The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-21

actual cont,o, OF the whole school sys-
TEN under it's charge. ana the district
inspectors are irst-class schou'nen
who actually do inspect the SCHOOLS
who know what ought to be done III
them and have authority to soc that u
Is done; Furthermore both the inspec-
tors and. through them. the central
office. know their men, aud hence inc
filling of vacancies and promotions can
be carried out far more intelligentlS
than ie possible Under our haphaznrd
lack Of system. The "teachers' agency
that queer necessary evil that prcSs
upon the teachers whom II serves, is n
huge confession OF the utter lack OF
proper organization In our schools, Tho
German system Is uutocra,ic, tn be
sure. but SO is the management of
every great enterprise. even in demo-
cratic America. that depends upon or
ganization and Capitalization for it's
success. our present condition is pure
anarchy.
ONE, GERMA. WEAK POINT.
Now IL Is no contradiction to assert
that the most autOcratic centrally or
ganized system may be- imbued with
the most democratic and sociaistc
spirit; and il Is just at this point that
the German school seens to me to fall.
The rigid military spirit the ideal OF
subordination and machne-like disci-
pline. that has wrought itself into tho
whole civil service OF the country. cN-
tends even to it's educational establish.
ment. My observation at least leads
III" to the emphatic opinion that there
is far more mutual sympathy and good
fellowship between teachers and their
pupils in our schools than in Germany.
The American teacher may be an isno.
ramus. at worst. and sadly immature;
IL is hardly possible for him to bc q
t:rnnt or rnartiEet and the German
teacher may easily be both. AS mat
| ter of fact. the rod. that relic Of peda-
gogical burbarism, which has gone out
of iis, even in our more primitive COM
munities. Is hy no means obsolete in
highly civilized Germany. l have known
Of its use ther. upon mere infants. /
never knew q German teacher whom
could quite imagine as donninS a
sweater and coaching his boys in foot
| bail. The characteristic German pic
| turc is rather that of a teacher leading
| his string of boys on one of those adj
| mrablc school excursions to points OF
| historic OF scientific or scenic interest.
| Keeping them under his eye in COM
| pact though irregular column. and on
| every fair occasion bringing forth
| things for their instruction from his
large store of information. He is al
ways Herr Lchrer or exc Herr Ober-
| lehrer to them. even in hours of recre-
ntior-captain or general rather than
| comrade. There is good in both ideals:
| but as for me / would rather sacrifice
dignity than sympathy as Il pedagos-
| ical trait. The American democratic
spirit certainly makes men more self
reliant and fit than the fine discipline
! OF Germany.
KINDERGARTENS OPPOSED.
There are two lacunae in the German
! school system that are very surprising
| to an American. especially to one inn
pressed with its superior organization.
! The public kindergarten. which has de-
Servedly gained an important place in
our educational system. Is practically
unknown in the land of Froebel, and
! what is more. it is violently opposed by
| many OF the most prominent educators.
The private kindcrgartens to he found
! in the cities, do not, OF course. ill this
the very class that needs this form Of
infant care and training most. Again.
no attempt Is made to secure that
smooth articulation Of grades that is
sure to be found in English and Amer-
can schools, whatever their quality.
The primary and secondary schools
form separate and independent sys-
tens. and there is 4 sharp break be-
! hns Nst nt hl
tinuity we consider essential. The rea-
son for this Is that the schools natur-
ally reflect. and are deliberately organ
lied to support the aristOcratic cOnSti-
tuition Of German society. There is an
absolutely sharp line of demarcatior
here between the democratic and the
nristocratic theory and practice. w.
make it as easy as possible for the
poorest youth OF humblest parentnge to
get all the education he wants or Is
capable of getting: and London and
Zurich have gone even further in this
direction than our cities In Germany
on the contrary, the government and
the ruling classes believe they ear
serve the country best by limiting tho
growth of an educated prOletariat" by
every means in their power: whicf
u
not insist upon universal primary edu.
cation as essential to the welfare of tho
nation. The children of the loborinr
classes are not expected to go beyonG
the Volksschule, ~ primary public
school. the only one that is free. IN III
secondary schools tuition is charged
usually from $50 to $40 Il year, n largo
sum for a poor family--and only {
all f,r ~ Va ,,ln
Again. the secondary schools them
selves are sharply divided into diner
en-, Catcgories, according as they are t'
train young men for the mercantile ol
industrial caste. or the caste OF teach
ers. preachers, lawyers, physicians an,
higher rivil officials. or for the quit,
cruited from the ranks Of III" hcredi
tary mobility.
NOTHING INTERCHANGEABLE.
There is nothing interchangeable
about u" parts of these specialized ed
ucatlonal machines, no correspondent,
in their processes. The father mus
make up his mind once for All. when hi
son is about years old, what shal
be the lads future occupation: when ,
boy has once been fed into the hoppe
of tn" realschule, IL is practically i'm
possible To pull him out later ana pu
him into the gymnasium ANA 50 an tn
learned professions will Dr. closed I,
him forever As for the man VIII,
works with his hands, his posterit,
shall work with their hands To al
eternity: and the son OF II man wh
works with his brain or works not Il
, all shall not work with his hands ol