160 RURAL DENMARK 



stranger were to visit any of our Board schools I 

 wonder whether he would be able to say as much. 



These seventh-class girls choose whether they 

 will learn English or German, six hours a week being 

 given to the study of one of these languages. Those 

 whom I saw had of course chosen English. In 

 answer to my questions, Mr. Jerndorff Jessen made 

 some remarks which may be of interest to the 

 advocates of women's suffrage. He said (I quote 

 him verbatim) : 



" I find that the girls are more intelligent, diligent, 

 and orderly than the boys. They are at least the 

 equals of the males. The lady teachers, too, are better 

 than the men, and take more interest in their work. 

 Perhaps this is because they are not so much dis- 

 tracted by outside matters." 



I may state here that in this, and I think all 

 Danish schools, the girls have a separate entrance 

 and play-yard of their own. Only children of both 

 sexes who are under seven years of age are taught 

 together. 



The cookery-class room in this school is situated 

 at the top of the house, I suppose in order that the 

 smells may escape. It is a spotlessly clean place, with 

 tables as white as snow, and drawers in which spoons, 

 &c, are arranged like specimens in a cabinet, as 

 are all the utensils in the adjoining pantry. It con- 

 tains a gas and a coal stove for cooking purposes, 

 also a demonstration stove with all the necessary 

 apparatus. The cooking-class is not compulsory, but 

 Mr. Jessen hoped and believed that it would be made 

 so in 1 9 1 1 . At his school about a hundred pupils were 

 receiving instruction in this art, the time given to it 

 being four hours twice a week. Each class of pupils 



