The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-20

ancs with Ne subissk sviAes. nevertheless.
more lively interest than the graduates Of
Realschulen aud industrial schools" and in
tho examinations at tho close Of the semester stand
relatively better than the other Glasses Of pu-
pills. from whom greater results would nAtu-
rally DO looked for"
On the part Of the instructors In the desorip-
tive natural sciences. Prof. Peters observes that
to the students from tho Rsa 'sohulen the names
and terms borrowed from tho Greek could not
be made clear. and to their ignorance Of this
language and OF the numerous words derived
from II In Latin French. and English should
partly be ascribed the serious deficiencies
which were remarked BY Prof. Peters in their
knowledge OF the three tongues last mentioned.
Notwithstanding tho fact that twice % much
time 10 givcn TO French By the Realschule ~
By tho Gymnasium. while only In the former 10
English taught at all. We should mention. on
tho other hand. that Assistant Prof. Won Mar.
tons. whose experience Of Realsch0ler. how.
ever. Is limited to small number OF generally
jealous specialists. renders more favorable
verdict In that he has perceived no difference
between these picked dsvotess OF science and
the pupils from the Gymnasis as regards In
dustry and persistence and the power Of OBJ.
serving at first hand and accurately discrimi.
mating facts But he also says that the former
often evlnoo less oloverness and more dull
ness In comprohending and expressing again
what they havo hoard"
1t will DO noted that Prof. Won Martens docs
not assert the slightest superiority for even the
best mon from the Realschulen over their Gym
nasiast competitors. although thoy had given
moro than twice as many hours to the physical
sciences at school. We should also keep In
view q fact already noted. viz. that the Real
schulen spend twice as much time upon Fronch
n a IN nvnn oil uhnn vvn haa DFnf
whose department is the French language and
literature. testify that he had not observed
any considerable difference between me- from
the Realschule and the Gymnasium as regards
their scientific capacity" On tho other hand.
Prof. Zupltza. the instructor In the English lam
guage and literature. declares that In the Real
chnler despite tho fact that they alone OF his
pupils had studied English at school. he not
only felt the want OF knowledge OF Greek"
but was still more struck by tho i'm
portant circumstance that among the Real
schulz mon acuteness Of apprehension and In
dependence Of judgment are almost entirely
lacking 30 that with all their industry they
arc generally able to cover In their work only
such ground as has been marked out for them."
After hearing such testimony we arc not sur
prised to learn that the examinations In Eng
lsh. conducted by Prof. Zupitza. showed on
the average more favorable results In the case
Of men from the Gymnasium" Beside this evil
denco let US place that Of the representatives
OF that German language and literature which
q few graduates OF Harvard would substitute
for Greek In the precolleglate curriculum.
Prof. MlllenhofY sums up the results OF .
thorough discussion In the words: Judging
from my experience. 1t Is simply impossible for
| one who has been prepared In the Realschule
| to acquire a satisfactory scientific education.
M trno 10 hv NM 49, hn NnNn
languages. nor without . solid foundation In
the training OF the Gymnasium" that Is to say
| In Greek. which constitutes the one emphatic
mark OF distinction from the Realschule. Prot
| Scherer. also the second regular instructor In
| German at the University OF Berlin. complains
OF the difficulties that beset instruction II
| the teacher cannot be sure that the most ee-
mentary comparison Of German with a Greek
| form OF speech will be understood by all OF his
| hearers. and does not know whether the great
| Greek models OF German literature are at least
| in some measure familiar to them ALL" The
truth. OF course. is that Goethe unacaualnted
with Greek Is as absurdlv inconceivnble as q
leonine jackass. and that. to expound Goethe
| less undertaking.
It was to be expected that the expounders Of
| philosophy. whose spokesman IL Prof. Zeler.
| would plain Of the embarrassment caused
| by tho attendance OF students from tho Real
| schuien. seeing that II In tho history. not only
OF ancient philosophy. but OF other philosoph-
| ical systems. q large portion Of the lectures
| must necessarily DO moro or less uninteIligible
to those hearers to whom the Greek language Is
totally unfamiliar. and who lack living ac-
Quaintance with Greek antiquity" We will
only subjoin the evidence OF Prof. Melton. who.
speaking for the instructors In economies and
| kt,k;o I'D No ,,,tkh
out tho Gymnasium training he constantly
their own scientific capacity. and no sure In
| sight into the growth Of mans mental life."
| In presence OF such testimony. patiently and
| impartially collected during ten years OF AGA
| demcal experience. the members OF the philo-
sophical faculty Of the University OF Berlin re-
solved. without a dissenting voice. to advise
the Ministry OF Public Instruction to reconsider
its past action and exclude graduates OF Real
schulen from naturalization. or. In other words.
to make Greek again an indispensable require
ment for admission. And when. six months
later. DR.. A. w. Holman. a professor. not OF
Greek or Of metaphysics. but OF chemistry was
inauGurated Rector OF the University. he thus re-
| affirmed the unanimous convictions OF his col
leagues: An efforts to find substitute for the
classical languages whether In mathematics. In
the modern languages. or in the natural sciences.
have been hitherto unsuccessful: after long
and vain search wo always come back
finally to the result Of centuries OF ex-
perience. that tho surest instrument that
can be used in training the mind OF youth
Is given us In the study OF the languages
the literature. and the works OF art OF classical
antiquity. According to tho unanimous rerdici
of experienced teachers in the departments OF
mathematics and The natural sciences. graduates
OF the Roalschule are almost without exception
overtaken In the later semesters by students
from the Gymnasium. however much the for
mer lowing to their antecedent instruction.
may excel the latter in the same branches In
the first semester"
Such evidence" says DR.. HHmann. needs
no comment" and we imagine that herein the
Presidents. trustees. overseers. and profcs.
sors OF every conspicuous American university
will ratiiy his judgment. NJ. w. II.
The North American Indian.
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