Popular Education in Sweden.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3161, 5 April 1879, Page 1

Popular Education in Sweden.

SIIKCT PASSAGHS FBOlf Tffß SpIIOH OF U. L. UILMAN AT THK OPINWO'OF A, New Public School at Gkmnirßtrßa. [The Educational Code of Sweden hat,, during the last fire or six yean, been the subject of considerable discussion ia itie preis of that country. It has been strongly [argued that tue multitude lot subject* i«trdduced both into elementary "schools and into those of a higher nature {agreeingtomewbtit with our most advanced Grammar School*), k far too extensive for any sound grasp to be obtained of them during the period allotted ordinarily to the education of youth; that, therefore, the stigma resting upon those who fail is ungenerous and unmerited, because none but tnose possessed of more than ordinary endowments are in the highest degree successfnl. To say, however, that the School Syctem of Sweden had been tried and found wanting, would be passing judgment contrary to facts $ for possibly in no country of Europe has popular education been more highly advanced, nor, considering all the difficulties presented by a thinly - populated country, has there been anywhere ai more honourable platform of intelligence attained. Still the severe test, and consequent strain on the minds of students aiming at the learned professions, has its drawbacks. It is but rarely that diplomas are taken so early as in England; such success is seldom achieved at the age of twenty-fire, and frequently not till the student has reached thirty or eren thirtyfive. This must of necessity not only be a strain on the student's mind, but also a mate* rial loss to the nation, sinoe the result is to prolong,the dependence of the. rising generation, and to render costly; and* practically purposeless a long period of what, socially considered, should be the moat useful portion of human jife. Add to this, that the average duration of life in Sweden is somewhat under forty-fire years (lower at least than in Bagland), and the best of the argument must be accorded to those who advocate a less stringent standard, there, is but little left of life .wherein the professional man can secure for himself a subsistence, and too oftea he falls a speedy prey to disease after so. lbng-oontfnu'ed ana overstrained application. I hare before me the protocol for a half-year's course at a high school far up in Ilmea,near the borders of Finlandi a cpurso irhioh!,embrac(B| a.multitude ofsubjects, a glance at whioii; would completely take away th» breath of an English tutor, and which necessitates the applica< tion of the pupils (at ages varying from sixteen to twenty-one years) from seven in the morning to eight in the evening, when, after an hour of gymnastics, ■ tb.oy.are - supposed .to retire to rest.. The consequence is unquestionably that breadth -and superficiality, rather thfln a sound «nd practical education, is the result. My readers, however, will be able to judge some whakior themselves, it to how the question of education stands <*in Sweden, after, reading thosti portions of Mr Ullman's speech which I have i+r»otl*led below. They will see else that o religious instruction forms a most prominent portion of their education Though all forms, bf religion are tolerated in Scandinavia, the objeotortf to Lutheranism are so rare- that' there snay/be said, to be no sectarianism, at least ULSwedfh, and thus that happy country is spared from the infliction of a miserable subterfuge ycslped a " conscience clause." In the speech below I hare selected only those passages which to my mmdi seemed to offer, material for suggestive thought, and if there appears.to be a too decided leaning to religious, leaching ,to; bo palatable to English minds it arises from conditions which may be easily inferred.] I hare taken the trouble to offer this translation to the readers of the Scholastic World, thinking it may iit least'be interesting to |hos»niore specially engaged in the: instruction 5 of our English youth.—W. Pobteb];' r-^-'vi'^-'* "We are assembled today ait ibis place solemnly to open aiiew public school. On such an occasion, this question arises: Why do we build these public schools ? What is purposed and what achieved through the work which the masters, and mistresses are doing in our schools ? What is the particular end and aim of popular education P It is quite usual in our day to consider this aim • and purpose in a very onesided and superficial manner. It is imagined that school instruction, both in its higher and its lower forms, shall chiefly give to the pupils a wide variety of knowledge. It ia demanded that the y Oai lUful intellect and memory shall be loaded as large an amount of insight as -^sibie into of subjects. It is de 3W deA *hat as t W?J Iy as may be the youltf maX,«^« intelligence and address '7 h} eh "P™o" tically useful, and which can immediately be turned to account in the advanV em. enl; of civil and material progress. Our ur n? is a practical one. We live in the golden age of industry and manufacture, of com- | merce and discovery. The human mind has, in a high degree, learned how to 1 master the forces ot nature, and to mate them its servants for the attainment of extraordinary results. These endeavours are certainly, in the right direction. This manifold progress reminds us of the command of the Creator to the earliest of mankind, that they,should replenish the earth, and subdue it. But the medallion has also its reverse side. The more we have learned to govern nature, and thereby opened to ourselves the road to material progress, the more also we evince' our [ attachment to the earthly, by observing the visible things of this world, and by considering the ohief purpose of our life to bo to amass the greatest possible amount of this world's goods. This material, earthly disposition is endeavouring in our day to lay hands on the education of our youth, and is seeking to fashion our schools according to- its designs and interests. It will, even while at school, train our youth only to a practical utility. It will cram and fashion them so that they may the most speedily be able to act as cranks and wheels in the vast machinery of industry and speculation; It is for this purpose that some would introduce so many subjects of instruction into our schools, and overstrain bur children With toomuch, while on the other hand they have no eye or interest for that which really can adorn and ennoble the human mind, and cultivate its talents 1 and its powers. ... . This mistaken conception with regard to the instruction ofyduth which

