Next above these, are the inspectors for
the Kreis or Union, in connection with the
Regierung. There is one inspector for the
Protestant schools, and one for the Romanist:
each, being a man high in his own Church.
They visit each school in the district, once, at
least, every year, and report on all to the
Regierung. Their duty of inspection is
considered part of their clerical work: their
travelling expenses, only, being defrayed by
the county. The Protestant Inspector is
appointed by the Consistorium; the Romanist
by his own Bishop; subject in each case to
the approval of the Government at Berlin.
These inspectors report where there is a
deficiency of school accommodation. The
Prussian teachers wish that these inspectors,
who are in most active and real connexion
with themselves, should be elected from their
own ranks, as being then more able to
comprehend what they see done. The Government,
as a small step in this direction, has
lately ordered that every candidate for holy
orders shall have attended a training college
for six weeks, and passed an examination in
the art of teaching. But, they desire this
inspection to be by the clergy.

Moreover, the President of the educational
branch of the Regierung in each county
Schulrath—always a scholar, is required
every year to pay as many visits as he can
find time for, to the county schools.

Lastly, from the Bureau of Public Instruction,
the minister, at Berlin, sends yearly
three inspectors to examine such districts as
are suspected to be insufficiently attended to,
and to apply their supervision in such a
manner as to let no part of the great German
school suffer neglect.

Finally comes after lastly. Finally, directors
of the training colleges float about,
paying visits to their ancient pupils; and
where they see, by their mode of teaching,
that they have not kept up with the march
of time, have overlooked the last improvements,
or forgotten their old lore, a substitute
is found while they are quietly invited to
pay a visit to their old friends at the normal
school. And there, the blunt razor is
sharpened.

Here's a pretty coil indeed, about teaching
little ragamuffins their ABC! One
would think, by the way Prussia goes to
work, that education ranked among the most
anxious duties of the Government. Schools
are put on the same level with gunpowder, as
defences of the State. If it were so, here,
Sir Francis Head might well be an alarmist
over the defenceless state of England.

Well, but I haven't yet fully exposed the
enormity of the offence committed by these
Germans against wholesome Ignorance. Just
see what pains they give themselves to fit a
man for office as a teacher. In the first place,
he is generally of the peasant class, and,
though educated like a gentleman, he is at
no time raised above that sympathy with his
own class which is necessary to his full influence
in after life. Any young peasant may
aspire to be a teacher. He goes, first, in the
usual manner, for eight years, to the primary
school; learns there to read and write well;
gets a knowledge of arithmetic, of the history
and geography of Germany, of Scripture history,
and a few leading facts of natural history
and science. Then, for the next three or four
years, that is to say, until he attains the
lowest age (eighteen) at which he is admissible
into a training college, his education can
be continued at a superior public school.
These superior public schools, containing
endowed places for poor boys, exist, of course,
only in the towns. In villages, the candidate
for teacher's honours contents himself with
receiving evening tuition from the local
teacher, attends his classes during some parts
of the day, and renders himself useful in
them. At the superior public schools, the
education goes on, and includes mathematics,
with a little classics, lectures on history,
physical geography, music, and drawing.

Preparatory training-schools are also
established by private persons.

At the age of eighteen, candidates are
admissible into the normal colleges. In each
college, the yearly vacancies are filled up with
those young men who have passed the best
examination before the Professors of the
College and the representative of the Regierung.
The examination is very strict, and
vacancies are not filled up at all, if candidates
are not up to the proper mark. There must
be produced, also, at this time, a certificate
of perfect health and strength. The
selected candidates sign an undertaking to
practise the profession of a teacher for at
least three years after obtaining licence so to
do. In consideration of this, they are maintained
and educated at the expense of Government,
incurring for themselves no other cost
than that of clothes, and about three pounds
a-year for breakfast. If, however, any student
forfeit his engagement by not remaining
during three years after obtaining his diploma
in the service of the state, he is then called
upon to refund the money that has been
expended on his education.

Each student remains in the training
college two or three years—never less than
two, or more than three. There are, in Prussia,
forty-three training colleges, and thirty thousand
licenced teachers. Where the population
requires it, there are separate colleges for
Catholics and Protestants. In fact, there are
only two normal colleges in Prussia where
Catholics and Protestants are educated together:
the directors of those institutions being
chosen from among the clergy.

The students in the normal colleges have
frequent occasion to revisit home, and maintain
full connexion with their peasant families.
The mode of life in college is laborious, and
studiously simple, in order that the student
may not be unfitted for the enjoyment of his