Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-23

elementary school are termed real
classes. hut are not to DO COMPOUNDED
with the higher real schools, which are
but a step short Of tho college.
In the classes Of city and town schools
the boys and girls are usually separate.
There is no study-room, the studying
being all done at home. IL is noticeable
that the school opens without Bible-read-
ing or prayer, butlater in the morning one
OF the town pastors will enter the rooms
Of the higher classes and give n half
hour's instruction, mostly concerning
the characters of the New Testament
The scholars viii be- asked about the
lives Of Peter and Paul and the scenes
Of the Holy Land, the interest OF the
pupil depending wholly on the ability Of
the teacher to entertain him. The talk
Of the half hour seems 10 be devoted
moro 10 Bible biography than to re-
ligious training The preachers, how
ever, have an uphill row Of it, for hum
dreds OF the Swiss teachers are infidels.
Tho pay OF these Swiss teachers, look
Cd ut from an American standpoint, is
insignificant. II averages less than 900
per year, and rarely exceeds $500; but
then house rent and fuel are free, the
term Of service Is almost for life, and
promotions for merit are constant. Here,
as in oil matters of public benefit in
Switzerland, the man best fitted and
trained for his place keeps it. There is
DO turning competent men out simply
"to give some other fellow a chance 10
get in, as with us.
There are twcDty-seven institutions IN
Switzerland for the education Of teach
ers. not including military training
school, where specialists are prepared
for teaching classes in gymnastics and
military drill.
Gymnastics, by the way, are taught in
every Swiss school, and a proper gylnna-
stun with all its belongings is attached
TO every school-house. The Swiss semi
naries for the preparation Of teachers are
open 10 both sexes, and some of the best
teachers in the public schools are
ladies', though the number en-
gagged is very small, perhaps not
10 per cent. OF the whole. Their
pay, too, absurd though il seems, Is some
30 per cent. less than that Of male teach
ers There are no young, inexperienced
girls teaching IN the schools, and no
young men using the school-dcsk while
waiting for something better to turn up.
School-teaching is n serious business
there and the calling of lifetime.
The Swiss school hours are very long
twcnty-seven hours week Tor the pri-
mary classes and only eight weeks vsca-
ton in the year. The studies il these
earlier. classes comprehend religion,
good manners, German, arithmetic,
elements Of geometry, natural his
tory, geography. history, singing,
drawing, gymnastics, and for the girls
female industry. The girls may skip
the geometry class If the parents 50
choose. In the secondary schools,
where tho pupils are from twelve to
fifteen years old, the studies are mostly q
continuation and repetition OF those
passed in the primary schools. except
that natural history is enlarged upon
greatly, especially IN its bearings on
farming and other industries More at
tentiOn. too, is given TO gymnastics and
drill. These classes are attended thirty
three hours a week and forty-four weeks
IN the year. exclusive of much time spent
in gymnastics, The course is Tor three
wears. Textbooks are rarely changed.
Great care is observed in their adoption
and their cost is but trihing, even for the
poor There are. in fact, private schools
IN the country where no textbooks at all
are used and where the Pestaloz2ian sys-
tenn Of teaching 10y objects Is applied to
advance pupils with signal success. The
first class. mornings at Swiss schools j
ri 7 o'clock, an early hour for q boy TO
have breakfast over and the school road
behind him.
The long hours and the hard work of
the Swiss school are made less tedious
10y themany interesting excursions taken
Nv schools and teachers together, where
the boys, girls, and masters romp 10
their hearts content Another relief is
found in the music of the schools. The
Swiss al sing. and n master who could
not lead his school with the violin would
be an anomaly. There is constant
singing and marching and entertaining.
IL may be noticed, too, that the many,
very many hours Of school attendance are
not wholly devoted to new things the old
lessons, the old exercises, are gone over
and over and over till the boy knows
them forever. This repetition is Of
course easier than learning new lessons
would be; besides, the talks in the
classes, especially in natural history, 10y
teachers who are interesting and compe-
tent. make the long hours seem short
enough. and it is seldom thst "A Swiss
school-boy would not rather be IN the
school-room than anywhere else. Play
ing "truant is an unknown vice there.
The relations between boy and
master are kindly in TIE eX-
treme. The Swiss sohool-boys love
their teachers and they love their
schools. The lessons of the textbooks
are by no means the only lessons they
have learned in the school-room. Ihoy
have been taught good manners, respect
O their elders, cleanliness neatness, and
how 20 behave on all occasions. ASIDE
from what they have learned from their
books, they can sing well, write well, APP
near well. and are liable to be pretty ex-
pert qymnasts and rihemen. Whether
they enter the university or so out into
the wide world in search OF livelihood
the memory and advantages of their
school-days go with them, for the school
room in Switzerland does more than the
home 20 make men and women OF its
boys and girls.
Once out of the preparatory schools
the industrial schools are open for boys
all over the country. They are as inter
esting in their methods and as thorough
in their advantages as are the ordinary
schools and are of inestimable benefit TO
tho poor boy who aspires to get above
the hard tread-mill OF day laborer.
The means for pursuing knowledge
among the Swiss youth are found in the
tremendous number OF public Libraries
and reading-rooms existing throughout
the country.
The country has more circulating
books in libraries than any State Of equal
population in Europe. Zurich canton
=. bos OCT libraries while every cOfS