Omaha daily bee., 1917-02-25
GERMANIZING THE
BRITISH SCHOOLS
Tendency in England Today is
Toward Practical, Not
Classical Education.
LLOYD GEORGE FAvoRs IT

Correspondence of The Associated Press)
London, Feb. War has laid
heavy hand on education in Europe,
and its effects are felt here not only
IN the complete arrangement of the
present educational system, but in the
prospect of far-reaching changes after
the war. The basis of these prospec-
tive changes is the modernizing OF ed
ucation, making it more practical for
coping with everyday business affairs
of life, after the American and Ger
man methods. This, in turn, has pre-
cipitated heated controversy over
whether the English school system
is to be "Germanized." Premier
Lloyd Georges recent choice Of Prof
Fisher, head of Sheffield university,
as minister of education was one of
the steps to get a practical educator
in charge of affairs while the changes
were working ont.
The present effect of the war on
education is shown in the reduction
of the great universities Of Oxford
and Cambridge to mere shadows of
their former extent Instead of hav-
ing about 1000 to 10000 students,
they are now reduced to the dimen-
sions OF small schools, with about 500
each. There is the same reduction
to mere shadows in the extensive sys-
TEN of universities and technical
schools throughout the country, at
London, Glasgow, Sheffield, Manches-
ter and all the great cities. All the
able-bodied students have gone to the
war, and even those not able-bodied
are engaged on research work in mu-
ntions, aeronautics, aviation, wireless
telegraphy and map-making for the
government
The public schools have been SINH
larly affected, particularly in the
teaching stats, about $4,000 school
teachers having been taken from the
regular establishments to join the
army. The scholars in the secondary
schools have also suffered marked
losses, as the top-form boys have fall
len within the military age, Even
the elementary schools have felt their
share of the effects, in the loss of
teachers, the military occupation of
over 1000 schools as hospitals, bar
racks, etc; the displacement of no.
600 pupils by this military occupation
OF schools; the taking in OF $4,000
refugee Belgian children, and the sub
stitution OF women for men as teach
ers. One school has a woman teacher
for the first time in sixty years. An
other large school has ffty-seven
women teachers.
Courses in War.
Even the courses of study are ma
terially changed to a war basis. In
one locality there are courses on the
western front, the eastern front, the
Balkans, the war in the air and naval
operations. In another locality war
loans, war taxes and similar subjects
are discussed. Letters from relatives
at the front are regularly read before
The classes, as o5 per cent of the pupils
have relations at the front. Much
of the composition Is on war Sub
jects. Geography of the, countries at
war has been greatly stimulated; also
the history of the Balkan and other
countries of which little had been
known. AT one school the boys have
constructed sand map 20xl3 feet of
Flanders, the Dardanelles and the
Trentino front in Italy.
y 1t is at the great universities, how
ever, that the greatest change has oc-
Cured. At Oxford, which is a uni
versity grouping of twenty-five
schools, Balliol has furnished $50 SOL
diers and has had 81 killed; Oriel fur
nished $40, 81 killed; Magdalen fur
nished US, l06 killed; Trinity fur
nished $50, Sc killed; Christ Church
furnished l,075, 1l3 killed; St. Johns
furnished 4S5, 50 killed; University
furnished 554, 8s killed; Queens fur
nished 403, AZ killed; Corpus Christi
furnished 240, "A killed.
Cambridge shows the same large