The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-14
EDUCATION NOW
 RULES THE WORLD Dr.. Buchner Lectures to the Teachers at City Institute CITES JAPAN AS EXAMPLE Education Has Made Germany and France Great, and United States
 Has Made Great Strides
 In Thirty Years,
CITES JAPAN AS EXAMPLE

completed its fourth days work yes- terday. The institute is proving great success in every way-in attendance, in the creation of interest and enthusiasm In the work of the teachers as planned for the coming year, and in the good re- suits derived from the social and profess sional mihgling of the teachers of the city, district and county. Today closes the work of the institute, and Monday will see the beginning of actual school work.
 Outside the regular work of the in stitute in methods and principles, the teachers and many visitors enjoyed dur ing the assembly period Friday a splen- did lecture delivered by Dr. E. F. Buch- ner, of the chair of education in the University of Alabama, on the subject of Education in the Worlds Affairs; or The Worldwide Interest in Education
 As an introduction, the speaker extend ed greetings from the university, faculty and student body, to the officers and teachers of the Birmingham school sys- tenn As matter of mutual pride, it was stated that forty-eight men and young women from the Birmingham dis trict were enrolled at the university this season-the largest number of students that has ever come to the university dur ing a year from a single community.
 The lecture was not only impressively delivered but the subject matter was in- teresting and inspiring, especially the his torical review of the educational revolu- A. eli oxtIty m the world round in recent years.
 In part, pr. Buchner said: "The great est and most widely accepted creed to- day for individuals. as well as nations, is that we believe in education"
 Traces Beginning to Novel. The lecturer then gave a rapid review of the movements which indicate tho &C., ceptance of this creed the world over. The beginning of the educational story was traced to the novel entitled Leonard and Gertrude" written by Pestalozzi a century and half ago. This story shows how the town of Bonal shared in a so- cial regeneration through the educational spirit of Gertrude, the mother.
 "Fichte, the great German philosopher, i trymen after the battle of Zena, when Napoleon crushed the Germans by dellv- ering his wonderful address to the Ger man nation. His first plea was that l Germany should build up a new state on an educational foundation. Germany 1 needed the call and has since led the nations in educational reforms and de- velopments
 "In France, the educational revival ap- peared after the war of 1S70-7l, when the Germans in turn had become con querors. The great analytic Renan said that it was not the German soldier but the German school master that had conquerer the French. Furthermore, that | it was not the German school master but the German university, for the uni versity makes the school After her in- | glorious defeat France began at once to ] inaugurate the new democracy of learn ing and therein found a new principles of national life. Lower schools were made free and obligatory; higher schools and universities were established every where: school museums, pedagogical li- braries cts, multiplied; and prizes medals and rewards were introduced to stimulate the education zeal of French youth. Within fifteen years after the revival, the national puget for schools in France increased FOO per cent
 Growth In United States.
 "Ta> wonderful growth of education in tho United States is indicated by the enormous increase in the value of school property and the expenses of school sys- tems during the last thirty years.
 | "The transforming power of education is well exhibited in the account of the edu- | cational development in the islands of | New Zealand Compulsory education was l introduced in 1877, and within twenty years, the expenses of schools reached the average of s3.36 per white capita, and ! of the nha btants between the ages of | ten and fifteen, only 1-14 per cent were unable to read and write, while of those l between the ages of SO and :, only per cent were illiterate. few years ago, the late MT. Fitch. her majesty's com | missioner of schools in England found that the best educational reports in the world came from the distant Island of 1 New Zealand.
 Japan Is Good Illustration.
 ''The people of Japan give us probably the best illustration of the modern belief | in the power of education and of the actual accomplishments of national devel- | opment through education. The bloodless revolution of 1868 was but the beginning
 of the educational awakening in the Sunrise Empire The Imperial University 1 was established within ope year, and l within three years education was dele 1 gated to the care of an independent de- | partment of the imperial government l Japan was looked after by this depart ment. Something If this educational re form in Japan might be traced to one of the gifts which Commodore Perry of the l United States presented to the retgnine | Shogun in July. 1853 namely copy Of l Webster's dictionary. The Japanese be- | came interested in the study of foreign languages, and in a few years were sending groups of students to American l and English universities who latter re- l turned home and served their country | in the educational system. The govern | ment was even generous enough and | far sighted enough to engage teachers | from western schools In their own in- l stitutions. The educational reforms in 1 Japan had gone so far that a few years | ago there were more teachers in the Japanese public schools who had received | normal school training than in all the | New England states combined. An in- l teresting contrast between the Russians 1 and the Japanese in matters educational l and military show that the outcome | of the Russo Japanese war could not have | been otherwise"