The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-29
prof. shumway's Address.


rrof. Shumway's Address.
Prot Subway explained that he is a
graduate Of Gottingeu and that he has
lived in Germany with his family Tor
some years. HIS children have attended
10Th German and American schools. a
summary NJ his comments follows:
The German school system produces
desirable results. This fact has already
"a American schools 20 adopt many Of
IS features. The fundamental .dea Is q
lroad general culture rs foundation,
worked out along perfectly formal lines
coward a specific occupation.
The external advantages Of the German
school system are many and first is the
fact that the Government l. In complete
control 30 h this and the homogeneous
character OF the population render the
problems far simpler than ours. They
have practically Tee melting pot IA when
. II necessary To- teach 10 foreigners the
mother tongue Furthermore, the schools
- each type deal with a separate class
~ socie.y. There are the Nulk schulen.
the Burger sCnu.en and the Hoheren
.chulcn--the Gymnasium and the Real
schulen In this last there j. tuition
Zee amounting to ahou; S3o year. 1t Is
clear from this that the German i"acher
knows exactly what kind of material he
The population is also static. With US
g. .. constantly shifting. For instance
. class lu tu elementary school In Ihila-
a..r... which numbered ~ AZ the be-
;.nu.ng u IN. term had 3 changes IN
ne course %! year the families o.
u children moved and II children from
outside schools were Transferred I" the
lass.
Regularity ~ Attendance is The COM
monty accented rule. Il is The rHrest
thing TO tind children out Of school dur
'rg the school term Here we are not
amazed to see chllGre1 on tho trains dur-
trg the school year. II would appear ina;
tie German parents AS a RUE taNt thel
S-aools far NOR seriously than Nmer!-
IN parents and Furthermore cooper
rtc better.
A most important factor j. the length
Il he school year. and the better distrl'
BUTTON OF vacations. As i rule there are
- o. 10 school weeks as against an
.yerago Of a. or less here in the pubnc
schools and sometimes as low as 50 OF
81 In the private schools
The German children 90 TO school SIX
days in the weck--.for sin hours -FOUR
days and four hours tn" other Two
Wednesdays and Saturdays only, wheh
they nave half holidays. This gives
=. hours Of instruction As against our
usual IS. In the course of year tnis
means lao school hours as against our
600 at best. This gain of iio hours III a
year in tho course OF ten years leaves an
Increase i'm the time devoted TO education
~ almost four years. with reference tc
study German children, age for age are
Usually moro mature than ours.
II f. seldom tina, German vacations are
lore than -four weeks ions Climatic con-
dtion4 make thia fortunate situation
rpsslo,. Three usually die months Z"
rl, American schooi child arc, from POM
e.; view uf studies. largely loss.
IN Germany iner, is greater desire
o
.rnment. with q definite position at ne
ID for those WHO succeed, AFFORDS IN th'
'-st place 4 greater incentive. Then, too
tradition Is Tor education. The poores
families will make the utmost sacr'hce'
a. order TO have their children advance
indeed, real stigma attaches to igno
rance. Here we, for example, feel no par
oIlar aversion TO imperfect English. "
Germany, however, the speech stamps th'
nan.
There Is, too. a distinct arlstocracy o
,Jture, quite without regard TO mono!
W .arentago \ man stands On his owl
s..o,as'ic ability. Here certain classe
associate together, usually the mpneNe
,Itssae. Here from III" soCi'ty point o
w T. Is not a detr!meIt 10 p' col
Ire" professor, but it !a certainly no'
Military duty OF one or two years fol
OWING me intermediate schools makes
e .Tolcnc, iu German HE Ever
'... .s proud % the nunper ol one He"
..-.u.l,cs or tVp year certificates whio
h0.it For In. obtaining of these
'.-r opportunities and other thlhg
~, 40, sacrificed lore business open
llr cor sidrrcd ample reason 10
'..rs entirely asd" from school worf
shocking fact continues 10 r"n1a'
'' .., = j,.. cent of the children wh
'. ... .'Ducu.ar. schools Eradna;
high schools In the class :
lr,' S1umwav graduated from N
t.rp1p High School 800 entered
.' .N,0.y I've received diplomas,
attention 81 children In Gcrma
a.. b., no, distracted by 50 many out
s.1oo. activities. Here the hls
0le e'sn 20 wish % initiate the co
.r ard 20 have all sorts OF dramati
.t .l.I. clubs
II - usp a question whc'ler here "
~ .o .fr 700 much stress upoa 1ihlotic
N'.t., work of th,n. The Germans q
boys have no tim" Tor II The
1'" % g.'li deal o. gymnasium dr!!l
P" a- possible I'm the open air
yoe iooF % thon they seem to he
t'. our ads. There Is no orcl
r''.. fuId and OyerstudiouS two
'..ls
N IH.t'.' .n'orn.sSlOns IN the "ours" {
.'s .'rye - intensity the work. y
'F'r hour the pupils are forced
.' 'I. mo- ne open air for i've ~ !"
'"nN'.E Gwen in bi'tcN weather. TT
.' r,trNu.', are ,Aru,vu wide opt
'' .Jsuy ventilated tn" angu'