Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-04
Swiss Schools.

Nearly 80 per cent Of the teachers
in Switzerland are men," said w. X.
Tate, supervisor Of rural schools in
South Carolina, to conference of
educators at the United States Bureau
Of Education. Mr. Tate has just re-
turned from three months investi-
cation in Switzerland under the aus
pices of the bureau.
Five hundred dollars is considered
a good salary for a teacher. After a
lifetime of service he may go as high
as $780, Living is cheaper there than
here, however, and in addition to his
salary he is furnished with dwelling,
a certain amount Of garden land and
wood for fuel. His dwelling is gener-
ally in the same building with the
school. His position is of consjdera-
bic local importance Aside from his
duties in the school room he is often
secretary Of the local creamery asso-
citation, leader Of the village band, or
ganist Of the church and general in
tellectual guide for the community.
when teacher is engaged for a
position, 1t is for life or a long term
of years. He settles down with the
people whose children he teaches, and
generally expects to make that partic-
ular job his life work. And he stays.
Changes are rare. Twelve new teach
ers in one year in a system of 240
was considered very unusual. The
record for continued service in the
same village Is held by teacher in
Thurgau, who has occupied the same
position for siXty-fve years. One
teacher that visited has held his po-
sition for twenty-four years and his
father held the same position for thir-
ty-fve years before him.
zone Of the most attractive features
Of the Swiss schools is the cordial
personal relation that exists between
teacher and pupil. There is nothing
of the military in the discipline of the
school, no lining up; no marching ia
classes When the children 60 to the
class room, they shake hands with the
teacher, greeting him as If they had
not seen him for a long time and arr
really glad to see him The whole re.
lation is one of charming naturalness
and klndllness on both sides.
"In the Swiss cantons school is in
session from s to in winter time
with an intermlgslon of two hours al
noon (three hours for the younger
children), In summer the children
have to be at school at Z a m.
Failure to be promoted is rare
After the four years Of elementary
training tho primary school, prescrib
ed for everybody, the children pro.
coed into schools that are carefully
differentiated for the various types o.
children, Some of the children enter
upon technical training; others art
sent through the gymnasium and ulti
mately to the university; and still 9th
ers are prepared for business life OF
any other suitable career, according
to the ability and aptitude of the in
dividual boy or girl"
Commissioner Claxton, who intro
duced the speaker, said he believed
Americans would derive much beneh
from Mr. Tate's study of conditions II
Switzerland, which will soon be pub
lished as bulletin of the Bureau o
Education. "In Switzerland" said Or
ClaXton, TITS a case Of the school fo
the people, not the people for tn,
, school, We can learn much from
observation-disclosures perhaps than iron
lsome Of the larger countries Of Eu
rope"