Evening star., 1949-05-22
Free School
Idea Tried
1nGerrnany
Hesse Experiments
With US. Forms
of Education
By ChorIes N. Eeon
News Editor Of The Stcrl

ment which, II SUCCESSFUL ana ex-
panded, could have profound
effects on German thinking In
the future, is underway in Greater
Hesse, one Of the three states
Bavaria and Wurttemberg- Baden
are the others-comprising most
of the American zone Of oc-
cupation.
The Landtag Qegislature) OF
Hesse, where about ~ million
Germans are crowded into ar
area approximately the size OF
New Jersey, agreed to the expert
ment as a concession to the Ameri-
can characterization influence. It
decreed that the old school sys-
tenn, in effect under the Kaisers
and not changed too drastically
either by the Weimar Republic
or the Nazis, Is kaput.
Just how significant this Is, only
the future can tell. But 1t has
great potentialities, in the opinion
OF Vaughn r. De Long. a former
school superintendent in Pennsyl-
vania, who now is chief Of the
Educational and Cultural Re-
lations Division for Hesse.
Child Picked Career
Mr.. De Long, who came here
after serving as superintendent
of schools In Ellwood and Oil City
Pa, explains 1t this way:
Most Americans. who always
have considered the Germans a
well-educated people. will be sur
prised to learn that under the ole
system only 20 to Is per cent o1
German students advanced past
the eighth grade. Most Of the
others went. instead, to trade
schools.
Usually 1t was required that
child decide, after only four years
in elementary school, just what
his life work was to be. Only in
rare cases, where youngstel
later showed exceptional talent
was a change brought about.
Parents were required to pay
tuition for students who passed
the examinations necessary tc
permit them to continue with a
view to going to high school. These
students were separated after the
fourth grade from those bound for
trade schools.
Under the new law, passed Feb
ruary Is after months Of bicker-
ing and misunderstanding over
just what democracy means, tu-
ition Is free all the way from ele-
mentary school through the four
universities in Greater Hesse,
These are located in Frankfurt,
Darmstadt, Marburg and GieSsen.
Textbooks and materials also
are to be provided free and Minis
ter of Education Erwin Stein has
been voted an appropriation OF
100000 marks for books and
supplies. The books which have
been In use since the end Of the
war are the same ones used under
the Nazis, with the Objectionable
propaganda material clipped out.
Naturally, this wasn't very salts
factory.
The members Of the Landtag
did not pass the law without a
lot Of objections. Many Of them
felt that, after all, what had been
good enough for their fathers was
good enough for their children.
They did not subscribe completely
to the American view that the old
methods built up a caste system
that was responsible for most of
Germany's woes.
Latin Not Compulsory
For one thing, they wanted tu-
ition fees from the children Of the
rich. Representatives of the
American Military Government
objected on the grounds of dis
elimination and finally carried
their point. But they had to COM
promise and settle on a six-year
elementary school, with some sep
aration after that.
Under the Hohenzollerns, Ger
man children whose parents
planned a higher education for
them started out in different
schools from those who were to be
limited to eight grades.
The Weimar Republic which fol-
lowed World War I changed the
system so that the children were
separated after completing the
fourth grade.
The Nazis retained the four-year
method, but reduced the number
Of high school types and socialized
the whole system.
Statistics furnished by Mr.. Long
and by Francis e. Sheehan. who
was acting as director of the mill
tary government for Hesse in the
absence Of DR.. j. r. Newman, point
up the evils under the old system.
For instance, in August, l948, there
were only two teachers for every
100 elementary pupils. Yet there
were five teachers for every 100
high school students, sdespite the
fact there was overlapping in the
higher grades.
In one division of Hesse. there
were 1890 pupils in the fifth
grade. but only 1900 in the 18th
grade. The other 8.400 had just
dropped by the wayside.
One bone Of contention in the
wrangle over changing the system
was the study Of Latin. Old-time
Germans argued that q nine-year
study Of Latin is necessary to q
real appreciation Of European
civilization. The new law provides
that Latin and English are elective
subjects in the fifth grade.
Neither Mr.. Sheehan nor Mr..
Long has any illusions about their
partial victory In getting the
school system changed. But they
do feel that progress has been
made. even though the task Of
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