NOTE BY THE EDITOR. 
Tee undersigned having been appointed by the Executive Committee of the National 
Zducational Association to edit this volume, and instructed by said Committee that the 
roceedings of the International Congress of Education must be limited to a single vol- 
ame of a thousand pages when published, and its early publication having been pre- 
vented by conditions beyond control, deems it appropriate to make explanatory state- 
ments as to the chief hindrances to an earlier completion of the work, and also as to the 
nature of the abridgments necessary to bring the volume within the prescribed limits. 
Flirst.—About one-fourth of the papers presented before the congresses could not be 
obtained by the Secretary, for various reasons wholly beyond his control, during the 
time of the meetings. It was found difficult to secure them after the writers had 
returned to their homes. Several papers were sent directly to the Chairman of Arrange- 
ments, and the Secretary forwarded to him, about the 15th of September, all the papers, 
reports, and discussions that he had been able to collect. 
Second.—The first package of these papers reached the editor on Christmas-eve ; 
others arrived during January. Those of the department latest received were delivered 
bo him April 10th: Several single papers were received still later. Beside, many papers 
of delegates from foreign countries had to be trauslated. The extended index could 
not be completed until all the papers were in type and paged. 
Third.—The very large number of papers submitted, with about four hundred pages of 
reported discussions, and the lengthiness of some papers, together with the limits of a 
single volume, rendered it necessary that portions of this material should be abridged, or 
valuable papers omitted entirely. These conditions made reading and discrimination 
.ndispensable. The material submitted has been diminished by excluding some papers 
sent to the editor which were neither read nor considered before the Congress ; also by 
-eaving out a few which did not seem necessary to the completeness of the volume. 
Abridgments have been necessary where two or more papers were written upon the 
same subject ; slight abridgments have been made in cases where matter incidentally 
related to the subject did not appear essential to the writer's treatment of it. This class 
includes a large majority of those slightly abridged. In all cases care has been taken 
so retain the exact language of the writers in the papers thus printed. In many instances 
she papers marked “abstract” in the volume were sent to the editor in the form used. 
Where abridgments have been made in the papers published the extent and character 
of the abridgments are indicated within brackets in connection with the titles in the 
‘ollowing table of contents. 
Changes have been made in language in a few instances where the writers are not 
accustomed to speak or write English. 
Re-writing was found indispensable in some of the reported discussions and in minutes 
of meetings. In these cases, where possible, the language of the writer or speaker has 
seen retained. 
It is hoped that an examination of this volume, in view of the facts above stated, may 
overbalance all disappointment from its late reception, and be accepted as a reasonable 
axplanation of any omissions. 
N. A. CALKINS. 
MAY 15, 1894.