The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-11

technical CallingS, and with the increaS-
ing demand for an educational system
| that would prepare young men for
practical life. 1t was not, however, till
1853 that the Prussian government was
prevailed upon to pass law allowing
| the establishment Of the real-gymna-
stun, which underwent further reform
in 1880, and in which the basis of the
education is still Latin, but the Greek
is omitted from the curriculum and It's
place taken by English. More atten-
ton is paid also to mathematics and
sciences than in the gymnasium. A
further modernization is the Ober-
real-schule where neither Latin nor
| Greek is taught. The pupils begin
| French in the sixth class and English
in the lower third, while great promi-
| nence Is given to mathematics and nat
ural sciences. The real-schule though
1t was established before the Ober-
| real schulz is exactly like the latter
| without the three upper classes, and
has, therefore, only a six years course.
The leaving certificate of the gym
| nasium gives the right to study in any
| faculty in any German university or
| polytechnic. Intending students of
medicine, law, theology, and. in the
| philosophical faculty classical lam
| guages and history, must have passed
through a gymnasium. A student from
| the real-gymnasium may take a degree
| at any German university, but only in
mathematics, natural sciences. or mod
ern languages. The gymnasium and
real-gymnasium are the only schools
which give the right to follow mill
| tary or naval career, as the govern
ment will not accept candidates for
these services unless they have studied
Latin. A student from the Ober-real-
schulz may take a degree at any Ger
man university in mathematics or nat
ural sciences. He may also study at a
polytechnic. but cannot go in for the
army. The leaving certificate of the
real-schule gives the pupils the right
to serve one year in the army. This
certificate is also granted to all stu
dents of a gymnasium, a real-gym-
nasium, or an Ober-real- -schule, on
their being promoted by examination
to the upper second class. The real
schule is intended for the sons of such
families as think the one years service
in the army indispensable to their sta
ton in life, and wish to give their sons
an education which, though not so ex-
tensive as that obtained in the three
previously mentioned institutions, is
yet complete in itself. The pupils pass
from these schools mostly into tech
nical and commercial pursuits.
! 1t may be mentioned that the teach
ers in these four classes of schools are
! all on exactly the same level must
! have passed the same qualifying cX-
p aminations. and are paid on one uni
} form scale. The object OF the reform
/ schools is to gtve as sound an educa-
= tional training as that obtained by
: passing through the gymnasium, but by
, a different and, it is claimed, q more
: practical method. In the first place,
French, instead of Latin, is made the
: basis of the curriculum, as the uphold
ers Of the system contend that the
t study of the French grammar and Ian
: guage is much more adapted TO the in
2 telligence of a boy between the ages
g of nine and twelve than Latin. The
r same authorities insist, too, that If it
r is intended to give the pupil classical
training, he will learn quite enough
= Latin if he commences in his twelfth
5 year; while the grounding in French
. he obtained during the first three years
s of his school life will always be of prac-
= tical advantage to him. The second
S feature in the new system is that, at
i the beginning of the fourth school year,
{ parallel classes are formed. In one
y class the pupil then commences Latin
0 and follows a classical course while the
e other then commences English, and
s follows the course of the above de-
S scribed real-schule. Ten school hours
= per week are devoted to Latin during
y the first two years Of the classical
course; Greek is commenced in the third
!, year (the sixth school year), and fol
h the remaining four years of the course
< eight school hours per week are taker
n for each of these languages. In this
r way-and this is the third feature OF
y the new scheme-the decision as tC
o what course the pupil shall follow is
4 postponed till his twelfth year.
y The first reform school was opened
e at Altoona in 1873, but the modified sys-
= tenn initiated by Frankfurt -on-the.
o Main in 1890 proved more successful
e and is the model which the new ones
e are to follow. There are at the pres.
e ent date in Prussia nineteen reform
J. schools with six thousand two hundred
3 and ninety-seven pupils. and it is
e further noted. as supporting the claim
for a more extended modern side t
h higher education, that while in 1890 the
n proportion of pupils in Prussia attend
h ing high schools without Latin, as com
II pared with those attending schools will
It Latin, was 1.55 it was in 1895 1.37. The
conservative classes have strenuously
opposed the new movement and con
tinue to do so. The new system may
indeed, be considered as "A cancellation
between the two parties, the one %
n which will not allow that any system
y. of real education is possible withou
- Latin and Greek, while the other con
5. tends that Latin and Greek must giv,
. place to modern requirements.
;. In view, however. Of their success il
- such typical and important towns a
. Frankfort, Hanover, Breslau, Bremen
80 Dresden, and Kiel, Of their having beel
- introduced into the two most modern
- suburbs Of Berlin, viz, Schoneberg an,
= Charlottenburg, and OF the governmen
~ decision referred to above, it may safe
ly be concluded that the reform -schul
is destined to be the high school of tn
; future in Germany.
u Spreewald's Hair Market.
:, From the New York Herald.