The demand grows constantly more urgent for the closer adaptation of schools to the needs of the communities in which they are located and by which they are supported. Some countries have succeeded in this better than others. Among those that have succeeded best are the Swiss Cantons. Believing that a careful study of the methods by which they accomplish this adaptation would be useful to educators in the United States, William K. Tate, who at the time held a temporary appointment as collector and compiler of statistics at the Bureau of Education, visited Switzerland to make a careful study of this particular phase of the systems of education in some of the Cantons. His expert knowledge of school work and the hearty cooperation of Swiss school officials enabled him to make a fairly thorough study of this subject during this time. The accompanying manuscript contains the results of this study, which covers the following topics: (1) Educational ideals; (2) The spirit of the classroom; (3) A general view of the Swiss school system; (4) The teacher and the teaching profession; (5) School buildings and equipment; and (6) Vocational education. The following documents are appended: (1) A Greeting to Our Little One (a circular to his teachers by Ernst Kasser); (2) Instructions for the Organization of Continuation Schools for Household Economics; (3) Organization and Methods of Instruction in the Continuation Schools (by J. Biefer); (4) Course of Study for the German Primary Schools of the Canton Berne; (5) Program of Studies of Boys' Secondary School, Berne; (6) The City Gymnasium of Berne; (7) Schedule of Courses Offered by the Housekeeping School of Geneva (Rue Rousseau); (8) The Home-Arts School of Winterthur; (9) Typical Daily Programs; (10) Program of the Agricultural School in Zurich; (11) Optional Course of Study in Home Arts, Berne; (12) The Apprenticeship Shops of Berne; (13) The Art and Crafts School of the City of Zurich; (14) Poster as to School of Arts and Crafts, Canton Geneva; (15) Poster Agricultural Instruction, Canton Geneva; (16) Courses for Apprentice Gardeners, Canton Geneva; and (17) Poster as to Short Course in Agriculture, Canton Geneva. An index is also provided. (Contains 43 illustrations and 8 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]