history,

SEMINARY FOR TEACHERS*

AT WEISSENFELS,

IN PRUSSIA.

THIS seminary, for the education of teachers for the elementary schools, is one of four belonging to the province of Saxony,† and was last organized in 1822. It combines within its premises, or in the neighborhood, so as to be subject to the control of the same director, the following establishments: 1. The normal school, or seminary for teachers, a government institution. 2. A preparatory school, subsidiary to the former, and established by the enterprise of its teachers. 3. A seminary school, or burgher school, of four hundred pupils, already described. 4. An elementary school for poor children, of two hundred pupils. 5. A school for the deaf and dumb, of twentyfive pupils, established in 1828, and supported by the government. The last three mentioned schools afford practice to the students of the seminary.

The government of these establishments is confided to a director, who is responsible immediately to the provincial school-board in Magdeburg. He has the personal charge of the seminary in which he gives instruction, and of which he superintends the domestic economy, discipline, and police. He is assisted in the seminary by three teachers, who meet him once a week in conference, to discuss the progress and conduct of_the_pupils, the plans of instruction, and other matters relating to the school. There are also seven assistant teachers, five for the seminary school, and two for the deaf and dumb institution, who also assist in the seminary itself. Once a month there is a general meeting of the teachers of all the schools just enumerated, for similar purposes.

Applicants for admission are required to produce certificates of baptism, of moral conduct, and of health, besides an engagement on the part of their parents or guardians to pay an annual sum of fifty thalers (thirty-seven dollars) for maintenance. These papers must be forwarded to the director a fortnight before the day of examination. The candidates are examined at a stated time of the year (after Easter), in presence of all the teachers of the school, and their attainments must prove satisfactory in Bible and church history, the Lutheran Catechism, reading, writing, German grammar, especially the orthography of the language, the ground-rules of arithmetic (mental and written), geography and history, and natural history and philosophy, of the grade of the highest class of a burgher school. They must also be able to play, at sight, easy pieces of music upon the violin. The usual age of admission is eighteen; and the lowest at which they are admissible, seventeen. On entrance, they are entitled to free lodging and instruction, and, if their conduct and progress are satisfactory, in general, receive a yearly allowance of twenty-five dollars, which is equivalent, nearly, to the cost of their maintenance. Their clothing and school-books are provided by the pupils. The modes of preparation judged most appropriate by the authorities of the seminary are, the attendance on a burgher school, with private lessons from a competent teacher, or entrance into the preparatory establishment at Weissenfels. A gymnasium is considered by no means a proper place for the

• From Bache's Education in Europe.

+ At Magdeburg, Halberstadt, Frfurt, and Weissenfels.

The Rev. Dr. Harnisch, to whom I am indebted for a kind welcome to his institution, and a MS. account of its different schools.

The directions issued by the provincial authorities are, that they shall have a strong chest and sound lungs, not to be too near-sighted, nor deaf, nor infirm. The physician's certificate must state whether they have had the measles, &c.

preparation of pupils, its courses, discipline, and mode of life having a different tendency from that required by the future teacher of a common school.

The admission of new pupils takes place with some ceremony, in presence of the teachers and pupils. The director gives a charge, in which he makes them acquainted with the rules of the school, chiefly those relating to moral conduct, to obedience to the authorities, punctuality, regular attendance at study, school, church, and, in general, on the appointed exercises, due exertion, neatness in their habits, and exactness in the payment of dues to the tradesmen with whom they may deal. They bind themselves to serve for three years after leaving the school, in whatever situation may be assigned them by the regency of Merseburg, or to pay the cost of their education and maintenance. During their stay at the seminary, they are exempted from military service, except for six weeks. In fact, this service usually takes place at leaving the school, and before entering upon their new career. The number of pupils, on the average, is sixty.

