in the district.. The Jewish society, Achawa, for aiding poor Jewish teachers, their widows and orphans, has been in existence for six years; its funds amount to 10,628 florins, and during the last year 967 florins were paid to poor teachers, orphans, and widows.

The Hessian Teachers' Society, numbering 1,125 members, met in May, 1871, in Oppenheim. Only 280 members attended the meeting. Various subjects were discussed, and resolutions passed to urge upon the government the necessity of a new school-law, the chief features of which are to be: entire separation of church and school; compulsory, gratuitous education; non-confessional teachers' seminaries; higher standard of education in the seminaries, &c.

AGRICULTURAL COURSE FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS.

Every year during the summer vacation an agricultural course of about six weeks is held at Darmstadt, the capital of the grand duchy, for the benefit of elementary teachers. This course has two divisions, one for those who attend for the first time, and one for those who have already attended it during the previous year. The course embraces lectures on chemistry, natural philosophy, mineralogy, geography, botany, zoology, geometry, agriculture, book-keeping, horticulture, &c.

INSTITUTIONS FOR YOUNG PERSONS WHO HAVE LEFT SCHOOL.

Three years ago there were 87 such institutions, but since then their number has increased considerably, especially in the rural districts. These schools are supported by the towns themselves. The instruction is mostly given in the evening or on Sunday afternoon, by the regular teachers, and embraces drawing, natural history, natural philosophy, history, geography, arithmetic, &c. The Roman Catholic clergy have violently denounced these schools as a desecration of the Sabbath-day; the well-known Bishop Kettler, of Mayence, calling them, in a confirmation speech held in the Mayence cathedral on the 29th May, 1871, "institutions of the devil.”

BUSINESS COLLEGE AT OFFENBACH.

In Offenbach (population about 25,000) there is a very excellent private business college under the superintendence of Dr. Nägler. Both discipline and instruction enjoy a very high reputation, and among the pupils there are several from Italy, England, and America.

LIPPE-DETMOLD.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Principality, (Fürstenthurm.) Area, 445 square miles. Population, 111,153.) Director of ecclesiastical and school affairs, PRIVY COUNSELOR MEYER.

No report has been received for this year.

LUBECK.

(Republic-Free City. Area, 1093 square miles. Population, 52,158.)

Highest educational authority, SENATOR DR. TH. CURTIUS.

No report has been received for this year.

MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN.

(Feudal Monarchy-Grand Duchy. Area, 4,834 square miles. Population, 557,897. Highest educational authority, THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, ECCLESIASTICAL AND SCHOOL AFFAIRS, STATE COUNSELOR DR. H. BUCHKA.

EDUCATIONAL SOCIETIES.

The general Mecklenburg teachers' society held its annual meeting at Wismar, and passed resolutions to urge the authorities to establish schools for young persons who have finished their schooling in the primary schools. The course of instruction, according to these resolutions, is to embrace drawing, modeling, embossing, German, natural philosophy, history, geography, arithmetic, book-keeping, rudiments of law, and political economy In Schwerin there is an "educational society" with several sections, i. e., for mathematics, history of pedagogics, &c.

The Teacher's Life Insurance Society has been in existence for 11 years. The funds

amount to 28,398 Prussian thalers. During the last year the expenditure was 4,482 thalers, and the income 4,721. The number of members is 958. In 1871 a Pestalozzi society was started, which already has distributed 218 thalers to 18 teachers' widows.

A TEACHER IN THE CITIZENS' COUNCIL.

In Schwerin a teacher was elected a member of the citizens' council, a committee of citizens whose function it is to form a sort of advisory board to the municipal council. The municipal council did not consider this election valid, but the university, on being appealed to, decided that the election was entirely valid.

COMPULSORY SERVICE (SPANNDIENST) FOR TEACHERS.

In the rural districts the farmers are obliged to till the ground for the teacher, as part of the latter's salary consists in a tract of land. This institution has led to many quarrels between teachers and farmers, and it is the unanimous wish of the teachers that this antiquated institution may soon be abolished.

MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ.

(Feudal Monarchy-Grand Duchy. Area, 997 square miles. Population, 96,982.

Highest educational authority, ECCLESIASTICAL COUNSELOR (Consistorialrath) Dr. H. OHL. No report has been received for this year.

OLDENBURG.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Grand Duchy. Area, 2,417 square miles. Population, 316,641.) Highest educational authority, THE MINISTER OF STATE, JUSTICE, AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS, BARON P. F. L. DE ROESSING.

There are two school-boards-one for the Protestant and one for the Catholic schools. President of the school-board for Protestant schools, Erdmann; president of the schoolboard for Roman Catholic schools, Reismann. No report has been received for this year.

PRUSSIA.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Kingdom. Area, 137,066 square miles. Population, 24,691,203.)

Minister of public instruction, Dr. FALK.

CHANGE OF MINISTRY.

Von Mübler, who has been Prussian minister of public instruction since 1862, had made himself so obnoxious by his re-actionary measures, all tending to give greater power to the clergy, and to increase their influence in school affairs, that a change was urgently demanded by the public, the press, and the Prussian Parliament. He was, consequently, permitted to resign on the 17th of January, 1872, and on the 22d of January Dr. Falk was appointed in his place, a choice which met with universal approbation. Dr. Falk was born in the Prussian province of Silesia in the year 1827, received a classical education, and studied law at the University of Breslau. In 1857 he was elected a member of the Prussian Parliament, where he voted with the liberal couservatives.

EDUCATION IN THE PRUSSIAN PARLIAMENT.

Education has formed a frequent subject of discussion in the Prussian Parliament. In 1870, several members introduced resolutions to ameliorate the teachers' position, but without leading to any result. During these discussions, a member from the province of Prussia showed that in the district of Gumbinnen, in his province, in 1837, there were 103 per cent. of all the recruits entirely illiterate, while in 1827 the percentage had only been 6; but that during the administration of Raumer and Mühler, (1860-'65,) the percentage had again risen to 103. He considered the miserable financial position of the teachers as the chief cause of this deplorable condition. Other members entirely coincided with his views, but nothing was done to remedy the evil.

At the opening of Parliament, November 27, 1871, King William, in his speech from the throne, referred to education in the following words: "Public instruction will this year require a larger appropriation than heretofore, in order to satisfy all the just demands of teachers and schools. The draught of a new school law will be introduced during the present session, which it is hoped will remedy many of the existing evils." This draught of a new law, looking chiefly to a complete separation of church and school, was introduced, and after considerable discussion was passed in both houses; in the lower house on the 11th March, 1872, by a vote of 125 ayes to 76 noes.

THE NEW PRUSSIAN SCHOOL LAW OF 1872.

The following is a literal translation of the new Prussiau school-law of March 11, 1872, assigning the superintendence of all the schools, private and public, to the state, that is to say, to the political society, and withdrawing this superintendence from the clergy as clergy or priests, although the latter might be, and indeed are, largely appointed by the state as school superintendents:

LAW CONCERNING SUPERINTENDENCE OF INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATION.

"We, William, by the grace of God, King of Prussia, &c., &c., ordain, in conformity with article 23 of the constitution of January 31, 1850, with the consent of both houses of Parliament, for the whole monarchy, as follows:

"SECTION 1. Abolishing every decree or direction in single portions of the land to the contrary, the superintendence over all institutions of instruction and education, private and public, belongs to the state.

"SECTION 2. The appointment of local and district school inspectors belongs to the state alone. The commission given to the state inspectors of primary schools can be recalled at any time, if it be a secondary and additional, or an honorary, office.

"SECTION 3. This law does not touch the participation in the superintendence of schools belonging to the communes, nor article 24 of the constitution of January 31, 1850. "SECTION 4. The minister of public instruction is charged with the execution of this

law.

"Given, &c., &c., Berlin, March 11, 1872.

"BISMARCK, and the seven ministers of the Prussian cabinet."

"WILLIAM.

