New-York tribune., 1891-02-19
FMPLROR TILLIAM ON EDUCATION.
PRACTICAL TRAINING AND SCHOOL DISEASES
FROM HIS DECEMBER ADDRESS TRANSLA-
TED BY PROFESSOR ALONzo WILLIAMS

PRACTICAL TRAINING AND SCHOOL DISEASES
FROM HIS DECEMBER ADDRESS TRANSLA-
TED BY PROFESSOR ALoNzo WILLIAMS
From The University Magazine.
wish to say in advance that if become somewhat
severe in NY criticism l refer 70 no man personally
but the system, to the whole condition. can speak
initiated, for too have sat IN the gymnasium
and know how affairs there. If the school had
accomplished that which Is expected OF II, uich IL
ginning this fight against SOCIAL democracy me
faculties Of instruction as BODY should have taken
hold Of the matter firmly, and nave 50 Instructed he
rising generation that these young men OF aDout my
age, thirty, would have cut OF themselves developed
already the material with which ! might work IN the
state, and thus become more quickly master ol tile
movement This h0wcyer h3S not been IN, 'he cae e
ments when our school was the potent factor IN me
life and development of our Fathelland Then tie
schools the Prussian faculties Of instruction
were the standard bearers OF German uhty %hch was
preached everywhere Every graduate of the school.
whether lac went mo the army S' hln'aiilsgr, & Ul
entered upon the duties OF life, al were unanimous
upon this one point: the German Empire VIII be set
up again and Asace- Lorraine rc"Un mat ce,5ed III
1871. The Empire was united what We had desired
attained, and there We stopped ~ thdt very
point the school, starting from the newly won base,
should have entered upon new campaign Should nave
inspired the young with PATRIOTISM ana nave gwen
political existence for them to MAINTAIN NJ .IsI
of this has been Observed and already cehtiliuea
serve and estimate these accurately, because Of my
elevated position The cause OF this condition Is TO be
sought in the education of our youth what hen II lch
ing in that Well there IS iack I'D mdHF pdGe,. hut
the one chief defect this: since 1870 the PhiOloeue,
have in the Gymnasium as Dcdtl po>NucuttS, anu
have laid the chief stress upon the STUN hey teich
upon the learning and the knowing ana not upon the
development of character and upon the demands of
modern life lou will pardon me-, frlvy Counselor
Hinzpeter yOu an inspired phllOl0Gue ncVcrthe-
beyond <Yiich il most assurcdy shall not pass Less
importance is put upon ability taan upon MlowIcoge
This is disclosed moreoyer In the , R n nor
fundamental principle that the pupil mnoii before an an
what he knows is adapted t. life is a subordinate mat
Ter. When we enter into conversation with one oi
the gentlemen engaged in this business and VIC endeavor
to make >>lear to nm thdt young nan Nnoula w
trained. in measure at least, for The p!actcal
duties of life receive the stock reply: mat i not
the function o. the School the ntlaeI oi o'1ed % m
pOranco is mental t"ainngdc C}mna>tlk dcS CelstcS
and if this mental training has been properly at
tended to. then the young man i IN condition
possessed of this mental training, to perform all re-
farther advance can in my opinion, be made
To take up now the schools, ana speclally the
circles ! am regarded fanatical opponent Of the
Gymnasium. and l am heralded IN favor Of other
But one w.O has himself been at the Gymnasium and
looked behind the scenes, knows where the lack IS
And that which is lacking before all else the national
basis. We must take foundation for the Gym
nasium that which is German. We must train up
Romans. We must surrender the bass which has
isted for centuries renounce the oid cC,tercdrca,
Greek added was the standard: The German subject
must be made the centre, and about this everything
else rcvOlye. If et his graduation examination
works out a faGltless German essay theme, can
deermiue the mcasurs of Thai young man, Intellectual
development and judge whether not he viii be good
for anything in life. So / say. away with the Latin
essay! II Is running and over II we sQuander
ing time that should be given 10 German subjects
Now take mp the amount o. work imposed upon
the youth 10 is imperative that we reduce the number
Of hours 10 will not DO, gentlemen We must not
stretch this bow further nor leave it stretched As
II IS. We must retreat have already here passed
the extreme limit The SchOOls-and here again !
mean the GvmnaSium-havc exceeded the limits OF
humanity. They have, in my opinion. turned out an
all TOO great oycrproduction Oi the lsocacd learned.
more than the nation can dispose Of, more even than
the people bear.
The idea that the teacher is appointed simply 10 hear
lessons, and when this task is performed his work for
the day is ended must be given up II the school is
10 withdraw the young from the parental roof for such
length OF time IL mast assume the responsibility for
their training. II you train the character OF the young
VIC shall have different graduates FROM those we now
have. Furthermore We must rcrOUncc the principle !
which makes knowledge and not life the thing Of chief
importance. The young must be prepared for the |
practical life Of the present day. The statistical data
in regard to the spread Of school diseases particularly
of sh0rSightedneSS OF the pupils, are truly alarming
and for number OF diseases there is Still lack Of
coated statistics. just consider the kind OF youth !
that Is growing up for the. defence of the country
which shall fatherland as Intellectual leaders
and as civil officials also. This great Of short
sighted people is for the most part Of use How |
can man. who cannot his ewes, afterward ac
eomplish much? In certain institutions the number
Of the shortsghted amounts to "a per cent can state
from my own experience that In spite of the fact that
At Cassel we had very good room, with excellent |
light on one side, and good ventilation which was
brought about upon the wish of mother yet there