A NOVEL SUGGESTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 75, 5 April 1913, Page 7

A NOVEL SUGGESTION.

A remarkable suggestion in regard to the education of girls, somewhat startling in its originality, lias been made by a lady writer, Helene GlaueBultz, of Jena, in a recent issue of the “Evangeliseh-Sozial.” It is neither more nor loss than that the principle of compulsory service, though for different objects, should he applied to the young women of the German Empire as well as to the young men. The foundation upon which the snggeston is based is as follows: Men have received compulsory military training for many years for the defence of the Fatherland against external enemies, with splendid results both to the Empire and to the individual, therefore it would be good policy to thoroughly train the young women against the internal enemies of domdfc tic waste, disease, and infant mortality. It is characteristic of the Ger-

man writer that the peculiarities and preferences of the individual and ot the parent arc somewhat lightly brushed aside in the supposed interests of the State; such obstacles are deemed to be crushed by the momentum ol State machinery. Field-Marshal von dor Goltz has declared that compulsory military training has given to Germany an orderly, punctual, and above ail a self-reliant people—an asset of enormous value. This lady writer is optimistic enough to believe that the same result might lie obtained from the compulsory training of young women in domestic science. A difficulty might be expected at first in finding suitable teachers for this large army, as the number of female teachers in Germany is mud) smaller than in Great Britain, most of the teaching in the elementary schools being in the hands of men. It, is not anticipated, however, that this difficulty would long prevail. It is estimated that about 500,000 girls leave school in Germany every year, and making liberal allowance for delicate subjects and others whose absence from borne might involve some harti-

ship, it is believed that 350,000 young women might be called up every yea: to the inestimable advantage of themselves and the community. After leaving school, in most cases, a girl would have several years it' which to choose some sphere of work and make herself proficient therein, and at the age of 18 or immediately after she would be obliged to preset! s herself at some selected institution to undergo 12 months’ training in some of the most important subjects of domestic and social science. It is suggested that six months should be devoted to ordinary domestic training, 'three months to teaching the art of > child culture, and three months to the teaching of the principles of sick nursing’. The life is to be simple, wholesome aild healthy; all classes of spei'efy are to be treated alike; disci-1 pline and regular habits' are to be I maintained, and though compulsion j is the keynote of the sthefne, it is felt j that the result would be of inealeu- j lable value both to the individual and tb the State. Of course; the'cost of such a scheme would be very great, al-|

though it is pointed out that Germany already spends large sums in the ’teaching of domestic subjects in a more or loss casual way, all of which Anight without disadvantage be made to flow into the'great central scheme ■for the training and equipment of all) females and not the selected few. The question of suitable premises would, of course, arise, though thk enthusiastic and far-seeing lady maintains that there already exist in Germany over 7000 suitable buildings, each capable of accommodating from 40 or 50 young women. A thorough and eminently practical education is the object sought after, and she maintains that a year spent in this way at a time when the mind is most impressionable, would qualify a woman for whatever position she was called upon to fill. “The people’s health is not merely "the care of the ‘iiausfrau’.; it should be the joy and pride of every woman.” Ail women do not marry, of course, but the knowledge gained during this “Dicnstjahr” would be of service to all. The scheme is boldly conceived; it is argued with much force and originality, and appeals with special emphasis to the German’s passion for uniformity and system in education. Yet one wonders whethoi public opinion is sufficiently ripe, oi the necessities of the situation so great, as to bring the scheme within the range of practical politics.