The courses of instruction are, morals and religion, German, arithmetic and geometry, cosmology, pedagogy, terraculture, hygiene, theory and practice of music, drawing, and writing. Cosmology is a comprehensive term for geography, an outline of history and biography, the elements of natural history and natural philosophy, all that relates to the world (earth) and its inhabitants. Pedagogy includes both the science and art of teaching. The courses just enumerated are divided among the masters, according to the supposed ability of each in the particular branches, the whole instruction being given by the four teachers. The director, as is customary in these schools, takes the religious instruction, and the science and art of teaching, as his especial province, and adds lectures on the theory of farming and gardening (terraculture), and of health.

The duration of the course of studies has been reduced from three years to two, on account, as is alleged, of the necessity for a more abundant supply of teachers. There are, probably, other reasons, such as the expense, and the fear of over-educating the pupils for their station, which have been influential in bringing about this reduction. There are two classes corresponding to the two years of study. The first year is devoted entirely to receiving instruction; and in the second, practice in teaching is combined with it. In the preparatory school there is likewise a course of two years, and the pupils are divided into two classes. This establishment is in a building near the seminary, which can accommodate forty pupils, and is under the special charge of one of the teachers.*

The outline of the studies in the two schools is as follows:

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

PREPARATORY SCHOOL.

II Class. Bible stories, which the pupils must be able to narrate with propriety. Christian doctrine. Portions of Scripture committed to memory. Four hours weekly.

I Class. Reading the Bible, especially the historical parts. Krummacher's Bible Catechism. Christian doctrine. Parables of the New Testament. Seven hours.

In the lectures on Christian doctrine, which the two classes of the normal school attend together, the director gives a portion of Scripture to be committed to memory, explains and illustrates it, and interrogates the pupils, who take notes of the lecture, which they subsequently write out.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

II Class. Reading the Bible, particularly the historical parts; writing catechetical exercises, adapted to children. Two hours.

The payments made by the pupils are. per annum, for instruction, nine dollars; for dinner, bread not included, thirteen dollars and fifty cents; lodging, three dollars; waiting and nursing in time of sickness, one dollar and seventy-five cents; use of library, fifty cents.

I Class. Continuation of the second class course. Two hours.

I and II Class. Christian doctrine, from Luther's Catechism. Three hours. History of the different dispensations. Two hours. A course of two years.

The course of church history is taught, also, by the mixed method of lecture and interrogation, to both classes united.

II Class. Exercises of speech in reading and delivery. Descriptions and essays on subjects drawn from common life. Grammar. Writing, as an exercise in calligraphy and orthography. Nine hours.

I Class. Reading, with explanations. Composition. Grammar revised. Writing, as in the second class. Nine hours.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

II Class. Reading, with explanations. Writing, as an exercise of calligraphy and orthography. Exercises of style. A composition once every month. Essays from history, geography, or natural history. Grammar revised. Eight hours.

I Class. Poetry, with readings. Calligraphy. Exercises of style. Grammar revised. National literature. Seven hours.

The first and second classes are united for a portion of instruction in this department, intended to rid them of provincialisms of speech, and to improve their handwriting. Three hours.

MATHEMATICS.

PREPARATORY SCHOOL.

II Class. Arithmetic, including the Rule of Three. Three hours.

I Class. Arithmetic, revised and extended. Use of compass and ruler. Four hours.

II Class.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

Geometry, commenced. Four hours.

I Class. Revision of previous studies. Geometry, continued. Two hours.

The method of teaching mathematics is that of Pestalozzi; and director Harnisch has himself prepared a work on geometry for his pupils. The applications are made to follow the principles closely. As in the other courses, the greater part of the learning is done in the school-room, the books being used rather for reference than for preparation. In the lessons which I attended in this department, much skill was displayed by the instructors, and a very considerable degree of intelligence by the pupils. Considering it as the means of developing the reasoning powers, this method is very far supe rior to that in which the propositions are learned from books. To exemplify the method of Dr. Harnisch, I may state the following case of a recitation in geometry by the second class. The equality of two triangles, when the two sides and the angle contained between them in one are equal respectively to the two sides and the contained angle in the other, had been shown by the teacher, and the demonstration repeated by the pupils, who were interrogated closely upon it. An application of the theorem was at once required, to determining the distance between two points, one of which is inaccessible. Two of the class found the solution immediately, and all were able to take part in the subsequent discussion of the problem.

