The studies, began at the gymnasium, are partly to be completed, particularly mathematics and natural philosophy, partly to be reviewed with a view to their treatment at the common school. The instruction in religion is essentially historical, embracing the history of the progress of Christianity, in connection with the books of the Old and New Testaments, and history of the progress of the Christian Church. Art. 34, The number of students to be admitted is not limited. The tuition is free to natives, and to foreigners on the payment of twenty thalers a year. Art. 35, treats of the matriculation of the candidate. Art. 36, places the matriculated candidate under the obligation to serve as assistant or substitute for a longer or shorter portion of two years. Section V, Art. 37 to 41, is on the appointment of teachers at common schools. Art. 37, The privilege of election rests with the district, provided it has not received any pecuniary assistance for its schools from the State, during the five years preceding the time when the vacancy occurs. The election requires the confirmation of the government. Art. 38, regulates the right of election of the patrons. Art. 39, treats of the appointments by the government. The latter is authorized to appoint a teacher, when the district has received assistance from the State to defray the expenses of the school within the last five years, or when the district or patron has not filled the vacancy within four months from the day the vacancy commenced. Art. 40, The first appointment of a teacher is, as a rule, only provisional; this provisorium shall, however, last no longer than two years. Art. 41, treats of the appointment of female teachers. It is prescribed that examined female teachers may, with the consent of the district and the minister of State, be intrusted, in the prescribed manner, with the instruction of children of the first, second, and third years of their attendance at school. Section VI, Art. 42 to 62, treats of the rights and duties of teachers of common schools. Art. 42, The salary varies according to the appointment being revocable or irrevocable, and according to the number of pupils. (A.) The teachers who are revocably appointed shall receive as a minimum, (a,) 150 thalers and free lodging, or an equivalent indemnification when they are vicars or assistants; (b) 175 and lodging, or indemnification when they are provisionally appointed teachers. (B.) There are three classes of irrevocably appointed teachers: (a,) at a school in the country with 50 or less pupils, the minimum salary shall be, from the first to fifth year included, 200 thalers and free lodg ing; from the fifth to tenth year, 230 thalers; from the tenth to fifteenth year, 260 thalers; from the sixteenth year, 290 thalers; (b,) at a school in the country with more than 50 pupils, (including the schools in the towns of Friedrichsrode and Zella,) the minimum shall be; from the first to fifth year, 200 thalers; from the fifth to tenth year, 240 thalers; from the tenth to fifteenth year, 280 thalers; from the sixteenth year, 320 thalers; (c,) at the schools in the towns of Gotha, Ohrdruf, and Waltershausen, the minimum shall be: from the first to fifth year, 250 thalers, (no free lodging;) from the fifth to tenth year, 300 thalers; from the tenth to fifteenth year, 350 thalers; from the sixteenth year, 400 thalers. Included in the salaries of those teachers who have to perform church duties as cantors, organists or sacristans, are the emoluments and perquisites connected with these duties. Other income, which the teachers derive as clerks of the district or book-keeper of the church, are not included in the salary. Art. 43, treats of the computation of the number of pupils, and of the time the teachers have scrved. Art. 44, treats of the manner of paying the salary, (teachers in the country must take part of their salary in kind.) Art. 45, Estimates of salaries. Art. 46, How to divide the salary between the new teacher and the one who retires. Art. 47, Of the extra occupation of teachers of common schools. Art. 48, Of the particular privileges of teachers appointed irrevocably. These rights are: (a,) claims to be pensioned (after ten years or less of service, 40 per cent. of the salary; for every additional year or fraction of it, 1 per. cent. more ;) (b,) admission to the widow fund, (by paying 4 per cent. a year of his salary, the widow or children of a teacher shall receive one-fourth of the salary until the youngest child has reached the age of 21 ;) (c,) the right and duty to be a member of those charitable institutions which are organized for the benefit of common school teach ers. Art. 49, The maximum number of hours a teacher may be employed is thirty per week. The Board may grant furloughs. Art. 50, Marriage licenses of teachers. Articles 51 to 62, Penal code concerning teachers charged with dereliction, viz.: suspension, waiting order, dismission, removal: Section VII, Art. 63 to 84, treats of the inspection of public schools. The law discriminates between two classes of inspection of public schools, viz., inspection by the district and by the government. The district inspection is vested in the Board, consisting of the chairman of the councilmen (mayor or bailiff,) the minister of the place, the teachers of the