The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-01
RESULTS OF COMPREHENSIVE
EDCCATI0N,

Competent judges tell us that, OF
all countries, Prussia has the best
system of national education. The
leading features of this system are:
l. The right and duty of the state to
establish sufficient number of ele-
mentary schools for all children of the
scholatic age. 2. The obligatory at
tendance of every child between
seven and fourteen years of age at
some public or private school. 3. The
special preparation Of teachers as
far as practicable. for every
grade of school, with opportunity
for promotion and Improvement, and
guarantee of pecuniary aid when sick,
infirm or aged, or for their families in
case of death. 4. y system of inspec-
ton, intelligent, frequent, constant
and responsible, reaching every school
and every teacher. THE rigid super
vision exercised by the government
over schools in Germany is, perhaps,
most marked in the measures adopted
to secure efficient teachers" In adj
dition to many normal schools, special
departments are created in the uni
versities for the higher improve
ment of teachers DESTROYS of greater
proficiency than can be acquired
in the normal schools. The scope OF
instruction embraced in the Prussian
system are: 1, primary; 2, burgher;
3, realschule; 4, gymnasium; 5, uni
verSity. Each school has special
function in the educational scheme.
and is not permitted to trench upon
that of another. No native citizen
can enter Il university, of which there
are many, unless he graduates from a
gymnasium, which is the connecting
link between the university and the
lower schools. 1t is the ante-chamber,
so to speak, of the university. Many of
the European countries, (among which
may be mentioned Austria, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands
Switzerland), have modelled their pub
lie school system after that of Prussia.
In all these countries the university
is component part of the national
system, and is supported by the gov
eminent. Governments are beginning
to recognize the fact that the highest
intellectual development of man is his
birthright; or, at least, that their
greatest safety consists in making
education as general and thorough as
possible. "In all civilized countries
education has come to be regarded by
the governments as the leading force,
not only in producing the best results
in public intelligence, virtue and citi-
zenship, but also in developing the
physical strength, as seen in war and
the material prosperity of the nation.
attended with corresponding in
crease of the national wealth.
The superiority of the Prussian
arms has been attributed not only to
the military organization and disci-
pline of that country, but also, in a
great measure. to its magnificent sys-
tenn of popular education" Acute
observers assert that Prussia was lift
ed from the humiliating position in
which she was left by the wars con
sequent on the French revolution
of 1870, through the agency OF
her incompatible school system
which begins with the elementary
schools and ends with the fines
universities in the world
THAT MANNED kingdom rose and be
came, on a sudden, one of the leading
powers in one of the greatest militar!
struggles on record, calling for un
heard-of national efforts, and tina
great system of national education
which rests like high and long arcl
on the two buttresses, the common
schools and the university, seemet
well, and proved efficient in the hou
of the greatest national need" If
university is necessary to a system o
education in imperial Germany, hoy
much more necessary is it in demo
cratic America Germany has nov
twenty-one universities, and popu
lation of 100000. Accordingly, sh
has university for every million Q
her people. Texas has two millions o
inhabitants, and one university. LIE
that one be so well equipped as {
professors, buildings, apparatus, etc
that it may do the work Of seysSS
The support of the Germa2 =
versities comes from the gover$ !
, that is. from the laborin
while the people Of our state a.