Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-26

dividual initiative which Anglo-Saxon
thinkers believe is the vital element Of
national life. A German under the in
fiuence of his educational system is fit
ted into his particular place by the pow
er of the state. If he be nationally a
round peg and IL his place be a square
hole there Is no help for il. He has not
in himself the initiative force to make
him try to lind another place in life. and
il he had 1t the other place would be
closed to him because the system would
require that he have a special training.
The American system by which a young
man starts in life by jerking soda water,
changes to driving milk wagon. gets
insurance Office. solicits life insurance
and then makes success of raising
fancy poultry. not only would be impos-
sible in Germany, but ii would be against
the law. There may be no statute pro-
hibiting such practices. but Ii is morally
certain that the German police would
not permit such an indecorous and hap
hazard career.
r.
The German system develops a vast
number Of highly skilled craftsmen: the
American sys-
System That Develops tenn develops a
Skilled Craftsmen. We oss ,.cxs noon
trades. In Germany the machine shops.
the chemical laboratories and the cleo
trical works will set a standard OF ex-
cellence for all the world, but these Ger
mans will build upon ideas originated in
America. The German Is thorough where
the American is superficial. he is eco
nomical where the American is wasteful,
he is determined where the American Is
vacillating: but he also is apt to be
mediocre where the American is excep-
tional.
The German child is sent to kindergar-
ten at four or five years old If it
has progressive parents. At six the state
steps in and compels school attendance
At the beginning the child is given ordi-
nary elemental education, the week being
divided into eleven hours for German.
four hours for arithmetic, one hour for
singing and four hours for religion. A
little later on-in the middle grades-the
week is divided into German. ten hours;
mathematics. four hours: drawing, one
hour; science, six hours: singing, two
hours; handiwork and gymnastics, two
hours: religion, five hours. Above this
and up to what corresponds to the
American eighth grade. the hours are
practically the same, except that less
time is given to German and more to
mathematics and drawing
After the child reaches fourteen COM
pulsory attendance at day school Is no
longer required but he is expected In
follow up his educational work in the
continuation schools. Some of these are
held at night, some of them are Sunday
schools, but nothing like the American
Sunday schools. In these continuation
schools the usual subjects are drawing.
geometry and music. They are not spe-
ciaI or technical training schools, but
they give instruction which will qualify
for entrance into the technical schools
teen-year-old boy who does not have to
make his living and whose parents can
afford to give him a classical education
will go into a gymnasium. which, after
a nine-year course. carries him into the
law, medicine or philosophy as ne
chooses. But In respect of this classical
education the German system does not