May 12, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



719 



Gymnasien (classical schools) and Realschulen 

 (schools with French and English instead of 

 the ancient languages) ; there are now 725. 

 The city institutions have multiplied more 

 rapidly than those supported by the state. 

 There are now 474 city higher schools as 

 against 251 state schools. In 1900 the figures 

 were 344 and 220. The schools are not in- 

 creasing in number as rapidly as a few years 

 ago. In 1907, 26 new ones were established, 

 in 1908, 22 ; in 1909, 12 ; in 1910, 14. 



The practical trend of opinion which insti- 

 tuted the Realschulen is still making itself 

 felt. In 1900 there were still 341 Gymtiasien 

 as against 223 Realschulen. Now there are 

 364 of the former and 361 of the latter. The 

 extreme Realschule, however, which oilers no 

 Latin at all, is not gaining ground as rapidly 

 as the compromise schools. In 1900 there 

 were 85 Realgymnasien, with 138 Realschulen 

 and Oherrealschulen. Now there are 161 of 

 the former to match 200 of the latter. Here 

 is a faint evidence of reaction against the 

 ultra-practical educational theories of the 

 century's beginning. The Reformgymnasien, 

 which begin with a modern language — in all 

 but two eases with French, — in Sexta (the low- 

 est of the nine classes) and with Latin in 

 Untertertia (the fourth class from the begin- 

 ning), are increasing in popularity. There 

 are now 110 of them. The Reformrealgym- 

 nasium in Geestemiinde and the one in Osna- 

 briick begin with English instead of French. 

 The regulation Realschule offers nine years of 

 French and six of English. There seems no 

 reason for this arrangement except the inertia 

 of French influence. It might be contended 

 that the cultural importance of French war- 

 rants great attention to it in the old-line 

 schools : but one would scarcely expect such a 

 reason to have much weight with the ultra- 

 practical Realschulen. 



The line between Gymnasium and Real- 

 schule is not always one of absolute separation. 

 There are numerous Doppelanstalten, in which 

 a Gym,nasium is joined to a Realgymnasium, 

 or a Realschule, and several in which a Real- 

 gymnasium and a Realschule are combined. 

 Some of the regular Gymnasien allow students 



who do not wish to study Greek to substitute 

 a modern language, and there are some in- 

 stances where Realgymnasien and Realschulen 

 offer Greek as an elective. 



The German secondary schools have never 

 been excessively large. In 1900 there were 

 60 which had more than 500 students each; 

 in 1910 there are 136. In the former year the 

 Royal Pauline Gymnasium in Miinster-in- 

 AYestphalen and the Guerickeschule in Mag- 

 deburg (which was then a Realschule and 

 Realgymnasium combined), counted 840 schol- 

 ars each and headed the list. The Guericke- 

 schule lost its Realgymnasium and its numer- 

 ically commanding position, and the school in 

 Miinster ceased to gi-ow. The largest Prus- 

 sian institution is now the city Gymnasium 

 and Realschule in Miilheim, with 948 boys. 

 If we add the 157 children in the Vorschule 

 or preparatory school, who recite in the same 

 building and are under the control of the same 

 director, the school numbers 1,100. The Miil- 

 heim school has an average of 31.6 students in 

 a class; its present rival in size, the Royal 

 Berger-Oberrealschule in Posen, with 896 stu- 

 dents, has 44.8 in a class. 



In 1900 these schools employed 6,860 teach- 

 ers. In 1910 there are 10,150. The number 

 of officially qualified candidates for these posi- 

 tions decreased considerably during the last 

 decade. In 1895 the number on the waiting 

 list had reached its maximum — 1,472. In 

 1900 it had fallen to 693, and in 1906 to 124. 

 In 1897 there were only 73 unfilled positions 

 in the system. By 1900 the number had in- 

 creased to 127, and seven years later high- 

 water mark was reached, with 384 vacant 

 places. In the last few years qualified candi- 

 dates have grown more numerous again. 

 There are now 384, as against 124 in 1906. 



Prussian secondary school teachers are gen- 

 erally required to teach two or more subjects. 

 It is interesting to note the equipment of the 

 candidates. One hundred twenty-three are 

 prepared to teach religion and Hebrew, 522 for 

 Latin and Greek, 475 for French and English, 

 482 for mathematics and physics, 155 for 

 chemistry and natural science, 554 for history 

 and geography, 448 for German, 243 for ath- 



