EDUCATION IN A SWISS CANTON. 289 



Primary Schools. In two of these five there are now com- 

 plete groups of four " Forderklassen " running' parallel with 

 the four normal classes of the Primary School course, while 

 the others have three each. It is hoped to introduce them soon 

 in the Boys' Primary Schools and later on into the Secondary 

 Schools. At present 26 teachers are emploved solely in con- 

 ducting" these two kinds of special classes, namely, the " Spezial- 

 klassen " and the " Forderklassen." 



With the fifth school year commence the Middle Schools, 

 each with a four-years' course. Pupils are received in the 

 lowest classes of these, who have passed successfully through 

 the highest class of the Primary Schools. These middle 

 schools are of five kinds. There are for boys the Lower 

 Gymnasium (or classical school), the Lower Realschule (or 

 Modern School) and four Boys' Sekundarschulen; and for 

 girls the Lower Tochterschule, or Girls' High School, and 

 six Girls' Sekundarschulen. The choice of school is left to 

 the parents. 



The Lower Gymnasium and the Lower Realschule prepare 

 for the Upper Gymnasium and the Upper Realschule. The 

 Lower Tochterschule admits those girls for whom a lengthened 

 period at school with a fuller cotn'se of study is intended, and 

 who pass on to the Upper Tochterschule. The Sekundar- 

 schulen are a continuation of the Primarschulen and receive 

 those pupils for whom a simple education not over-reaching 

 the compulsory school age is intended. Their aim is to widen 

 the knowledge already acquired in the Primarschulen, but step 

 beyond the bounds of the latter by the compulsory study of 

 another language, in this case French. Pupils who have 

 proved themselves incapable of following the instruction in 

 French may be exempted from it by the Director of Education 

 and may receive instruction in some other subject during the 

 French lessons. It may be noted here, that the time given to 

 German in the Primary Schools is now fairly equally divided 

 between French and German. For the conduct of these 

 Secondary Schools, there are two Rectors, one for the boys' 

 schools and one for the girls'. Vice-Rectors may act for and 

 assist the Rectors. Each school consists of four classes fol- 

 lowing one upon the other with a year's course in each. The 

 number of pupils in each class must not exceed 45 and the 

 weekly time of instruction is from 26 to 30 hours. 



To the Secondary Schools there have been annexed recently 

 two years' continuation classes for boys and girls. In addition 

 to an extended study of the subjects taken in the normal 

 Secondary School course, boys are taught book-keeping, short- 

 hand and carpentry, while in the language work special con- 

 sideration is given to the vocabulary required for railway, 

 postal and telegraph work. The girls' classes are conducted 

 in two courses — a Housewifery and a Commercial. Only 

 pupils are accepted who undertake to complete the full two- 

 years' course in either division. 



There are two Realschulen, a Lower with over 1,100 pupils 

 and an Upper with about 600. They are intended to give 



