Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-01-26
FROM OVER THE OCEAN.
How French and American Schools
Difier-Light Breakfasts and
Farly Hours

GENEVA. SWITZERLAND, !
Dec 81, 1897
When l first mentioned to some foreign
begin before a. m they looked more OF
less surprised, and said that they hat
always been made to understand thai
the Americans are very busy, GO aheaC
nation. As they looked as if they wer,
about to begin to doubt the truth of thi.
statement hastily assured them that il
was undoubtedly true, and that even il
our schools don't begin at : O'Clock, WE
go to school just as many hours, if not
more, than they do, and that probably
our morning session from 9 to u is turned
to more account than theirs from Z to IL.
And who wouldn't, at 9 O'Clock, after d
good American breakfast, feel more like
listening to an hours lecture on some
perhaps not too interesting subject, than
at O'Clock after a continental brea kf fast
consisting usually of cup of tea OF
coffee and some bread most likely with
out any butter at all or else unsalted
butter?
They say that they never feel need for
anything more; but when the American,
who has the reputation of having, among
his other good qualities, that of being
kind to his stomach, introduces into the
family some toast and a boiled egg, the
rest of the family, it has been noticed,
usually do full justice to this 'strange
idea" of the Englishman or American.
In the the OF AZ
these here-keep almost the same hours
begin three times a week at Z O'Clock and
twice week at s, until Il; the afternoon
session is always from 30 to g. When
the days begin to get shorter, school be-
gins every day at s, and the three hours
that would otherwise be lost just make
the Thursday morning session, thus leav-
ing the pupils Thursday and Saturday af-
ternoons free-all Thursday and Saturday
afternoons having previously been free.
One hour is reserved for each lesson,
but when during the months of December
and January $50 becomes the hour for
beginning the first lesson, each morning
begins at the recess is from $50 until 10;
otherwise from III TO III ~.
Every day the programme of the les
sons is quite different. There are four
hours of German and French week
the French consisting of dictation, irreg
ular verbs, spelling and exercises in
narration and description, three hours
OF sewing and one each of singing, writ
ing and French literature, and two each
of physiology, drawing, Swiss history,
geography, gymnastics, and arithmetic.
All this is the programme of the V
class which is next to the highest in the
''ecole secondaire'; the three highest
classes are in another building and to-
gether and are called the .'ecole
superieure'.
Not nearly so much attention is paid to
mathematics for girls; here the girls and
boys are never in the same classes to-
gether, as with us. Mathematics is not
thought necessary for girls education.
In the highest class algebra and GEOMETRY
are begun, so all the girls get is just the
elementary part. l doubt if trigonom-
etry is ever taught; if it is it is only in
private lessons. These schools are called
public schools, but they are not free; all
the books even the books in which the
half monthly reports are written, are
bought by the pupils, so also are the
blank books; pads" are unknown, and
from 10 to 80 francs (S3 to So is paid by
the semestre five months). There is a
lady teacher in each room who gives the
French, sewing and geography lessons !;
for each other lesson gentleman comes
in-the same teachers who teach at the
corresponding boys school.
Being kept in" is unknown here, not
because the children are any better than
in our schools, but because whispering,
even talking aloud, is allowed when it
has to do with the school work, and
because for any graver fault a half or
whole "bonne" is taken from the deport-
ment mark. The highest mark that
can be had is 6.
This is the way one of the examples in
division looks:
1876 SO
2sd s43