ith its four years' course; and the
_graduate school_ or university. The elementary school is generally
separated into primary and grammar grades, and is sometimes preceded by
the kindergarten. The secondary school usually offers commercial or
other practical courses to those who do not wish to prepare for college.
Colleges differ greatly in the scope of their work and in their courses
of instruction. Most universities open their doors to those who are not
graduates of colleges. In all states the elementary and the high schools
are free, while in some, particularly the western states, the entire
expense of the child's education from kindergarten to university is
defrayed at public expense.

=Support of the Schools.=--The annual cost of the schools of the country
is about two hundred and fifty million dollars. About two thirds of this
is raised by local tax, about one fifth by state tax, and the balance is
derived chiefly from permanent funds, etc. The preponderance of the
local tax shows that to each community is intrusted the important matter
of deciding as to the quality of school it will maintain. The American
people have always been liberal toward education, and no money is voted
so freely by legislative bodies as that necessary for the education of
the young.

=The Teachers.=--There are over 440,000 teachers in the United States,
of whom about 28 per cent are men and 72 per cent women. Only about 10
per cent of these have had a professional training. The average term of
service is five years, and about 100,000 new teachers are needed every
year. To supply this number the normal schools and other institutions
for training teachers are utterly inadequate, and will remain so until
the average term of service is lengthened.

The principal institutions for training teachers are the normal school,
the city training school, the pedagogical departments of universities,
and teachers' training classes. To these may be added the teachers'
institute and the summer school, which while they stimulate and instruct
the teachers, cannot be said to give them a professional training.

The course of the normal school usually covers three years, and embraces
both the theory of education and practice in teaching children. Within
the last few years, many colleges have established chairs of pedagogy,
but the work remains inadequate for a professional training so long as
practice in teaching is not added to the requirements.

Teachers