The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-24

GERMAN SCHOOL VICE GROWS.
War Is Having Bad Effect on the Chill
dren.

In response to requests for informa
| tion on present educational conditions il
| Germany, the bureau of education, de
partment Of the interior, has made pub
lie the following TRANSACTIONS from ar
article by DIR. Paul Hildebrandt in the
Vosssche Zeitung, Berlin, Jan. %, 1918
After reciting the early enthusiasm OF
German youth for the war, and their &C.
tivities in behalf of war measures, the
article continues
The sixth grade pupils Of 1914 are now
about TO be promoted to the upper third
! They have become accustomed TO the
,sar. Who can wonder then that now ~
the fourth year of war our children ex-
| hibit signs of change? Too many of the
restraints have been removed which
should shape their development the
loosening of family ties, the father at
the front, the mother employed away
from home, and in the lower ranks of So
ciety doing the work Of men; the oms-
sion of school discipline. OF the teachers
of the Berlin public schools, for instance,
two-thirds have gone into the army.
The remainder are overworked. Drop
ping class periods, or combining classes
together are the order of the day. In
the higher schools half of the teachers
are in the army Furthermore, stand
ards in the higher institutions of learn
ing have gradually been lowered until
the final examination has been pushed
back fully two classes. All these condi-
tions have influenced our students and
have weakened their persistence, since
they see that they can attain scholas-
tic standing without effort that formerly
demanded the severest application.
Young people follow the law of their
nature. They are guided by the impress
sions of the moment and they cannot
permanently resist them. In addition.
as time went on, especially in case of
the students of higher instructions, and
particularly in the towns, the hardship
of nourishment appeared. 1t is the unani-
nous Judgment of medical specialists
that the children of the middle classes
suffered most in this respect General
attention was attracted to the fact that
the children were less senitiye TO re-
proof, that they paid no more attention
to threats. because the school authorities
had directed that they should be treated
with every leniency, and since promo
tions no longer represented any definite
standard of accomplishment. This spe !
cial consideration for the children was
most obvious in the schools of the large |
cities. Was not harvest work and the |
country vacation necessary to maintain /
the health Of the coming generation, and |
was il not necessary for a great many /
10 be set back in their studies so that !
they required repeated concessions to
their rank and thereby con-
iinually lower scholastic standards of
heir classes1
That spirit Of voluntary service which
II the beginning Of the war revealed it.
elf in it, fairest aspect has now dis
Everywhere we hear lsmen
ations over the increasing distaste
'howu for military service. Pupils col
ect articles now for the reward, not
rom patriotism, and the old pupils have
heir struggles shall they take advaR-
age of the opportunity to leave school
Nth half completed education. or shall
hey avoid placing themselves in q posi-
ion where they will have 20 enlist for
heir country What an unhappy in
ecision even for the best e them. those
rho really think about the natter
Furthsruore. IN these ranks II society