THE INFALLIBILITY DOGMA AND EDUCATION.

During the early part of 1871, Dr. Triebel, director of the teachers' seminary at Braunsburg, in the province of Prussia, and Dr. Wollman, teacher of religion at the gymnasium in the same town,, who refused to accept the new dogma, were suspended from office by Dr. Krementz, bishop of Ermeland, while Dr. Braun, director of the gymnasium at Braunsberg, was without further ado suspended from office and excommunicated. Although the ministry of public instruction reminded the bishop of the illegality of his course of action, Dr. Krementz nevertheless demanded unconditional obedience to his orders by all the teachers of his diocese. Thereupon, the ministry commissioned the provincial school-council of the province of Prussia to issue the following order:

"As Dr. Wollman has been appointed by the government, it alone has the right to suspend him from office, if such a step should be deemed necessary. The bishop has no right whatever to meddle with the affairs of the gymnasium, much less to discharge any teacher. If the bishop believes that Dr. Wollman has become incapacitated for his office, he must first ascertain the exact facts of the case, and must then refer the whole matter to the government. In no case has the teacher of religion to obey any orders except those of the government."

Similar orders were issued with regard to Dr. Triebel and Dr. Braun. The bishops of Bonn and Breslau, who pursued the same course as Dr. Krementz, were likewise, by energetic orders from the university, reminded of their position. All the Roman Catholic bishops of the kingdom thereupon, on the 13th September, 1871, addressed a petition directly to the King, asking him to protect the oppressed Catholics in their rights.

SCHOOL FINANCES.

During the year 1871 the sum of 6,311,463 Prussian thalers (about $4,544,253.36 gold) was expended for public instruction. The following are the most important items of expenditure: Ministry of public instruction, 149,260 thalers; provincial school councils, 77,630; examining committees, 12,797; the universities, 889,815; gymnasia and realschools, 572,429; scientific and artistic institutions, 317,660; elementary instruction,

1

1,339,009; with the following items: teachers' seminaries, 392,025; elementary schools, 837,616; gymnasia, 12,160; institutions for the deaf and dumb and the blind, 21,139; orphan schools, 76,065, &c.

TEACHERS' SEMINARIES.

There is a great lack of teachers in nearly all the provinces, owing partly to the low salary paid, and partly to the insufficient number of teachers' seminaries. In the course of the year a number of new seminaries have been opened, and others will soon be opened, especially in the provinces acquired by the war of 1866.

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

The salaries have hitherto been entirely insufficient, especially in the rural districts. While a number of cities, particularly in the western portion of the kingdom, have made praiseworthy efforts to make the position of their teachers more comfortable, a petition, signed by thousands of teachers, has been addressed to the Prussian Parliament, asking for an addition to their salaries, a regular increase at stated intervals, and a regulated system of pensions. Slowly but surely this end will be reached.

TEACHERS' SOCIETIES.

There are teachers' societies in all the provinces, district societies in the district, and city societies in most of the larger cities. The Prussian societies have, during the last year, displayed a great activity, in the way of meetings, lectures, discussions, &c.; but few practical results have been reached. The two favorite subjects of discussion were the separation of church and school, and the formation of a general German teachers' society.

SCHOOLS FOR YOUNG PERSONS WHO HAVE FINISHED THEIR SCHOOLING, (FORTBILD-
UNGSCHULEN.)

Of these schools there are a great number throughout the whole monarchy, and of all kinds and grades, to suit the most varied demands. A model school of this kind for ladies is the Victoria Lyceum, in Berlin, which is under the special patronage of the crown princess. The teachers are all men of standard excellence in their respective subjects, and lectures are delivered on general history, history of Germany, German literature, history of music, history of the fine arts, French and English literature, botany and chemistry. Other schools are more devoted to industrial pursuits, and might well be termed industrial schools; while some only go over the elementary branches, with the addition of some mathematics, natural sciences, &c. Some are devoted to drawing; others to agriculture, &c. These schools are open mostly in the evening, and are attended by apprentices and other young persons in business. Many of these schools are private establishments; some are municipal, while others are supported by various societies.

