Evening star., 1941-03-30

enjoy a rare privilege.
If I should meet one who feels dis
contented or tired with school life
here. I should like to take him to
Western Europe and have him visit
high school there. After the first
week the fellow would take the next
clipper back home.
If my comrades in Europe could
see our school life here, with this
easy way of studying and this CO.
operation between teachers and stu
dents, there is no doubt that they
would overthrow their old-time sys-
TEN at once.
In the opinion of teachers in Eu-
rope, you come to high school only
to listen to the explanations Of the
lessons and go home to study and
study.
The European high school is head
ed by the director, and as no girls
are ever admitted to boys schools,
all teachers ere men. The course
covers a period Of six years. You
may choose between a Latin section
and an English section. Contrary
to here, you enter the first year in
the sixth grade and finish in the first
grade in "prinla," as they call it.
Each year is divided into three tri-
mesters and al the end of each tri-
mester an examination is waiting.
If you fail to get passing grade in
two subjects at the end of the year,
you have to repeat the entire year.
You get no second examination,
even if you have AS in all other SUB
jects.
Foreign Languages
Subjects are not elective, and each
student has 10 to IA of them. some
OF which come only once or twice a
week. This has an advantage, how
ever, in that no one dav In a week
is like another. Last year, when I
was in "tertia''-that is. fourth
year-1 had the following subjects:
French. German, English. arithme-
tic, algebra, history, geography, re-
hglon, chemistry, business corre-
spondence, business law, shorthand
In French and German, typing and
gym. Now try to imagine what gi-
gantlc effort we had to make during
examination times to revise all this
stuff. And we had to study it para
graph by paragraph, using the same
terms as the book.
This year would have added
Spanish or Italian to my languages.
had I not left, for Languages are
major subjects. Here I may re-
mark that students over there really
write all these languages better than
American students write their ma
tive language.
Inc maximum in points for each
subject is go. Each error counts 3
or points, and If you earn less than
80 points, you fail. Only the best
STUDENTS are selected for high school,
and this explains why they are able
to study so hard. I had to return
to the United States, however. to
find out that school could be enioyed.
No Graduation Ceremony.
AS for school life in general. bows
were not allowed to smoke, to sit in
the classroom without coats. to
dance, have regular girl friend. or
even to go to movies without a
chaperone. The latter, however. Is
not enforced any more. The re-
Ggion teacher of the school kept a
strict eye on behavior, and his in
fuence was greater than that of
any one else.
School organizations. class coun-
clls, assemblies and other activities
were unknown. When I saw the
detailed preparations for the gradu-
alton of the Anacostia senior class
last January, with everything T
could imagine-class day, dance,
play, dinner, decorations, songs,
gifts, cards and music-I was re-
minded of the graduation of a high
school In Europe. After a sacrificing
year OF endless studies to pass the
great exam," the principal called
the smiling graduates CASUALLY not
more than a dozen who had sue
ceeded into his Office, handed each
of them his diploma with the words:
We'll, my boy, I hope you will find
your way all right through life!"
and then dismissed them. The
graduation, complete as I told 1t to
you, was over, and the unforgettable
school life, too.