The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-04
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
THE WORKERS
Some Dangerous Tendencies
BY j. M. SALTER

Our PUBIC SCHOOLS nave been sub
ject to severe criticism of late from
the middle class, who pay the hulk Of
taxation for their support; from the
capitalist class, who find dangerous
doctrines emanating therefrom and
from the working class, who have dis
covered that the education which they
give their children at such sacrifice
to themselves does not equip the pu-
pills for life's struggles,
In seeking a remedy all seem to
have centered their gaze upon the Ger
man system of education. The techni-
cal schools in Germany are without
doubt the finest in the world. The
great corporations of the United States
have made a special study of German
trade schools with result that they
have formed a national association of
corporation schools and are leaving
no stone unturned to introduce the
German system into the United States.
p. p. Claxton, United States COM
missioner of education, says: There
is marked tendency in the United
States to adopt German plans and
methods"
working class parents, know what the
German system is. Let us examine It
and ascertain whether this is the kind
of education we want to foster upon
our American children.
In the first place, education is com
pulsory in Germany between the ages
of and IA. Most German children
are sent to Kindergartens at the age
of 4. But If they are not in school at
the age of 6, the government demands
of the parents the reason why.
There are two distinct branches of
the German school system; one which
trains the common people and is
known as the Volks-schule, and the
other which trains the students who
are to go into the university and into
the professions. Between these two
systems, so far as the pupils are con-
cerned there is no relation. The boys
and girls who enter the Volks-schule
never have any expectation of enter
ing a secondary school; they never
expect to go to university or to enter
any of the professions. They belong
to the working class, are educated for
the manual trades and there is no
breaking away from the system
THE GERMAN SYSTEM
The teachers in the Volks-schule
have an entirely different training and
belong to different class than those
who teach in the Vor-schule or Gym
nasium, the schools of the higher
classes. The whole world of profess
sional activity is closed to the boy or
girl of the people.
Nothing here about becoming the
president, an oil king or a railroad
magnate. Nothing about the land of
opportunity, or always room on top.
The course in the schools for the
people covers eight years. At first the
study hours are divided into eleven
hours for German, four for arithmetic
one for singing and four for religion
Later six hours are spent in science
five in religion and four hours in
mathematics.
The schools are carried on in con-
nection with the factory work.
Here is days program in the
Krupp Steel Works at Essen: Shop
work from to s a. m; breakfast from
s to 8:15 a. M. shop work from SIS
a. m. to IL m; dinner from ~ to 1870
lunch from to AIS p. M shop work
from 4:15 to 6 p. M; continuation
school from 6 to 8 p. m; three even
ings week, after which the appren-
tice is allowed to go to his home for
supper.
Sufficient comment on the system
from a working class point of view is
made in the following quotation from
the bulletin of the United States bu-
reau of education; "The entire sys-
tenn, while beneficial to the individual
employee and his family, still makes
for the good of the company. The
man becomes a more efficient pro-
Queer, and, during his period of train
ing, he not only maintains the educa-
ton expense of the institution, but is
also a source of revenue. The girl
becomes a more efficient home-maker
and is able to provide a better living
for her husband who is employed in
the works than she otherwise could
These conditions make more satisfied
employees and tend toward less and
less social unrest and dissatisfaction
results vital for the good of such a
productive organization.