essential industries, every possible effort should be made to increase the number of trained workers. When the law was passed changing the draft ages, the Board sought for some method by which the training facilities under the direction of the State departments of vocational education could be utilized more fully, both for the benefit of industry and the Army. On June 6 the Board took action modifying its previous requirements for entrance to war-emergency classes for which Federal funds could be expended. Originally, and in accordance with mobilization plans under the terms of the first draft, the Board required that enrollment in such classes should be limited to men in draft classes 1 and 2; but it seemed, in view of the forthcoming draft, that others could and should be admitted to the classes, including

(a) Conscripted men already in the draft, subject to draft control, regardless of their classification or class status.

(b) Persons 18 years of age who possessed the necessary qualifications to profit by mechanical or technical instruction given in accordance with special bulletins on Army occupations issued by the Federal Board.

In accordance with authority voted by the Board on June 6, the director issued the following rulings:

Provided that all persons admitted to such evening classes shall possess the necessary qualifications for profiting by mechanical or technical instruction given in accordance with special bulletins on emergency war training issued by the Federal Board, Federal funds may be used as reimbursement for onehalf of the salaries of teachers in classes admitting any of the following groups: (a) Persons over 18 years of age who may later become liable to military duty;

(b) Conscripted men subject to draft control regardless of their draft classification;

And further,

(c) In communities unable to maintain separate trade-extension and wartraining classes, prospective soldiers may be admitted to evening trade-extension classes, provided the instruction shall be supplemental to their regular day employment, and such students shall be reported to the Federal Board on regular war-training report forms.

This action simply extends evening school opportunities to other groups of people than those included under the resolution adopted by the Federal Board November 9, 1917, which was ruled to apply only to conscripted men in draft class 1. (See Bulletin 4, part 1.) Since that date Congress has passed a law making all men, as they become 21 years old, subject to the selective-service laws, and war demands have made it necessary to call into service men in deferred classifications and also men physically qualified for limited military duties. For these reasons, the Board authorized the use of Federal funds as sfated in this communication, but at the same time notifies the States that this action is not to be regarded as a precedent in the interpretation of the expression "supplemental to day employment" given in section 11 of the Smith-Hughes Act, where evening school work is defined. Furthermore, the evening school work herein referred to must be of less than college grade and

will be subject to all the requirements of the Smith-Hughes Act and the policies of the Federal Board.

State authorities for vocational education are responsible for prompt, accurate, and complete reporting on forms provided by the Board as a requisite for reimbursement, in accordance with the vote of the Board on May 9, 1918. Evening war training classes may be conducted in private institutions, and reimbursement for one-half of the teachers' salaries made from Federal funds, provided the instruction is under public supervision and control, and the other half of the salaries paid from funds under public control.

The Federal Board has ruled that the term "evening class" means a class conducted during hours outside the students' regular hours of employment.

A brief statistical report is appended giving the numbers of men by occupations in which they have been trained and by States. Briefly, the Board's principal contributions to training for Army service may be summarized as follows:

1. Assisted in determining a system of classification by which drafted men with special qualifications could be located and called by the Provost Marshal General.

2. In cooperation with Army officials, prepared a series of bulletins which have become the basal texts for Army training purposes. The entire expense of preparation and publication has been borne by the Board.

3. Proposed the plan and assisted in the organization of the administrative scheme through which about 100,000 men will have been trained for corps service in mechanical lines in day classes throughout the country.

4. Promoted the training of 19,694 radio operators, not less than 5,000 of whom were inducted into the Signal Corps. Absolute figures can not be given, but all the evidence points to an equal number for the Navy and the mercantile marine. Moreover, several thousand more men received training which was utilized in corps service in some phase of radio operation or repair.

5. Through State departments for vocational education, prepared for service in mechanical occupations in the Army 16,060 men trained in evening classes, and established with the War Department a system of identification, certification, and assignment to service where their skill could be utilized.

NOVEMBER 13, 1918.

Total enrollment in war-training classes, by occupations.

