NORMAL SCHOOLS. There was an increase of 3,862 in the number of students pursuing normal or teachers' training courses, as will be seen from an inspection of the tabular summaries in Chapter XXXVIII, the total number reported for the year ended June, 1896, being 84,400. The number of students in public normal schools was 40,421, an increase of 4,145 over the previous year; the number in private normal schools was 20,777, a decrease of 1,150. There were 7,026 normal students in universities and colleges, an increase of 624. The number of students pursuing teachers' training courses in public high schools was 8,246, an increase of 1,437; the number in private high schools and academies was 7,930, a decrease of 1,194. There was an increase in the attendance in public normal schools in each geographical division except the North Central, where there was a decrease of 43. The decrease in the number of students in private normal schools was in the North Atlantic and North Central divisions; in the other divisions the number was in excess of the attendance of the previous year. The increase in the number of normal students in universities and colleges was in the Northern and Western divisions; There was a very small decrease in the Southern divisions. The increase in the number of students in teachers' training courses in public high schools was in all the divisions except the North Atlantic, where there was a small decrease. The decrease in the private secondary schools was in all the divisions except the South Atlantic, where there was a small increase. It is gratifying to note the increased support extended to public normal schools by States, counties, and cities. The amount appropriated for the support of these institutions for the year ending June, 1896, was $2,187,875, an increase of $270,500 over the previous year. HIGHER EDUCATION. Universities and colleges.-The total number of universities and colleges for men and for both sexes (Chapter XXXIX) reporting during the year was 484, of which number 345 admit women to undergraduate courses of study. There are 188 institutions which have not as yet any endowment, 54 have endowment funds less than $25,000, and only 4 institutions have endowments exceeding $5,000,000. In a large number of the institutions a comparatively small part of the work is collegiate. There are at present 278 institutions having less than 100 students in undergraduate collegiate courses. The number of instructors reported by the 484 institutions was 12,277, while the number of students of all classes, secondary and higher, was 159,372. Of the lat ter number 47,014 were in preparatory departments, 68,629 in collegiate departments, 4,673 in graduate departments, and 25,438 in professional departments. The property reported was as follows: Volumes in libraries, 6,453,677; value of material equipment, $134,093,435; endowment funds, $109,562,433. The benefactions for the year, so far as reported, amounted to $8,342,728, and the income, excluding benefactions, was $17,918,174. Colleges for women.-The 162 colleges for women had, in 1894–95, 2,552 instructors and 24,663 students. The material equipment was valued at $15,568,508 and the endowment funds amounted to $5,308,558. The income was $3,456,983 and the benefactions received during the year amounted to $611,245. Schools of technology.-The number of schools of technology, excluding technological departments of universities and colleges, was 48, having 1,118 instructors and 12,816 students. The total value of all property was reported at $24,105,242, of which amount $10,384,293 was reported as endowment funds. The income of these institutions was $3,526,018, of which amount $2,402,332 was appropriated by the General and State governments. The gifts and bequests received by the schools of technology amounted to but $96,133. Diagrams 8 and 9 show in graphic form the trend of higher education since 1872. Professional schools.-There are 155 schools of medicine in the United States, 144 of theology, 73 schools of law, 46 of dentistry, and 44 of pharmacy. The number of students in schools of theology shows but little variation from year to year, but in schools of law, dentistry, and medicine there is a rapid increase. Of the 144 schools of theology 57 are in the North Central Division, 45 in the North Atlantic, 19 in the South Atlantic, 17 in the South Central, and 6 in the Western Division. Of the 155 medical schools, 116 are regular, 20 homeopathic, 8 eclectic, 2 physiomedical, and 9 graduate. The whole number of medical students of all classes was 24,437, and the number graduating was 4,947. The number of law students was 9,780, dental 6,399, and pharmaceutical 3,873. ACCORDING TO THE EUROPEAN STANDARD. The question is often asked, How many students are there in higher education in the United States, measured by the European standard? It is well known that the gymnasium and realschule of Germany, the lycée and communal college of France, and the "public school" or college of England include in their course of study not only what is included in the curriculum of the secondary schools in the United States, but also some portion of the course in the colleges. I have caused a table to be prepared for the United States, showing the number of students in higher education on the European standard. For this purpose it was necessary to omit the freshman year, and in most cases even the sophomore year in colleges, and make a corresponding reduction in the professional schools. The result for the United States and each of its census divisions is given in the following tables: Chapter II presents a detailed account of the most important event in the recent history of education in England, namely, the attempt in the current year to secure the passage of a new education bill. The need of legislation in the interests both of elementary schools and of secondary education has long been recognized and was urged by the royal commission on elementary education of 1886 and the more recent commission on secondary education. The fact that the bill dealt with |