to deal with the "lock-step" in our schools, how school boards may be more wisely created-these are the chief topics discussed in the "Confessions of Three School Superintendents, "in the November Atlantic. They are all practical and in some sort burning questions, and three of them at least, have to do with "politics" in school matters. The fundamental problem seems to be how to separate purely educational matters from those which are necessarily connected with politics. Obviously the selection of teachers and the selection of text-books ought to be purely educational matters. They should be made by experts, and purely on the basis of merit. The superintendent ought to be the expert, and to be entirely above the reach of the baser influences. Unfortunately our superintendents have not yet gained the full measure of power which ought to fall to them, and to gain it will require a higher standard of qualifications than now obtains, and a sturdy struggle to make the reasons for this claim of power more generally understood. ELSEWHERE we publish the list of county superintendents as determined by the results of the late election. There was no "landslide," not even a change of parties, and yet almost forty per cent. of the superintendents were displaced. These officials had been brot together in conferences three or four times at the expense of the state that they might more thoroly learn the duties of their office; they had begun as learners and became well acquainted with their districts, and had acquired by experience some skill in the discharge of their duties. Just as they became competent to render skilled service they are turned out and the process of inducting a new lot must be entered upon. Could a more absurd plan for doing effectively an important public service be devised than this of a biennial overturn in an office in which experts are needed? It would be a very great gain to the schools and make the office much more desirable if we could reduce the evil by making the term of service four years instead of two. COUNTRY SCHOOLS have been too commonly thot of and discussed as tho they were all of one type. Any county superintendent, however, will talk of schools of one, two and three departments, of large schools and small schools, of strong schools and weak schoolsthat is schools well sustained and well taught and those neglected and inefficient. It is easy to create two classes-schools of but one department and first-class schools or schools of more than one. The former and more numerous class ought to be subdivided as a help to the right study and advancement of rural education. We are not quite sure how the division ought to be made, but perhaps the second class should contain the schools which usually have all three forms of the course of study in operation, or it may be the full course of study, and the third class the remainder. This is a simple and easy classification and on the whole represents fairly the relative strength of the schools. With such statistics of a county in hand as this classification would make possible one could judge fairly well of its condition educationally, and the courses, conditions and needs of the weaker schools could be more clearly and satisfactorily made out. POLITICS in school affairs seems not to be a well chosen phrase for the evil which it is intended to designate. Thot is carried by it too directly to the elections and ward wranglings. But this is usually not at all what is meant. Educational workers have in mind. when they use the phrase the numerous noneducational forces that play in determining school affairs- the providing a position for some worthy person, the giving of patronage to somebody, the selecting of text-books to gratify a friend or for some other non-educational reason, and so on-the working of the "pull" is what is meant and not party spirit. The parties who work it are not usually politicians-they are parents and relatives, clergymen, book agents and business men. Their motives are often excellent. What the phrase is intended to convey is that they are not germain to the matter in hand, that the selection of teachers, the adoption of textbooks, the direction of educational policy ought to be guided wholly by the interests of the schools as instruments for educating the children of the community. Any efforts to use them as charitable institutions, or means of speculation, or means of personal influence ought to be resisted for the sake of the children. AGRICULTURE as a branch of instruction in rural schools is feasible in the same way as civil government and physiology are feasible. The teachers of the latter are not adepts in the science of government or rivals of the physicians in knowledge of the human organism. We have realized their imperfect preparation in these subjects and set up agencies for improving it while we demand that the branches be taught in the schools. These agencies are normal school instruction and institute instruction. Can we not do the same thing for agriculture? Advancement is not made by exalting the difficulties in the way, but by inaugurating what we consider for the best interests of society and making such arrangements as we can for overcoming the difficulties. We must begin before we can make progress. The instruction will naturally fall, like that in the other branches named, in the higher form, and probably in the last two years of that form. As the stronger schools only have these classes, it will naturally happen that the most competent teachers only will be called upon to do this work. It is absurd to maintain that they cannot be prepared to do it. "The way to resume is to resume." THE ENGLISH COURSE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL. The peculiar mission of the American high school is quite clearly indicated in the history of its first establishment. This was in Boston in 1821. Every one is familiar with the story of the zeal of the early settlers for popular education, and the remarkable series of legislative acts by which they sought to provide for the training of the children in all their communities. The character of the schools thus established is not so generally understood. They came to be called Grammar schools and aimed to prepare boys for college. The college was an institution for training in the classics, and the grammar |