CONFERENCE OF SCHOOL INSPECTORS.

In order to accomplish the re-organization of the school-system in Alsace-Lorraine on a safe basis, the newly appointed school-inspectors of the different districts were commissioned to inform themselves accurately as to the actual state of education and the wants of the population. After this had been done satisfactorily, an inspectors' conference was called together at Strasburg. This conference, to which also the teachers of the normal schools had been called, met on the 26th and 27th July, 1871, and was presided over by School-Counselor Arnold. The whole system of elementary instruction was thoroughly discussed, and rules and regulations for further action were laid down.

COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

By order of the governor of Alsace, education is henceforth to be compulsory for all boys between the ages of 6 and 14, and all girls between the ages of 6 and 13. For the present, this law only applies to public schools, and to private schools for children working in factories.

APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS.

The appointing power has been given by the governor to Government President von Kühlwetter, in Strasburg, for Alsace, and to Government President Count von Villers, at Metz, for Lorraine. According to reliable authority, the government intends at an, early date to raise the salaries of all the teachers in the public schools.

TEACHERS' SEMINARIES.

In April, 1871, two teachers' seminaries were opened-a Catholic one at Strasburg and a Protestant one at Colmar. The course of instruction in these seminaries lasts three years, and embraces religion, history, geography, German, pedagogics, vocal and instrumental music, gymnastics, and horticulture. The language of instruction is German. There are normal classes connected with these seminaries, where students engage in practical exercises. According to a recent decree of the chancellor of the German empire, (Prince Bismarck,) the seminaries in Alsace-Lorraine have been entirely deprived of their confessional character, and students are admitted to either of them irrespective of religious creed.

SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.

The former lyceum at Colmar has been discontinued, and in its stead a gymnasium on the plan of the Prussian gymnasia, with several real-classes, was opened on the 3d October, 1871. The Strasburg lyceum had already been changed into a gymnasium on the 1st of May. According to recent statistics the attendance at the secondary schools has been exceedingly satisfactory. Thus the gymnasium at Strasburg numbered 170 students, (40 from Alsace;) the gymnasium at Buchsweiler 102, (101 from Alsace;) Mühlhausen 80, (60 from Alsace ;) and Metz 87, (mostly sons of German officials.)

THE STRASBURG UNIVERSITY.

The Strasburg University, founded in the year 1538, was closed during the first French revolution, but was re-established by Napoleon in 1808, but was never a full university in the German sense of the word. After the close of the war of 1870-'71 it was the unanimous and loudly uttered wish of the whole German nation to see the Strasburg University restored to its pristine glory, and become, as of old, the nurse of famous German writers and thinkers. The imperial government gladly seconded this wish, and appropriated a large sum (about 1,000,000 Prussian thalers) for buildings, laboratories, apparatus, &c., and an annual sum of 220,000 thalers. Large contributions of money and books passed in from all sides, so that soon the library possessed a larger number of volumes than before the siege, and on the 1st May, 1872, the University of Strasburg was solemnly opened in the presence of the civic and military authorities of Alsace, and delegations of professors and students from nearly all the German universities. The new university opened with 47 professors-among them some of the most famous men of science and letters-and several hundred students.

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AT STRASBURG.

The school of pharmacy at Strassburg had to be discontinued, as nearly all the teachers left. The pharmaceutical society of Strasburg, however, took the matter in hand, chose competent teachers from among their own number, and the school has been opened again and is in a flourishing condition.

EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL.

On the 1st April, 1871, the first number of an educational journal for Alsace appeared at Colmar, called "Das Elsässische Schulblatt," (The Alsace School Journal.) It is edited by Professor Hass, director of the higher burgher schools at Münster, (Upper Alsace.)

ANHALT.

(Nominally a Constitutional Monarchy-Duchy. Area, 869 square miles. Population, 203,354.)

The educational affairs of the duchy are administered by a director, (consistorialrath.) No report has been received for this year.

