-------------------------------------------------
Age      |   Boys    |   Girls   |   Total
-------------+-----------+-----------+-----------
6       |   4,255   |   4,180   |   8,435
7       |   5,012   |   4,815   |   9,827
8       |   4,496   |   4,407   |   8,903
9       |   4,268   |   4,103   |   8,371
10       |   4,093   |   3,951   |   8,044
|           |           |
11       |   3,747   |   3,593   |   7,340
12       |   3,700   |   3,646   |   7,346
13       |   3,676   |   3,631   |   7,307
14       |   3,445   |   3,271   |   6,716
15       |   2,358   |   2,291   |   4,649
|           |           |
16       |   1,190   |   1,163   |   2,353
17       |     672   |     680   |   1,352
18       |     403   |     358   |     761
19       |     135   |     156   |     291
20       |      41   |      52   |      93
|           |           |
Over 20   |     ...   |      22   |      22
-------------+-----------+-----------+-----------
Total    |  41,491   |  40,319   |  81,810
-------------------------------------------------

An attempt was made to follow up the cases of all the children who had left one public elementary school during the period of one year preceding the study.  The work was done by the case method and the homes of the children were visited.  The total number of cases studied was 117, of whom 89 were girls.  It was found that one-third of these children had graduated and gone on to high school.  Another third had gone to work, and of these, 40 per cent had done so without graduating.  The children constituting the remaining third were staying at home, and among these a majority had dropped out without graduating.

Of the eighth grade graduates one-half were found to be illegally employed, as they were less than 16 years of age.  Among those who dropped out and went to work before completing the course 80 per cent were illegally employed.

The fact that many girls drop out without graduating and before the end of the legal attendance period and remain at home indicates that most of them do not leave on account of financial necessity.  This conclusion is substantiated by the testimony of the girls and their parents, many of whom say that the girls left simply because they grew tired of attending and did not see the value of remaining.

These facts point to the necessity for much more effective work in enforcing the compulsory attendance laws, for far better inspection of shops and factories to detect violations of the child labor laws, and above all to such a reform of the schooling opportunities provided for older girls as will make them and their parents see the value of securing the advantages of the training provided.

EDUCATION AT THE TIME OF LEAVING SCHOOL

About 3,700 boys and an approximately equal number of girls drop out of the public schools each year.  Most of the boys and a considerable number of the girls enter wage-earning at once.  Their educational equipment at the time of leaving school is indicated in Table 6.