The Nation Volume 83 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 Excerpt: ...At Yale, the alternatives are so exacting that Greek Is In effect prescribed. A real cause for the diminution in numbers is probably the prosperity of Latin in secondary schools. A word of explanation will make this clear. Most schools cannot maintain separate teachers of Greek; the work is done by teachers of Latin. Greek classes are commonly small--often of half a dozen students or less; Latin classes are large, and growing larger. From an administrative point of view, the teacher's time and strength should be devoted to the subjects much demanded, hence the tendency to extinction of the small classes. This tendency holds good of all little-chosen subjects, and It probably accounts in part for the relative disappearance of Greek. But there is much for encouragement in the situation. Greek teachers are probably better trained than ever before, and their efforts are turned in more profitable directions. There Is a growing tendency to study the language as literature rather than as an exercise-in grammar. How little has this been done in practice, and how often has it been recommended since the days of Quintllian We are on the right road, though even the next generation may not reach the goal. College entrance examinations are tests of power to read Greek at sight, rather than tests of memory and knowledge of grammatical ruleB. College courses in Greek have never been more numerous, nor have Greek studies ever been carried so far. Denouncers of the elective system must not forget that that system means liberty to extend the study of the classics as well a- liberty for other studies, and that no feasible prescribed system could possibly give them the freedom in that respect which they now enjoy. Latin flourishes in the secondary schools almost beyond be...