BADEN.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Grand Duchy. Area, 5,904 square miles. Population, 1,461, 128.)

The educational department is under the ministry of the interior.

Director of the department (superior council of education,) L. RENK.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.

In May, 1871, the Roman Catholic archi-episcopal vicariate (the highest Roman Catholic authority of the grand duchy) resolved to make use of its right (secured by law) of taking a share in the administration of schools, and to guard the right of the clergyman to take his seat in the local school board. This resolution was received in a very different manner by the various organs of the press; the liberal journals almost unauimously condemning the measure, while the conservative and orthodox journals warmly defended it. The teachers openly expressed themselves against the participation of the clergy in the school administration, and several teachers' conferences passed resolutions asking the central teachers' conference to petition the chambers for an abolition of the odious measure.

COMMUNAL NON-CONFESSIONAL SCHOOLS.

In quite a number of communities non-confessional schools have been established, in most cases by Protestants and Jews.

WANT OF TEACHERS.

There are still many teachers wanted. In some cases teachers have from 150 to 170 scholars; in others they have to attend to two schools, so that each of these schools has only three days' instruction per week. The three teachers' seminaries are entirely insufficient to provide for this want. Many young men are deterred from entering the seminary on account of the small salary they have to expect when teachers, as they have to teach ten or twelve years before their salary is raised to 400 florins.

TEACHERS' READING-ROOMS.

The teachers in the city of Constance (9,000 inhabitants) have clubbed together, and have established a reading-room, where all the recent educational publications and journals are taken.

BAVARIA.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Kingdom. Area, 29,617 square miles. Population, 4,861,402.)

Minister of public instruction, J. VON LUTZ.

INCREASE OF TEACHERS' SALARY.

In the appropriation bill laid before the Bavarian chambers special regard was paid to the increase in the salary of teachers. The minister of public instruction, in recommending the measure, remarked that "it would be an unjustifiable harshness to console teachers, when complaining of their miserable pittance, by the promise of some future school law which would improve their position. What was wanted was action and immediate aid." The government intends to remedy this evil by increasing the

salaries of all teachers in active service, by granting an increase of salary after several years of service, by giving pensions to superannuated teachers, and by taking care of the widows and orphans of teachers. The annual sum demanded by the minister for these purposes amounts to 1,294,196 florins. The provincial authorities have set a praiseworthy example in this respect by appropriating large sums for the same purpose; thus Upper Bavaria voted 30,000 florins, and Middle Franconia 44,550. The same has been done by the municipal authorities in most of the cities, such as Munich, Nuremberg, Worms, Nördlingen, Kulmbach, &c.

STATISTICS.

In the public elementary schools there are employed 26 clergymen, 8,309 male teachers, 93 lay female teachers, and 87 assistant teachers. The number of teachers' widows is 2,198, and the number of teachers' orphans 1,328.

EDUCATION IN MUNICH.

In Munich special classes are to be established for children whose mental development has been retarded; children of poor abilities are assisted by receiving extra instruction after school hours, and poor children are afforded an opportunity of studying their lessons undisturbed in the school-house. Gymnastics, drawing, and vocal music are obligatory studies in all the elementary schools. French teachers may be employed in girls' schools, and, in exceptional cases, in the two lower classes of boys' schools. Poor children are supplied with text-books and stationery at the expense of the city. There are no school-fees whatever. The number of hours per week for each teacher varies between 20 and 28. In appointing new teachers the magistrate has the right of recommending persons, and the district authorities (district is the subdivision of province) have the right of appointment. The city in 1871 appropriated 200,300 florins for school purposes, 50,000 of which sum were for teachers' salaries.

THE INFALLIBILITY DOGMA AND EDUCATION.