place, and as many citizens of the district as there are teachers in the Board. The minister may, but must not necessarily, be chairman; directors of schools and teachers are not allowed to be chairmen. A modification of this organization takes place, when several districts are consolidated into one, and in towns. The government has three classes of inspectors: (a,) the district school inspectors, Art. 85, requiring that they should be selected from among practical schoolmen; (b,) schoolcourts, consisting of the district administrator—or in towns the mayor -and the district inspector; (c,) the ministry of State, being the highest school authority, which (Art. 91) appoints a practical schoolman as inspector-general, who shall assist as counselor in all that concerns education and instruction in public schools, at the sessions of the ministers of State.* Section VIII, Art. 93 to 100, contains final and transitory decrees, which have mostly accomplished their purpose. This short extract will enable the reader to understand the character which distinguishes the common school law of Gotha. It can not be de * Instruction for distri school-inspectors in the duchy of Gotha, in Dr. K. Schmidt's History of the Public Schocis in Gotha. Köthen: P. Schettler, 1863. nied that this law has still many weak points, and the secretary of State has already published, in the way of decrees, a number of supplementary instructions, but taking it as a whole, it offers so much which is good, that the teachers of Gotha are really under great obligations to the ministers of State and the assembly for this great advance in the development of the common school system. Nor can the favorable results be denied; they are proved by the greater activity in the seminary, by the improvement of the common schools, by the greater progress of the pupils, and by the sacrifices readily made by many districts. How much the common schools in the duchy have advanced in the course of time, is shown by the following statistics: In 1780, the duchy had 110 teachers of public schools; in 1834, it had 174; at present, 240. A similar increase has taken place in regard to school-houses; 16 new schools have been built since the promulgation of the new school law. The average salary of a common school teacher amounted to 70 m. fl. in 1780; in 1867 it is 300 thalers. The annual expense for teachers' salaries amounts at present to between 60,000 and 72,000 thalers. Add to it the expenses for building and repair of school-houses, of materials for school-rooms and teachers, that sum will be considerably higher. The annual contribution of the State to the common school fund amounts to about 30,000 thalers. The 240 common school teachers teach 17,610 children, (15.1 per cent. of the whole population,) in 158 public schools. In common schools of the twelve towns, 51 scientific and 14 technical teachers educate 3,848 children, viz., 1,934 boys, 1,914 girls. In the 146 villages, 189 scientific teachers teach 13,672 children. To 1 town teacher we find 59 pupils, to 1 town pupil, 8.31 inhabitants. To 1 town school we find 2,666 citizens. On the other hand, there average 72 pupils for every school in the country, 1 pupil to every 6.14 inhabitants, and 1 school for every 579 inhabitants; 97 teachers in the country districts teach from 20 to 70 pupils; 34 teach from 70 to 90; 14 teach from 110 to 130; 5 teach more than 130 children each. The schools are divided in the latter cases, i. e. they are half-day schools. There are at present on an average 12 new teachers needed every year. II. HIGHER SCHOOLS. The higher schools of Gotha may be divided into those which aim at a general education; and those which give an education for certain professions. A. SCHOOLS OF GENERAL CULTURE. 1. At the head of the schools of higher general culture is the Gymnasium Ernestinum, in the city of Gotha. It was founded, as has been stated before, by Fr. Myconius, in 1524, as a city-school, and confirmed as such by elector John the Constant, in 1529. It was changed into a classical school during the reign of Casimir, (1587 to 1633,) and received the title, Gymnasium illustre.* The principal of the Gymnasium was, till 1842, • For the history of the Gotha gymnasium, see Chr. Fr. Schulze's "History of the Gotha Gymvasium: Gotha, 1824." 594 the tenth to fifteenth year, 350 thalers; from the sixteenth year, 400 thalers. Included in the salaries of those teachers who have to perform church duties as cantors, organists or sacristans, are the emoluments and perquisites connected with these duties. Other income, which the teachers derive as clerks of the district or book-keeper of the church, are not included in the salary. Art. 43, treats of the computation of the number of pupils, and of the time the teachers have served. Art. 44, treats of the manner of paying the salary, (teachers in the country must take part of their salary in kind.) Art. 45, Estimates of salaries. Art. 46, How to divide the salary between the new teacher and the one who retires. Art. 47, Of the extra occupation of teachers of common schools. Art. 48, Of the particular privileges of teachers appointed irrevocably. These rights are: (a,) claims to be pensioned (after ten years or less of service, 40 per cent. of the salary; for every additional year or fraction