Bates. — On the Training of Teachers. 113 



tiou demanding knowledge, skill, enthusiasm, and good moral 

 character. The day is at hand, perhaps, when moral worth 

 will be regarded as of even greater value than knowledge and 

 technical attainments. 



The careful training of the teacher should, 1 think, occupy 

 the first place in the national programme of education. With- 

 out duly-qualified and self-devoted teachers, fine buildings 

 and costly appliances will be of little worth. Apart from the 

 service which the able and zealous teacher renders to the 

 intellectual and moral life of the nation, his training is of 

 importance as a kind of national investment. From every 

 point of view it is necessary to have capable men in charge of 

 our schools ; and the more capable they are the better. 



As regards the preparation of teachers for their work, two 

 points are to be distinguished — namely {a) their general know- 

 ledge ; and {b) their professional training. If their general 

 knowledge is sound and ample they are more able to 

 profit by their technical instruction, and have more time for 

 practice. 



Let us see what provision has been made for the training 

 of teachers in one of the old countries of the world. Ger- 

 many has led the way in the work of popular education, and 

 there from the time of the Eeformation the training of the 

 elementary-school master has been steadily kept in view. 

 There we find the training-school and the training-college for 

 teachers in the highest state of efficiency. The whole course 

 of training, usually extending over six years, is divided into 

 two periods — two or three years being spent in the training- 

 school, and the remainder in the training-college. The object 

 of the training-school is thus set forth: "To provide that 

 kind of general training which is calculated to afford a sure 

 foundation for the technical training of the elementary-school 

 teacher." In other words, the training-school provides such 

 instruction and training as are supplementary to the elemen- 

 tary school and preparatory to the training-college. With 

 respect to the latter institution, " the object of the instruction 

 given there is to confirm the knowledge acquired in the pre- 

 paratory course and to give it progressive development, to 

 insure familiarity with the principles of the theory of educa- 

 tion and instruction, and to give theoretical and practical 

 directions as to the correct treatment of the separate subjects 

 of an elementary school." The theoretical training comprises 

 four principal subjects : {a) Pedagogy ; {h) theory of instruc- 

 tion ;_ (c) psychology ; \d) special method. The practical 

 training consists chiefly of lessons given in the practising- 

 school under the supervision of a master of method. These 

 lessons are afterwards criticized both by the master and by 

 fellow-students. 



