NOTES ON EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 October 1908, Page 9

NOTES ON EDUCATION

(By Socrates.) EDUCATION IN GERMANY. LACK OF TEACHERS. • Education; in Germany is something of a national fetish, and it lias long been tho custom of educational enthusiasts to point with' prido to tho German system as being admirable ,in construction, thorough in character, and far-reaching in effect. German intellect has taken a prominent place ill the scientific, industrial, and commercial progress of the world. It comes with somewhat of a shock, therefore, to find, in a recent issue of the American "Review of Reviews," an interesting but pessimistic reference to the totally inadequate supply of teaching talent in Germany, as described, and supported by a formidable array of statistics, in an article by Herr Otto Kuhle, in the "Neue Zeit." "Germany is chronically suffering from lack of an adequate teaching force, and the school statistics prove that this evil has beeu constantly on the increase for the last thirty years. In 1901 there wore, in the whole of Germany 59,348 public schools, with 146,530 teachers and 8,924,779 pupils. This makes ,on an average 61 pupils to 1 teacher. TJndor normal conditions there should bo at least 1 teacher to every 30, pupils, which would necessitate an increase in the. present tcacliing force of at least 150,000. "In the higher schools these conditions do not exist. In Prussia during the years 1904 and 1905 the ratio of teacher to student was 1 to 17 or 18 in the high schools, and 1 to 15 or 16' in the gymnasia. "In addition to this absolute deficiency there is also a relative scarcity which the Prussian Ministry of Education explains as due to tho 'impossibility of finding available teachers. In 1901, 1828 teachers' positions were left unoccupied, and this number increased in 1906 to 3049. In 1882 there were 2879 schools in Germany with only one-half day attendance, in 1891 this number rose to 5078, and in 1901 to 7873. Moreover,_ the statistics' of 1901 showed that 1,255,922 children in'Bßls schools were so distributed that in the 'one-grade schools there were more than 80 children in a class, in the two and three graded schools . 70, and in the half-day schools 60; that is, 22.15 per cent, or all the school children are taught in overcrowded school rooms. In 692 classes tho attendance in each class ranged from 120 pupils to 236. Even Saxony, which. enjoys' the reputation of having the best schools in. Germany, showed..'by■ the latest statistics a 'record of 415 public schools, more than half the entire number of the Kingdom, with classes of 80 pupils and over. The maximum number prescribed by law is 60 pupils for a class. Considered in detail the figures are still more appalling. One hundred and seven schools had 80 to 90 pupils in a class, S7 numbered up to 110, 59 to 120 in a class, and 61 schools averaged an attendance per class of from 130 to 174.-

"lii Wurtomberg. the paucity of teachers has been so greatly on the increase since 1901 that the Minister of Education, Herr Weizsacker, in a recent utterance in the Chamber characterised the condition of., the schools as 'unworthy of the State.' A similar situation prevails in Hesscn, especially in the industrial centres, where the growth of the working population has been so rapid that the school administration has proved itself utterly incapable of meeting the increased demands mide upon it. The chief, causes of. this paucity are the low salaries,- and the strict,', military-like discipline imposed upon the -teachers'; which often.' subject's':, them;'to', humiliations 'frciin tile higher' school.'authorities.'.fto'i- man}-" years it has ; beeh'. the.'.en--deavour of the liberal elements iii Germany to secure legislative reform measures aiming at the removal of these evils. But the strongest political party, the Centre, is opposed to any, school reform. It fears the influence of an improved public school system upon the sectarian, schools, and.as...it.represents chiefly, thei agricultural classes, whose interests'-iir the- main are in the farm labourers, / it has nothing to gain from the ;extension of education among masses.,-' Under these circumstances the Liberals are compelled to resort ihorely to palliative measures, among which they' advocate the increase of schools for i.eachers, the employment of as great a number as possible of women teachcrs, and the Lowering of the standards of examination l!or, teachers so as to permit students of intermediate schools and high schools to becomo teachers after a certain age." v AGITATION FOR REFORM;:, :. : 1 "The agita{idii tor' I sch'6bl-'r'ef6'm' is growing ■paa'ticUlarl^' 1 strong among .the teachers themstiy'esi'.aiid at the last-election for 'the Prussian/'"Landtag they; succeeded in . ing tliis . question to. a political'issue.' In a progratpme drawn- -up .by the teachers of Prussia and submitted to the candidates for tlii: Landtag they make the following demands;,:— ■' " (1) Increaso of salary; (2) : abolition'of ecclesiastical inspection; (3) reform in the school curriculum and in religious instruction ; (4) decentralisation of the school administration; (5) the abolition .of all preparatory and privileged schools, and the free admission to the high schools of the more gifted students graduating." Discussing -the right of constraint in the "Hibbort Journal," Professor Flinders Petrie objects to the injurious constraint imposed.by endoavours to enforce uniformity, as in education: —'' The evils of. a system .which represses variety are seen in the deadness of general-interests and useful curiosity among ' educated;' (or truncated) people. And it"-"is precisely- this interest in nature audi in things .which- would be- the ..'.best against the Peeking of cscitenient] ill ling ..or -in: stimulants., By truncating' natural interests, in order to enforce'bookworkj we lead direct to the social evils which we deplorp. It is well known' how some of those whoso minds have proved most fruitful were duJl or even dunces at school.' Slow development saved them by arming them with impenetrability.. so that the ' system could not'constrain them to regulation type."

Professor Lloyd insists that enlightened action is; the true basis of morality, and declares that all truly forward' action' requires not only understanding but imagination ; so morality stands to religion as understanding to imagination, as prose to poetry. , Nelson is following the lead_ of Wellington in the matter of medical inspection of school children. A conference was held at Nelson recently, at which Mr. A. T. Maginmity, chairman of the Nelson Education Board, presided, and after a unanimous; discussion, ;in 'which the various speakers'-ex-pressed themselves as being; in entire agreement with the principles of such an-inspec-tion, it was announcd that stops would shortly be taken to have a scheme carried into'offect. '