necessity: clerks, copyists, stenographers, correspondents,
compositors, proof-readers, etc. These people need an intensive
specialized training in spelling that is not needed by the mass of the
population. Such specialized vocational training should be taken care
of by the Cleveland schools, but it should not be forced upon all
simply because the few need it. The attempt to bring all to the high
level needed by the few, and the failure to reach this level, is
responsible for the justifiable criticism of the schools that those
few who need to spell unusually well are imperfectly trained.

The spelling practice should continue through the high school. It
is only necessary for teachers to refuse to accept written work that
contains any misspelled word to force upon students the habit of
watchfulness over every word written. The High School of Commerce
is to be commended for making spelling a required portion of the
training. The course needs to be more closely knit with composition
and business letter-writing.




HANDWRITING


Cleveland gives a considerably larger proportion of time to
handwriting than the average of the 50 cities.

TABLE 5.--TIME GIVEN TO HANDWRITING
========================================================
| Hours per year | Per cent of grade time