COSMOLOGY (Weltkunde).

PREPARATORY SCHOOL.

II Class. Elements of botany and zoology. Excursions for practical instruction in the former. Four hours.

I Class. Geography and the drawing of maps. Elements of physics and technology. Biography. Three hours.

II Class.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

Revision of the above studies. Three hours.

I and II Classes united. General views of the earth and its productions and inhabitants. One hour weekly for one year. Gardening and hygiene (Gesundheitskunde). Two hours weekly for two years.

The lectures in the normal school on these subjects are by the director. The means of illustration in physics are small, and the whole course is chiefly intended to show the future teachers how wide a range of knowledge may be opened to them by study. The natural history is illustrated, for the most part, by drawings. To render the seminarists more useful in their situation of country schoolmasters, which a large proportion of the pupils become, they have lectures on the principles of agriculture and gardening, and also practical lessons from the gardener, who has charge of the grounds. The pupils work during the appropriate season every day in turn, under the direction of the gardener. Good manuals, conveying correct but elementary instruction on these matters, are much wanted. They shouid, perhaps, be prepared by a teacher, but by no means allowed to go into use without revision by persons specially acquainted with the different branches of science thus grouped together. This revision would insure the accuracy which, though difficult to attain, is so necessary; the more so in conveying such elements, as there is no collateral knowledge to correct or modify error as to fact or theory.

SCIENCE AND ART OF TEACHING.

PREPARATORY SCHOOL.

The first class receive simple directions for keeping school, and lessons on teaching. They attend in turn the classes of the seminary.schools two hours weekly, but take no part in teaching.

NORMAL SCHOOL.

II Class. Lessons on teaching, three hours. Visits to the schools, three hours. I Class. Lessons on the art of teaching, three hours. Visits to the schools, five hours. Lessons on the instruction of the deaf and dumb, by the director of that department, one hour.

I and II Classes united. Science of teaching, two hours.

The director delivers the course on the science of teaching, which in these schools is considered of the highest importance, and also gives a portion of the lessons in the art of teaching to the first class.

The theoretical instruction in the science and art of teaching embraces two courses, each of a year; the first being devoted chiefly to education in general, the second to instruction and the arrangements of the school.* The director remarks of this course, that the pupils learn by it to say a good deal upon these subjects, and sometimes believe that they can easily execute what they can so readily describe; an opinion of which practice can alone show the error, and which it is essential should be removed. The general theory of education is founded upon the constitution of man, and, under the head of instruction, the methods of teaching the various branches are described. The practice which must render this theory of real use is had in part in the schools. The pupils attend the free school, the burgher school, and the deaf and dumb school, at stated times. They go at first as listeners, next take part in the instruction, under direction of the assistant teachers, and lastly instruct the classes. In order that they may have models of teaching, not only in the assistants, but in the teachers of the seminary themselves, the latter give lessons occasionally in the different schools. Thus the director teaches one hour per week in the seminary school, the second teacher two hours, and the third and fourth teachers four hours. The lower class attend the several classes of the burgher school, except the highest girls' class, remaining, in general, one-fifth of the time in each class except the lowest, where they remain double this time, and visiting each

⚫ Harnisch's Manual of Common School Matters (Handbuch des Volks-schulwesens) is used as a text-book.

A more common division of the course is into pedagogics, or the principles of education and instruction. Methodics, or the art of teaching the system or methods of education, to which a third division is sometimes added, called didactics, which relates to the subjects of education, (Schwarz Erzichung und Unterrichts lehre).