Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-08-16
LETTER FROM PAUL H. HANUS

A few weeks ago The Democrat pub
lished short extract from an address
delivered in Washington by DR.. Paul
II. Hanus Of Harvard university, in
which was contrasted Prussian educa-
ton with American education. The
editor of The Milwaukee Journal took
notice of this extract and wrote to DR..
Hanus, asking for an expression of his
views for publication, and received in
answer the letter which is printed be-
low.
Prof. Hanus was born in Prussia,
but when four years old came to Amer
ica with a widowed mother and was
educated in the United States, receiving
his grammar school training at Mineral
Point He was a step son Of the late
Robert George, pioneer in zinc re-
duction in this town. Mr. George was
an uncle Of the Springer brothers Of
this community.
Prof Hanus has made life study Of
education, has written numerous books
on the subject, and as professor of ed
ucatiOn at Harvard has served on var
ious boards OF inquiry into educational
conditions in America. He is recOg-
nized as one Of the foremost educators
in America. His letter follows:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF EDUCATION
Cambridge, Mass, July II, 1917.
The Editor Of The Journal, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin,:
Dear Sir have just received your letter,
telling me you have noticed in an exchange
d statement from me of how the German
school system is opposed to American
ideals and untitled for United States, and
asking me to give you an expression of my
views for publication. | take pleasure in
complying with your request.
Strictly speaking, there is no German
school system Each German state has its
own school system, just as each state of the
United States has. There is, however,
greater similarity in the aims, scope, and
methods of elementary and higher educa-
ton in the different German states than in
the same grades of education in the states
of our union. With these facts In mind
we may, for convenience, speak of a Ger
man school system
Not Adapted to Democracy.
This system as a whole is not adapted
to the needs of democratic country like
ours. 1t is adapted to the social stratihca-
ton of German society. In elementary and
secondary schools it provides for two dis
tinct Kinds of education with no interrela-
tions beyond the first three years, and
even these interrelatons are not common.
These two kinds of education for the
masses elementary education) and ed
ucation for the classes (secondary educa-
tion). Elementary education is free;
secondary education is not. Elementary
education corresponds in general to the
education given in our elementary schools,
grades one to eight inclusive, except that
in some respects it is not SO good, as, for
example, in manual training.
Elementary education is for the great
majority of the population. Its aim to
mould docile subordinates for the social
Observation-Disclosures of limited outlook
on the world, and equally limited insight
into its affairs. That is, the fundamental
aim of elementary education is to keep the
masses subordinate to the classes. 1t does
this by carrying their intellectual education
Just far enough to teach them their depend
ence on the classes. No career is open to
the elementary school graduate. He must
always be content with wage-earning
occupation, and his wages are small.
Secondary education is not free, as
already stated. 1t corresponds in a gen.
eral way to the eduction given in our
public high schools, but in secondary
schools of first rank included about two
wears of college work of our high schools.
The aim of secondary school education is
to open to members of fortunate classes
any career they may wish to enter, and to
restrict such careers to persons of these
classes.
Plan to Preserve Glasses.
children enter secondary school at
9 or 10 years of age and remain there
until they are Is to Il, and in secondary
schools of first rank until they are Is to
u years of age, Many, if not most
secondary schools, especially secondary
schools of first rank, have an elementary
department covering the first three years of
school. and corresponding to the first three