After Professor Döllinger, Professor Friedrich, and Professor Silbernagel, of Munich, had decidedly expressed themselves against the dogma of infallibility the students of the Gregorian theological seminary were forbidden by their clerical superiors to attend the lectures of the above-mentioned professors. In consequence of this prohibition a large meeting of citizens addressed a petition to the government, asking that the infallibility dogma might be rejected, and that the relation between church and school might soon be definitely regulated. The magistrate resolved to recommend only such persons as religious instructors in public schools as would sign a protest against the dogma. There were, however, several cases in which the archbishop claimed the right to appoint teachers in elementary schools. This induced the magistrate to protest emphatically against all such intermeddling in communal affairs and to enter complaints with the government. On the 14th of October, 1871, von Lutz, the minister of public instruction, made a speech of two hours and a quarter in the Bavarian chambers, defining the position of the government toward the infallibility dogma, declaring that the only safety for the future was to be found in the separation of church and state, and promising that the government would abolish the concordat, and would uphold perfect religious liberty also in the educational field. The archbishop of Munich was officially informed by the minister that the infallibility dogma was endangering the fundamental laws of Bavaria and the constitution of the country; that consequently the government could lend no aiding hand in the spread of the new dogma, and would, if necessary, protect citizens against the encroachments of the ecclesiastical authority.

NON-CONFESSIONAL SCHOOLS.

In a great many cities, such as Nuremberg, Speyer, Munich, and others, the municipal councils have established non-confessional schools, which have received many contributions from private citizens, and which, as a general rule, are well attended.

STUDY OF PEDAGOGICS AT THE ERLANGEN UNIVERSITY.

At the university of Erlangen, two professors, Dr. von Zezschwitz and Dr. Schmidt have commenced to deliver lectures on pedagogics. The latter, who is also director of the recently established pedagogical-faculty seminary at the university, has started a philosophical-pedagogical society, called the "Sunflower."

DISTINCTION CONFERRED ON A WORTHY TEACHER.

The father of the present minister of public instruction lives at Würzburg as a simple elementary teacher. On the 12th September, 1871, he celebrated the fiftieth anni

versary of his having entered the teacher's profession, in which he, during this long period, had been an untiring and enthusiastic worker. On this occasion he was decorated with the Ludwig's Order, and was honored by a congratulatory letter from the King's own hand.

BREMEN.

(Republic-Free City. Area, 106 square miles. Population, 122,565.)

Highest educational authority, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BREMEN, C. F. G. MOHR.

TEACHERS' SEMINARY.

A movement has been set on foot by a number of citizens to raise the standard of education in the teachers' seminary, and to make some modern language (either English or French) an obligatory subject of instruction. So far, however, this law has not led to any definite result.

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

The government has resolved to lower the salaries of teachers from 500 Prussian thalers to 400, and to raise them gradually every five years, till they have reached the sum of 600 thalers, which is to be the maximum salary. A short time before this resolution was passed, the salary of the head-butler in the famous old restaurant "Rathskeller," (in the cellar or basement of the ancient town-hall,) was fixed at 1,500 thalers. per aunum.

The assistant teachers are to have better opportunities in future to be promoted and. become regular teachers. Their salaries in the city vary between 350 and 400 thalers, and in the country districts between 250 and 300.

BRUNSWICK.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Duchy. Area, 1,526 square miles. Population, 311,715.)

Highest educational authority, Dr. H. T. L. C. ERNESTI.

TEACHERS' CONFERENCE.

The fortieth annual meeting of the Brunswick teachers' conference discussed the following subjects: 1. The preparation of the teacher for his important duties as instructor and educator. 2. The work of the teacher and the best means for bettering his position. 3. The absolute necessity for raising the teachers' salaries. 4. A comparison of the teachers' salaries with those of other officers in the service of the government.

EDUCATION IN THE BRUNSWICK CHAMBERS.

One delegate moved a resolution to reserve 250,000 thalers from the income from the railroads, (which are government property,) the interest of which sum was to be used for increasing the salaries of teachers. During the same session another delegate moved to petition the ministry to consider whether, and in how far, instruction in the public elementary schools could be made gratuitous, and to prepare the draught of a law to that effect.

TRUANCY LAW.

