The Comenius Celebrations.

The Harvard Teachers Association has published a circular giving an account of the proposed Comenius celebrations which will occur at various places in Europe and America during the present year. At Harvard, Assistant Professor Paul H. Hanus will give a public lecture March 3d on "The Permanent Influence of John Amos Comenius." The subject is one of peculiar interest to Harvard men since in 1654 this same Comenius was offered the position of President of Harvard University.

Comenius was born on March 28, 1592, and was one of the greatest educational reformers that ever lived. Though living and writing in the seventeenth century, he was possessed with nineteenth century ideas and some of the forms which he sought to introduce into the schools of his time, are still urged by progressive educators, though only recently finding favor and adoption. The following extract from the English version of the proposal of these celebrations gives one a glimpse of his work and character: "Born in Moravia, working amongst Czechs, Germans, English, Dutch, Swedes and Hungarians, with friends in France and Italy, he (Comenius) has won, by his thought, as well as by his life, a universal significance. * * * As educationalist, inspired by Bacon, he successfully asserted the claims of experimental science in the grammar schools of his time; placed the mother-tongue on the list of subjects of instruction, and included in the conception of the school the idea of physical culture. By demanding the education of all children, including girls, who till then had been neglected, he has become one of the fathers of modern elementary education."

The outcome of the awakened interest in Comenius has been the formation of the "Comenius Society" as a lasting memorial to his name and with the purpose of bringing about not only to the learned, but to the present generation at large, a proper appreciation of his merits and greatness. Such a lecture on this subject as Asst. Prof. Hanus will give ought to draw a large representation from the college.