This text investigates the foundational objectives and structural requirements necessary for the effective administration and instruction of secondary-level schooling. Rudyard Bent examines the historical development of high school curricula and the pedagogical shifts required to meet the needs of an evolving adolescent population. The work argues for a standardized approach to secondary education that balances academic rigor with the practical preparation of students for civic and professional life.

Experts classify this as a foundational text for understanding the early 20th-century approach to secondary school administration. Readers frequently note the formal, academic density of the prose which reflects the educational standards of its time.