a.  Size of Schedule and Results of Repeating

It would seem plausible that the failing pupils who were permitted and who possessed the energy would want to take one or more extra subjects to balance the previous loss of credit due to failure.  Then it becomes important at once for the administrative head to know whether the proportion of failures bears a definite relationship to the size of the pupil’s schedule of subjects.  A normal schedule for most purposes and for most of the schools includes, on the average, four subjects or twenty weekly hours.  In this study the schedule which each individual school claimed as normal schedule, has been accepted as such, all larger schedules being considered extra size and all smaller ones reduced.  For instance, in one of the schools five subjects are considered a normal schedule even though they totaled 24 points, which is not usual.  But in the other schools a normal schedule includes the range from 18 to 22 points irrespective of those carried in the subjects outside of the classification included in this study; while above 22 points is an extra schedule and below 18 a reduced schedule in the same sense as above.  For the most part this meant that five or more of such subjects form an extra schedule, and that three form a reduced schedule.  In this manner all the repeated subjects are classed as part of a reduced, a normal, or an extra sized schedule as follows.

  SIZE OF SCHEDULES FOR PUPILS TAKING REPEATED SUBJECTS

  Total Reduced Normal Extra

3695 Boys                       132            1762          1801
5001 Girls                      164            2684          2153

  Per Cent of Total 3.4 51.1 45.5

This distribution indicates that relatively few of the pupils take a reduced schedule in repeating.  For the succeeding comparison with the grades of extra schedule pupils, those having a normal or reduced schedule are grouped together.

GRADES FOR SUBJECTS REPEATED BY FAILING PUPILS WHO CARRIED
A REDUCED OR NORMAL SCHEDULE

Total Repetitions A B C D ..

1894 Boys 34 259 894 541 166
2848 Girls 44 361 1319 840 284
----------------
Per Cent of Total 1.6 13.1 46.7 38.6

In this distribution are the grades for 4742 instances of repetition.  Of these, 38.6 per cent fail to pass after repeating.  It is not possible to say definitely how many of these pupils actually determine their schedule by a free choice, and how many are restricted by school authorities or by home influence.  But certain it is that a policy of opposition exists in some schools and with some teachers to allowing repeaters to carry more than a prescribed schedule; and in most schools at least some form of discrimination or regulation is exercised in this matter.  It will appear from the next distribution that a rule of uniformity in regard to size of schedule, without regard to the individual pupils, is here, as elsewhere, lacking in wisdom and is in disregard of the facts.