In spite of the chaos in opinion and practice as to instruction in secondary agriculture, it has been introduced in many schools scattered throughout the country. Though statistics show that agriculture as a subject of instruction has been introduced into but 19 public high schools up to and including 1900, it was introduced in 33 schools between 1901 and 1905 and in 413 schools between 1906 and 1910. In the summer of 1916, according to the United States Bureau of Education, 2,981 high schools reported pupils in agricultural courses. However, only 2,166 of these schools were giving instruction in agriculture in a serious way. Of these, about 25 per cent stated that their courses were vocational in purpose. The proportion of the schools whose work was actually vocational was probably smaller.

1 Includes army cooking, paper work, horseshoeing, veterinary science, shoemaking, concrete work, topographical drafting, photography, etc.

Many schools which reported their work as vocational reported also that the method of instruction was limited to classroom-recitation work. Others reported some laboratory work in addition to classroom work, but no practical work, either on school land or in the performance of home agricultural projects. Six hundred and seventy-six, or 30 per cent, combined classroom instruction with laboratory work and practical farm work, either on school land or at the homes of pupils through the project method, and 33 per cent of the number used the home-project method, although in only 261 instances were the home projects supervised by the agricultural instructor. However, as a matter of fact, a considerable number of public high schools in the United States other than those included in this report were undoubtedly using the home-project method at that time.

At the present time the proportion of high schools giving truly vocational instruction in agriculture is probably between 20 and 25 per cent of the whole number. State boards for vocational education reported, for the fiscal year 1917-18, 609 special schools of agriculture or agricultural departments in high schools which had qualified for Federal aid under the Smith-Hughes law. (See statistical report, Tables 5, 6, 7, and 8, pp. 95 to 101.)

SPECIAL SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS.

Parallel with but somewhat antedating agricultural instruction in public high schools, there developed in various parts of the country special secondary institutions for agricultural instruction. They usually own a farm, barns, herds, flocks, etc., and are so costly that relatively few can be maintained in a State. This, of course, means that in most cases students must leave home. The parent loses the work of the boy out of school hours, and the boy loses home advantages. Instruction in all cases is strictly vocational in aim, and has undoubtedly had a good influence in showing to high schools the importance of the vocational aim in agricultural instruction. However, in many cases students at these special secondary schools get little actual farming experience.

Experience and observation of secondary instruction in secondary schools during the introductory period finally brought out of the chaos of opinion and practice a fairly general point of view. It is granted that there is a need for both special and secondary schools of agriculture and for courses in agriculture in our public high schools. However, for the majority of pupils the advantage is conceded to be in agricultural courses in the established high schools. Relatively small communities are served by these schools and pupils may live at home. But one or two agricultural teachers are needed for

each school. Since many of the agricultural pupils live at home on farms, the cost of agricultural equipment for such a school may be low. Each boy may do directed practical work, and carry on definite home projects on the home farm in connection with his school work. Herds, barns, flocks, and crops of the community may be used for illustrative purposes and for laboratory and field instruction.

STATE AND FEDERAL AID.

Discovery of noneffectiveness of agricultural teaching in many schools has been followed by a realization of the necessity of careful definition of the aims of such instruction and for vocationalizing the work. The problem of agricultural instruction in high schools is seen to differ radically from that of nonvocational instruction. Different methods and materials of instruction must be employed and therefore teachers must be especially trained for the work.

To reorganize needed reforms and advances in the work was an important step. To bring about needed reforms presented many problems and difficulties. There was much difference of opinion as to how it should be done and insufficient tested information.

High schools giving agricultural instruction were widely scattered. They were independent as to course of study and methods. The training of agricultural teachers varied within wide limits. Equipment was often inadequate, but occasionally so extensive as to be unwieldly.

It became evident that the importance of agricultural and other secondary vocational instruction was so great, and their problems so many, that they could be adequately met only through State and Federal aid and by thorough State organization of the work. Through the Federal vocational education act this was made possible.

PROVISIONS OF THE FEDERAL LAW.

As regards agricultural education, the act contemplates and provides for aid in promoting instruction in public high schools, for aid in teacher training, and for aid in supervising instruction in the schools.

Provision is made for two funds: (1) For salaries of teachers, supervisors, and directors of agricultural subjects; and (2) for training teachers, a portion of which shall be used for the training of teachers, supervisors, and directors of agriculture.

The total appropriation for salaries of teachers, supervisors, and directors of agricultural subjects was $548,000 in 1917-18, and increases yearly to a maximum of $3,027,000 in 1925-26. This latter is the annual appropriation thereafter.