GYMNASTICS.

Gymnastics is taught in almost all the schools, and the government encourages it in every way. In a recent circular the minister says: "It is acknowledged everywhere, by soldiers and civilians, that the astonishing accomplishments of our armies in the late war, especially their thorough discipline, exhibited in the most cheerful and selfsacrificing manner, their skill in overcoming natural and artificial hinderances in the enemy's country, their courage and calmness in battle, the calmness with which they bore pain and privations, must, in a large measure, be attributed to their gymnastic education."

Special zeal is displayed in the province of Prussia, where, in the five districts of Königsberg, Gumbinnen, Danzig, Marienwerder, and Bromberg, there are 34 gymnastic societies, with 3,062 members. The provincial gymnastic society employs a migratory teacher of gymnastics, who makes his regular rounds. In the city of Osnabrück (province of Hanover) the system of gymnastics has been introduced in the two upper classes of the city schools, and the results have been interesting. In all cases the children of the poorer classes showed less nimbleness than those of the rich. The most extensive and magnificent arrangements for instruction in gymnastics are to be found in the city of Breslau, (province of Silesia,) where there are most perfect arrangements for female gymnastics.

SCHOOL HYGIENE.

In February, 1871, a "medico-pedagogical society" was formed in Berlin, consisting of educators and physicians. Its aim is to further school hygiene in all its branches. In one of the last sessions the feasibility of a reliable school-pathology was discussed; and, as a step in this direction, the keeping of accurate tables was recommended, in which all cases of sickness of school-children are to be entered. The society is young; but some of the best educators and the most eminent men of science are among its members, and good results from its activity may confidently be looked for.

STATISTICS OF ILLITERACY.

The following are accurate statistics of the illiteracy among the Prussian conscripts:

The following are the official school statistics of Berlin (population about 900,000) for the year 1871: Number of elementary schools 218, with 1,982 classes and 93,198 scholars, (49,446 boys and 43,752 girls.) Of these scholars, 7,371 were older than 14, and 85,627 younger. Of the schools, 93 private schools were under the supervision of the municipal authorities, and 64 schools were supported by, as well as under the supervision of, the same authorities; 53,515 children were instructed at the expense of the city. The teachers are classed according to their salary, in the following manner: 16 with 900 thalers each; 16 with 850; 57 with 800; 13 with 700; 92 with 650; 91 with 500; 123 with 450; 238 with 400; 43 with 350; 75 with 300; 209 with 72; 15 with 60. Total number of teachers 957, (596 males and 361 females.) The expenditure for the municipal schools amounted to 475,762 thalers, and that for the private schools to 116,085. Fines for truancy were imposed to the number of 16,639, amounting, in all, to 2,379 thalers. In 1,560 cases the punisment consisted in imprisonment.

REUSS-GREIZ.

(Absoluto Monarchy-Principality. Area, 148 square miles. Population, 45,094.) Highest educational authority, THE PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT, O. MEUSEL. No report has been received for this year.

REUSS-SCHLEIZ.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Principality. Area, 297 square miles. Population, 89,032.) Highest educational authority, THE PRESIDENT OF THE MINISTRY, Dr. VON HARBOU.

ACTION OF THE CHAMBERS WITH REGARD TO EDUCATION.

The chambers, which assembled at Gera, adjourned on the 29th November, 1871, after having passed all the bills relating to education, the most important one being a bill granting government subsidies toward the building of new school-houses.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

The whole country is divided into 3 dioceses, with 15 school districts. Every district has its school-inspector, appointed by the government, who presides at the annual teachers' conferences of his district. So far there is no general teachers' society, but energetic endeavors are being made to establish one.

SAXE-ALTENBURG.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Duchy. Area, 509 square miles. Population, 142,122.) Highest educational authority, THE PRESIDENT OF THE MINISTRY, F. L. VON GERSTENBERG, EDLER VON ZECH.

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

The salaries of teachers were entirely inadequate, and many teachers had, therefore,