of it, 1 per. cent. more ;) (b,) admission to the widow fund, (by paying 4 per cent. a year of his salary, the widow or children of a teacher shall receive one-fourth of the salary until the youngest child has reached the age of 21;) (c,) the right and duty to be a member of those charitable institutions which are organized for the benefit of common school teachers. Art. 49, The maximum number of hours a teacher may be employed is thirty per week. The Board may grant furloughs. Art. 50, Marriage licenses of teachers. Articles 51 to 62, Penal code concerning teachers charged with dereliction, viz.: suspension, waiting order, dismission, removal: Section VII, Art. 63 to 84, treats of the inspection of public schools. The law discriminates between two classes of inspection of public schools, viz., inspection by the district and by the government. The district inspection is vested in the Board, consisting of the chairman of the councilmen (mayor or bailiff,) the minister of the place, the teachers of the place, and as many citizens of the district as there are teachers in the Board. The minister may, but must not necessarily, be chairman; directors of schools and teachers are not allowed to be chairmen. A modification of this organization takes place, when several districts are The government has three classes consolidated into one, and in towns. of inspectors: (a,) the district school inspectors, Art. 85, requiring that they should be selected from among practical schoolmen; (b,) schoolcourts, consisting of the district administrator-or in towns the mayor -and the district inspector; (c,) the ministry of State, being the highest school authority, which (Art. 91) appoints a practical schoolman as inspector-general, who shall assist as counselor in all that concerns education and instruction in public schools, at the sessions of the ministers of State.* Section VIII, Art. 93 to 100, contains final and transitory decrees, which have mostly accomplished their purpose. This short extract will enable the reader to understand the character which distinguishes the common school law of Gotha. It can not be de ⚫ Instruction for distri school-inspectors in the duchy of Gotha, in Dr. K. Schmidt's History of the Public Schools in Gotha. Köthen: P. Schettler, 1863. nied that this law has still many weak points, and the secretary of State has already published, in the way of decrees, a number of supplementary instructions, but taking it as a whole, it offers so much which is good, that the teachers of Gotha are really under great obligations to the ministers of State and the assembly for this great advance in the development of the common school system. Nor can the favorable results be denied; they are proved by the greater activity in the seminary, by the improvement of the common schools, by the greater progress of the pupils, and by the sacrifices readily made by many districts. How much the common schools in the duchy have advanced in the course of time, is shown by the following statistics: In 1780, the duchy had 110 teachers of public schools; in 1834, it had 174; at present, 240. A similar increase has taken place in regard to school-houses; 16 new schools have been built since the promulgation of the new school law. The average salary of a common school teacher amounted to 70 m. fl. in 1780; in 1867 it is 300 thalers. The annual expense for teachers' salaries amounts at present to between 60,000 and 72,000 thalers. Add to it the expenses for building and repair of school-houses, of materials for school-rooms and teachers, that sum will be considerably higher. The annual contribution of the State to the common school fund amounts to about 30,000 thalers. The 240 common school teachers teach 17,610 children, (15.1 per cent. of the whole population,) in 158 public schools. In common schools of the twelve towns, 51 scientific and 14 technical teachers educate 3,848 children, viz., 1,934 boys, 1,914 girls. In the 146 villages, 189 scientific teachers teach 13,672 children. To 1 town teacher we find 59 pupils, to 1 town pupil, 8.31 inhabitants. To 1 town school we find 2,666 citizens. On the other hand, there average 72 pupils for every school in the country, 1 pupil to every 6.14 inhabitants, and 1 school for every 579 inhabitants; 97 teachers in the country districts teach from 20 to 70 pupils; 34 teach from 70 to 90; 14 teach from 110 to 130; 5 teach more than 130 children each. The schools are divided in the latter cases, i. e. they are half-day schools. There are at present on an average 12 new teachers needed every year. II. HIGHER SCHOOLS. The higher schools of Gotha may be divided into those which aim at a general education; and those which give an education for certain professions. A. SCHOOLS OF GENERAL CULTURE. 1. At the head of the schools of higher general culture is the Gymnasium Ernestinum, in the city of Gotha. It was founded, as has been stated before, by Fr. Myconius, in 1524, as a city-school, and confirmed as such by elector John the Constant, in 1529. It was changed into a classical school during the reign of Casimir, (1587 to 1633,) and received the title, Gymnasium illustre.* The principal of the Gymnasium was, till 1842, For the history of the Gotha gymnasium, see Chr. Fr. Schulze's "Hist of the Gotha GymBasium: Gotha, 1824." |