134 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF EDUCATION.
WHAT SHOULD BE REQUIRED OF AND UPON WHOM IS
TO BE CONFERRED THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF
PEDAGOGY ?
8Y JEROME ALLEN, PH.D., PROFESSOR OF PEDAGOGY, UNIVERSITY OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
IT has been the custom for many years to confer upon those who have completed speci-
ded courses of study some appropriate degree indicating the satisfactory completion of
certain requirements. Whether these degrees are proper distinctions cannot here be
discussed ; it is sufficient to recognize their use by all higher institutions of learning,
and their almost universal acceptance by all to whom they are granted. During recent
years a number of degrees have been added, and it is often puzzling to know just what
certain letters mean, for all kinds of distinctions are published by various cabalistic
letters, not only in language, science, and art, but in the common arts, as bookkeeping,
typewriting, pharmacy, and surveying. Almost every young person who has attended
an established school for a length of time is authorized to use certain letters after his
name, indicating the possession of a degree. But, until recently, graduates of normal
schools and teachers of eminence have nowhere been recognized by any degrees as
marks of special excellence in educational study and teaching ability. Various efforts
have been made to establish such degrees in education, the most recent of which was
wo years ago, when Professor Sully moved in the governing board of the University of
London that degrees in education should be granted by that body. The motion received
a tie vote, and only failed by the casting of the chairman’s vote in the negative. In this
country, three years ago, the University of the City of New York established a depart-
ment of pedagogy, with courses of study leading to the degrees of Master of Pedagogy
‘Pd.M.), and Doctor of Pedagogy (Pd.D.).
The highest degree in education must be the doctor's degree, and because of its emi-
nenece great pains should be taken to guard it so carefully that it shall not fall into
contempt. What qualifications should a doctor of pedagogy possess ?
It is evident that any one seeking this high degree should, first of all, possess a strong
oersonality coupled with strong integrity and an elevated moral purpose and character,
“or without these qualities no amount of intellectual culture or scholastic attainment
vould result in other than doubtful success, if not absolute failure. Eminent teaching
ability is an essential qualification, but in addition certain branches of study must be
anderstood. of which the First is—
THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION,
This stands at the vestibule of a pedagogical course of study, for it is obvious that
without a knowledge of what other teachers have thought and done ; their successes
and failures ; their theories, principles, and practices—no great advance can be made
in the study of psychology and methodology. Educational psychology is the study of
the workings of the cultured mind, both in its present manifestations and past char-
acteristics. Hach age must be studied for the purpose of finding out conditions of
mental activity regulating the thought of that age. The study of the history of educa-
tion is the study of the methods of training the immature mind, and it shows why
these methods have changed, owing to race-forces, religious and governmental influences.
The old Grecian was different from the old Roman education, and these differed from
medizeval education. No age has produced such schools as our own. because the cir-
cumstances governing our civilization are different from all other eras. The study of
