AMERICAN STANDARD OF INSTRUCTION LOWER THAN GERMAN SAYS KELLERMAN

"In Germany, Mathematics and Science are taught, not from the material standpoint, but from the aspect of culture", declared Dr. Fritz Kellermann last night in Emerson D, when he delivered his second part of his lecture on "Recent influences and Tendencies in German Education". His subject fast night was "The Reichsechulkonferenz and the Resulting Reforms, 1920 to 1924."

Dr. Kellermann spoke at length on the Gymnasium system in the German educational plan.

"The Germans," he continued, "are compelled to attend school for ten years, eight of which are spent in the grade school and two in the vocational school. The German child has either this choice, or that of spending four years in elementary schools and nine years in the Gymnasium. He may also take a straight vocational course, wherein three kinds of vocations are taught, namely, the lower, the medium, and the higher, classified according to the lower, the medium, and higher types of vocations.

Gymnasium Viewed as Classic

Dr. Kellermann then explained the present status of the Gymnasium.

"The Germans view it in its classical light. The ancient Greek meaning, and the optic adopted by modern-day Germans, is that the Gymnasium is the harmonic unity between the well-developed body, the brain, and the soul.

"There are four kinds of Gymnasiums in Germany. The first is the Humanistic Gymnasium, which deals with the entire phase of classical culture and compares the antique and present German religion, literature, history, art, philosophy, and politics. Then there is the Europeanistic Gymnasium which attempts to explain the meaning of the European customs, and compares the languages of Germany, France, and England, and, in short, all the mental and psychic qualities connected with the learning of these nations.

"The American schools seek only to teach the utilitarian vocational courses," explained Dr. Kellerman, "while the Germans' prime motive is to instill and perpetuate culture among the youth of the nation. In the third place, there is the Mathematical-Scientific Gymnasium, the aim of which is to teach the students to view modern culture form the scientific standpoint. It aims to show the student the mathematical, the physical, and the chemical side of modern culture.

"If one should feel inclined to doubt this statement," said Dr. Kellermann, "he need only note how deeply the works of the great German philosopher, Kant, is anchored in Mathematics, and how Goethe's works so pulse with the emotion of Biology.

Science Related to Culture

"Lastly there is the German Gymnasium, in which Mathematics and Science is not taught from the material side but from its cultural aspect."

The lecturer continued to dwell on the bridge that seems to lie between science and the real culture, but he maintained that in the deeper and more abstract sense, there is no bridge between the two, but merely an indefinite connection.

"Geography," he went to to say, "is neither the one nor the other, yet it is outwardly scientific, in the German school, geography is taught as a course which will abridge the seeming gulf which lies between Science and Culture.

"In the German Gymnasium, German Culture is compared with the ancient culture, German art is compared with the art of the Middle Ages, and German art, history, philosophy, and sciences are studied in their aspect as a material side of culture.

"In each of those four kinds of Gymnasium, one-third of the time is given to character building, one-third is given to religious and profane history, German literature and language, and geography, and one-third to music, singing, drawing, manual training, and gymnastics."

Dr. Kellermann, when interviewed by a CRIMSON reporter, gave some interesting side-lights on the method of training the German youths.

"Since the war," he declared, "the new German generation has been far less physically fit than the youth of previous generations. I blame this on the influence of the War. Because of this a system has been established in Germany whereby, a teacher must take his students, between the age of six and 19 for an eight-hour hike once each month."

Dr. Kellermann pointed out the fact that the German teacher must have a great deal more training than the American instructor. In order to obtain a life position as an elementary school teacher, the German must have 19 years of training, and in order to become a high school instructor, he must have 21 years of training. The average number of years that a German professor teaches is 25. The American instructor, however, has an average period of only six years.

"Is there more freedom in the modern German school system than in the old?" Asked Dr. Kellermann in concluding his lecture. "The answer is decidedly yes, but we follow the word of Nietzsche, our greatest champion of liberty who said: "Strictest mental discipline is the first condition for the formation of a free personality."

When asked about the Youth movement, Dr. Kellermann stated "it began in 1900 and was a revolt of the youth against over-stressed conventionalities, and against drinking and duelling of students: against the haughtiness of the rich, the cold severe discipline in the schools, and the feelingless sermons in the Church. These youths desired more feeling, more joy, and more creative activism of their own instead of being dominated by the conventions of their elders. Unfortunately, this movement is fast dying away. Old leaders dominate the organization together with communists and politicians, and the spirit and enthusiasm of youth is lacking."

Dr. Kellermann, who is one of the foremost authorities on German drama, was asked concerning its place in modern literature.

"The German dramatists are expressionistic," he said, "and the influence of their expressionism is rapidly spreading. It has already reached England and France, and is now being introduced in the United States. Foremost among the expressionistic dramatists are Unruh Toller, Werfel, who has a play now running in New York, and Bronnen, Kaiser, and Brecht. Their aim is to make the world better. They are anti-militaristic, anti-capitalistic, anti-church, and anti-state, but by no means anarchistic."

As to Germany's position in the modern scientific world. Dr. Kellermann stated: "We are less practical, but more theoretical: we have no Edisons, but we have our Einsteins."