Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-09-07
German Normal Schools.

system,-not fifth wheel Of the coach but the
driving wheels OF the engine-the special prepar-
alton and requirements Of teachers for their work
The teachers OF the folk-schoos are generally
sons Of farmers or tradesmen, sometimes sons OF
teachers, and their early training has been in the
folk-school. Thence the candidate at fifteen
years or more enters preparatory school where
for two years he studies Biblical history, history
Of Christianity, catechism, writing, reading gram
mar, arithmetic, geography, physics, German
history, natural history, instrumental and vocal
music, and sometimes the elements Of geometry
Here he bears his own expenses. Then he pre-
sents himself for examination for admission to
the seminary as the German normal school is
called. lie must also present a certificate Of good
character from his minister one Of good health
and OF recent vaccination from physician, GER
tifcate of baptism, and another, signed by two
OF more teachers, vouchng for his previous in
dustrious and moral habits and Of his possessing
sufficient ability for the teachers profession.
Those who are highest on the examination list
are elected to fill vacancies in the seminary.
Only limited number are each year admitted,
since no class may comprise over about thirty,
and seventy Is the limit OF the whole school,
Each successful candidate binds himself to teach
three years in any place assigned him by the au-
thorities or refund the expense Of his education.
On this condition pupils in the normal schools
pay no tuition and generally no room-rent, some
times have their books free but otherwise defray
their individual expenses except as aided from
special funds. There are about one hundred
seventy such schools in Germany, with popua-
ton of twenty-eight millions, Of which all but
twelve or thirteen are for young men. Women
in Germany never have charge Of a school even
in the smallest country districts, they only
sistants in cities and large towns, having only girl
pupils, and constitute only one-tentb Of the teach
ing force for the common schools.
The teachers of the normal school are OF the
abest in the land, the director certainly being
a university graduate and having had training
also in a normal seminary, and successful exper-
fence teacher. He is paid $500 to 81, 200 a
year and a house. His first assistant gets 5000
to $500, and those of the second rank $3.50 to
s65Ol The drill OF these schools is severe The
course is three years long, with forty-four weeks
actual attendance and thirty-seven thirty-eight
hours of weekly recitation, except the last year
when some hours each day are spent in the prac-
tice school. The actual time of reciting is forty
five to fifty minutes The school session begins
at 645 A. NJ. in summer, and 7. 40 in winter, and
the six hours of daily work are generally contin-
uous-an interval of twenty minutes being al
lowed at ten o'clock for a slight lunch. The sub
ects pursued are religious four hours weekly, the
schools being always either exclusively Catholic
or Protestant, pedagogics, German literature five
hours, mathematics, through spherical geometry,
ancient and modern history, music, including
| thorough bass and composition, drawing, gymnas-
tics French or Latin, as the student may choose,
| three months, and the natural sciences, including
| physics, botany, natural history, chemistry
| geology and mineralogy. Besides this private
| reading, chiefly in German classics and educa
| tional works, must be done under the teachers
| supervision and weekly account thereof given
before the class | had thought the gymnasial
work exceedingly vigorous, but after two days in
the classes of seminary was convinced that no
schools in the world exact so much labor, in pro-
portion to the previous discipline, these train
ing schools In fact, only superior talent is COM
petent for the work. For example, one of the six
daily exercises was in German literature. 1t
involved the outline OF the life character profess
sional and literary work Of four minor German
authors dates OF BIRTH education, change Of
residence and death were given, and extracts
from the writings Of each of these authors, to the
amount in all Of about two pages of prose OF
poetry were required to be memorized and rected
| by every member. Now suppose that half of this
| work was review was told it was an ordinary
lesson only-then multiply it by six or seven, fol
believe it an average OF the daily tasks, and
you might well ask for the leisure time Of the
pupil, or not be amazed that often considerable
proportion fail in the annual examinations and
are thrown out Those who pass the examina
lions are given certificates OF three grades accord
ing to their acquittal Of themselves, but only
those who stand in the first rank can act as a
principal, and no man can be at the head of a
country school unless he can sing and play the
violin, the piano and the organ, and no teacher
can teach without his seminary diploma.
While the local school boards may elect teachers
as they must pay them-no teacher can be per.
manently installed in any particular school till
the election is ratified by the school board of the
department. These department or provincial
boards appoint school inspectors who visit
schools, confer with teachers and suggest changes
By the same board teacher who evidently needs
further study may be remanded to the seminary
for further study-this at the expense Of the gov
ernment-or he is sent to the committee who CAV,
him his certificate for further examination, or h,
may be fined for negligence or removed. Direc
tors of semnaries are encouraged and aided t,
travel for wider observance of school work, ant
must each wear visit some portion of the schools
of the province and report thereon to the schoo
authorities.
What shall be said further of such scheme OF
education? The system is admirable Will
some features. which are evidently the trapping,
of ROYALTY and nobility lopped off we should cal
1t nearly perfect. 1t is efficient and economical
1t accomplishes most excellent work with n,
needless expenditure, There is no great surplu
itory advertising. When the name of a school il
, mentioned one knows at once its character, -
how much and what kind of work il done. Tn,
government will not allow A school. even il pri
yate and well endowed. to give itself name o
, a gymnasium for instance. unless it has the stan
I dard which is set for that class of schools. Tn
. only difference il the necessary one of persona
difference in teachers. or possibly for a time of
slightly lower standard for A newly annexed prov
r ince. The schools of Alsace and Lorraine and O
Q silesia are not up to the Prussian grade wher
Q the best work has been done for tvo-score years
The superyision il well-pigh perfect. 1t is in tn
a hands of accomplished and experienced teachers
n IL ia a branch Of the civil service where promc
o tion comes from well-tested capacity. Weakness
and incomnetencv must give wav To considera
0 tious of the nubljc welfare Thirdly. next to III
svstem itself the hast noint of the German school