Education in Germany

by Scientific American December 12th, 2023

Too Long; Didn't Read

The compulsory school laws of Prussia are frequently pointed to as models for similar laws, perhaps with the hope that by imitating her lower schools we can bring up our high schools to an equal rank with hers, and place our universities on a level with those which are producing the most finished scholars, the deepest thinkers, and the greatest investigators. We are likely to forget that the conditions are different, and especially that nascitur, non fit, is as true of a chemist as of a poet. The state of popular education in Germany is, however, a matter of interest, and is best illustrated by the following table, showing the percentage of unschooled men among the recruits from different German provinces:

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Scientific American, Vol. XXXVII.—No. 2. [New Series.], July 14, 1877 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here. Education in Germany.

Education in Germany.

The compulsory school laws of Prussia are frequently pointed to as models for similar laws, perhaps with the hope that by imitating her lower schools we can bring up our high schools to an equal rank with hers, and place our universities on a level with those which are producing the most finished scholars, the deepest thinkers, and the greatest investigators. We are likely to forget that the conditions are different, and especially that nascitur, non fit, is as true of a chemist as of a poet. The state of popular education in Germany is, however, a matter of interest, and is best illustrated by the following table, showing the percentage of unschooled men among the recruits from different German provinces:

	Per cent.
Prussia	3.19
Bavaria	1.79
Saxony	0.23
Würtemberg	0.02
Baden	0.22
Hesse	0.35
Mecklenburg	1.09
Thuringia	1.42
Alsace	3.45

These figures seem to indicate a higher grade of intelligence and wider diffusion of knowledge among all classes, for recruits are from every class, than in Austria, although in the latter the figures are arranged so differently as to make any accurate comparison of Austria and Germany rather difficult and unsatisfactory.

Name of District.	Number of Common Schools.	Number of inhabitants to each school.	Percentage of school children who attend.	Number of Normal Schools.
Bohemia	4,190	1,254	77	12
Bukowina	167	3,121	9	1
Dalmatia	241	1,864	12	2
Galicia	2,374	2,341	15	1
Carinthia	318	1,060	?	2
Carniola	234	1,187	48	2
Custrin	396	1,496	38	5
Moravia	1,866	1,082	78	5
Lower Austria	1,267	1,578	76	5
Upper Austria	506	1,455	82	2
Salzburg	155	982	85	1
Steiermark	690	1,657	59	3
Schlesia	433	1,208	77	4
Tyrol	1,926	457	?	6
Total	14,763			51

Over 3,000 teachers' positions are said to be vacant at the present time.

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