The law, passed in 1867, endeavors to remedy the evil in truancy in an energetic manner. According to this law, for every day missed at school a fine must be paid of 23 silborgroschen, (about 6 cents;) if the number of missed days during one single month amounts to 5, the fine is raised to 5 silbergroschen, (12 cents.) In case of inability to pay, imprisonment takes the place of the fine. Any person employing a child of school age in a factory or any other business during school-hours is to be fined by a sum not exceeding 20 thalers, ($14.40, gold,) or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two. weeks.

MEETING OF TEACHERS OF THE DEAF AND DUMB.

August 20-22, 1871, the society of teachers of the deaf and dumb of Northwestern Germany held its fifth annual meeting at Brunswick. Ten deaf and dumb institutions were represented by 24 teachers. The following subjects were discussed: 1. The urgent necessity of a normal school for teachers of the deaf and dumb. 2. Drawing instruction in deaf and dumb institutions. 3. Instruction in speaking. 4. The best modeof placing the teachers in institutions of more than one class.

HAMBURG.

(Republic-Free City. Area, 148 square miles. Population, 338,974.)

President of the superior school council, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HAMBURG, Dr. G. H. KIRCHENPAUER.

INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW SCHOOL-LAW.

The introduction of the new school-law has been hailed with universal and unfeigned joy. It is based on sound educational views, secures the independence of the school from the clergy, and gives a uniform organization to the whole system of public instruction. By this school-law a superior school-council has been created as the highest educational authority. The members are at certain stated periods elected by the city council. The law also provides for a teachers' seminary-an institution the want of which has been keenly felt. An annual sum of 16,000 Prussian thalers has been appropriated for this institution; there are to be only day scholars, and English and French are to be made obligatory studies.

EDUCATIONAL SOCIETIES.

The "Society of the Friends of Education in Hamburg," existing for sixty-five years, numbers 596 members. It endeavors to further education by lectures, a library, a reading-room, and normal school, and likewise grants financial aid to poor, sick, and superannuated teachers, teachers' orphans and widows.

The Educational Society, founded in 1869, numbers 200 members, and follows the same aims as the before-mentioned society.

SCHOOL HYGIENE.

In Hamburg, following the example of Switzerland, experiments have been made to ascertain the amount of carbonic acid gas contained in school-rooms. The maximum was found to be about 5 per cent., which is altogether too much. As the pure air of the atmosphere only contains 0.004 per cent., and as 1 per cent. is really injurious to health, endeavors are being made to remedy this evil by a better system of ventilation.

STATISTICS.

During 1871 the total number of teachers was 1,805, viz, 878 females and 927 males Of this number, 42 males and 131 females were about 18 years old, 237 males and 301 females varied in age between 19 and 28; and 152 males and 86 females were between 29 and 38 years.

HESSE.

(Constitutional Monarchy-Grand Duchy. Area, 3,240 square miles. Population, 852,843.)

Superintendent of public instruction, G. WILLICH.

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

The Hessian chambers, in September, 1871, discussed the position of the elementary teachers, and almost unanimously resolved to urge the government to raise the decidedly insufficient salaries, and the pensions of teachers' widows. In some of the towns the evil was so apparent that the municipal authorities raised the salaries from the town treasury. That the salaries were really utterly inadequate, is seen from a fact like the following, which has been communicated by a Hessian teacher: A young man about 16 years of age was recommended by him to an engineer, to assist him in carrying and placing surveying instruments, who received daily, Sundays included, 1 florin 12 kreutzers, making an annual salary of 438 florins. This same teacher only receives an annual salary of 300 florins, although he has served 30 years.

TEACHERS' SOCIETIES.

The Ludwig and Alice Society, established seven years ago, for aiding teachers' widows and orphans, numbers 1,341 members, all teachers, (the total number of teachers in the grand duchy is about 1,700,) and its funds amount to 15,493 florins; during the last year 1,040 florins were distributed. In two districts there are district teachers widows' societies, to give aid only to the widows of teachers who have taught