Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-03
NEW-CENTURY CLUB.

At the club reception Monday even
ing week Mrs. Alice Freeman Palmer
told of her l5-months' study OF foreign
schools aud colleges, and of her i'm.
pressions of European methods OF edu-
cation as compared with our own. We
have been in the habit Of regarding
ourselves as very young and new In
comparison with Europe, but in re.
spect to the education OF the people,
these attitudes are reversed. I'VE are
the experienced ones, they, the rovices.
They, England, France, Austria and
Italy, ara coming to us to ic,ls into
the scheme OF free public education
that Wa have enjoyed for generations,
while it is only within the past %
years that England has had her free
board schools. Since A fired the Great
founded the first little school at OK
ford, she has gathered with care the
picked sons OF picked class, saying,
~ will train leaders OF the people; the
rest will leave alone. - Her trained
men have carried the English flag
around the world. Balliol alone has
furnished one. eighth of the civil
service corps OF India.
In England education is a social
question. Elton and Harrow are for
gentlemen's SONS. With them, pri-
mary education means the education Of
poor children; secondary education,
that Of the children Of tradesmen, and
higher education that of the upper
classes. The book, made in Ger
many" sounded an alarm in England,
and technical schools were established.
England has learned that abe must
grant more money for schools and
much has been done within few
years. An effort has been made 10
democratize education and the uni
versity extension movement is an out
growth Of this.
Germany ia more thorough and OK.
acting 10 her teaching than we are.
Ninety six per cent of her instructors,
from those OF the kindergarten up, are
trained university men. In her schools
more time each day Is devoted Ia
ROTATIONS, than in ours. There are
over hundred more days in her school
year than in ours, and her vacations
are consequently very short. The dis.
cipline Of the school is supplemented
by that Of the home. The result of al
this is that a scholar Of II years OF age
there, is as far advanced as one Of Ii
years here. The better thought Of
Germany is revolving against military
training in schools Just as we are turn.
ing toward it in America.
France realized that 1t was the Ger.
man university that conquered her al
Sedan, and that Gen. Won Moltke won
the war on paper before ever he Sol
foot on her territory. She also secs now
that the system Of education organized
by Napoleon defeated self government
in France--that it made those who
could follow. but not lead. She has
not been able to decrease her per.
centage of illiteracy, and her popu.
lation is not increasing. Her leaders
are bound by tradition. Her greatest
teachers find their pupils among al
other nations than their own. She
must begin to study other peoples,
and their language il she would keeI
pace with the world. In all her uni
versities there are but 1000 stuuepts.
The famed Sorbonne has dark, ILL
ventilated rooms like an old fashioned
district school. Her students at tht
Lycee, white-faoed and slender, ART
taken out for exercise and then wall
home again, always under surveillance
No two boys are left together, unless
under the masters eye. - 10
France has been weakened by he
long reaching out for the hand of bis
brother-for an alliance that will en-
able her to strike the blow she he,
been waiting so long TO strike. Sh,
has been weakened also by her belief
founded on experience, that there Il
no man who cannot be bought. Sh,
suffers from a lack of moral earnest
ness, and from the absence nf physica
sports and training that might Civ,
her stronger nerves and clearer brains
She needs more tennis courts to riva
her cafes. She needs to draw from
Germany her love Of learning ant
scholarship, and from England and US
athletic sports and physical culture. :
And we, feeling 80 strong and free
80 rich and safe, and so sure that W
have the best educational system, ar
taking our ease, and leaving undon
the things we ought TO do, feeling tina
any day we can make our schools bet
ter. and that we will do 1T when W
get ready. We are glad we have n
state purse, but that out of our ow
purses, we can show to young Eng
land, and young France, and chill
Italy, with hor palaces crumbling int
her canals, and her boys and girl
playing among the ruins, how W
teach in the West, and how we give (
all an opportunity to educate them
selves, not merely to get a living, bu
to get life, broad and full.
At the close of the lecture the clu
and it's many guests we're presented
Mrs. Palmer, and refreshments wer
served IN the parlors.
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