consists in a one-sided and superficial cultivation of the intellect, because we •re directing our attention more to breadth. than to depth, has many very remarkable consequences. The child cannot possibly compass all the subjects with which we seek ts fill its head and its memory, and it accordingly suffers from over- exertion. The multitude of subjects for instruction renders it impracticable for the children to obtain even a fundamental insight into anything, while we are educating them only in riper years, to enter into that already too numerous class of men who possess what we are accustomed to call a semi-refinement; men who have a ■mattering of all kinds of knowledge, who know a little here and a little there, but nothing well, and who lack the true refinement of the heart; men who therefore with intolerable conceit think and speak loftily of themselves, and who pos■eii an incredible amount of calculating craftiness for their own purposes, even though it be exercised at the expense of others, but which can by no means be humbly and disinterestedly used for others, for the true well-being of the nation and humanity The mnderstanding and the will may be termed the two foundations on which to build up the human character. Both these by education must be worked upon and developed. But these two foundations have their point of union in what the Holy Scriptures with equal profundity and truth call the human heart. The heart is the centre of the whole life. From it issues life, both for the mind and the body. The heart's disposition— its direction—is the determiner of the whole course of thought and dealing of humanity. Therefore in man's inmos> depths—in the heart—must his education and accomplishment have their beginning, and to tbe heart must such education first and foremost be directed, if man shall virtually be able to reach to the full meaning of educated and accomplished manhood. ... It is therefore the

highest mark for all education, as well for the uplifting of humanity as for the advance of popular knowledge, that the hearts of our children aDd our youth, should he cultivated to be an abode for a true Christian faith, and fear of God, that they may pursue a right course of thought, a right direction of the will, and a strong and resolute labour in the service of the Most High. Therefore a fundamental, but real and living Christian education is, and will be the first and most important subject of instruction in our popular schools. . . . And this Christian instruction far from supplanting or narrowing the ordinary human, or socalled national subjects which we demand to be introduced into popular schools, is much rather calculated to foster and •acourage a desire for knowledge even in those directions which more nearly effect worldly society. A true Christrian is always a good citizen* And as we demand that the children in our public schools shall be educated into the elements of true Christianity, so do we, at the same, emphatically embrace that they shall be therein so educated as to become really good and useful members of the State. ...

" It is a matter of course that the public school shall first and foremost see that the children are taught to read, and—let it be observed—to read well; that is, with thought and expression. Beadiness in reading, our people have possessed a long time; and this, even in our fathers' days, has helped to place our little nation in the foremost rank of the most educated people of the earth; this legacy we must conscientiously guard and cultivate. It is also a matter of course that by the side of this the children's school must teach writing. A prominent place also among the subjects in public schools must be given to arithmetic and geometry, and this as much by reason of their adaptability to exercise the thought as by reason of their importance in practical life. Further, as surely as our children must learn to love and reverence the poor little cottage where they first saw the light of day, the fields wherein they played their childhood's games, even so surely ought they on the other hand to be taught to look further around them to God's great creation. They must be made acquainted at least with the most general and most observable occurrences in this domain. They must become familiar with the peculiarities and the resources of the land which we love as our fatherland, even though it lies so high up towards the North Pole. They must learn to know the chief features of our history, its most ennobling memories, its most encouraging examples. They ought to see how graciously and how surely Providence has guided our national destiny, and how our forefathers, ages ago, were taught by experience that "righteousness exalteth a nation," and that " sin is the destruction of a people*" Yes, they must be taught to love their people, to offer themselves for their country, to fight with united Strength against its enemies; Ido not mean only the outer, nay abve all others, also those internal enemies which gnaw at our nation's vitals, and poison its spiritual and bodily health : the effeminate pleasure fever, the gaudy vanity, the alldestroying drunkenness. But how shall oar people in the aggregate be saved from these debasing chains of slavery, and become a healthy and a strong people, if not by drinking at the healing fountains of Christianity? Could but its healing waters be infused copiously into our churchesj, and regenerate their individual members, then we might dare to hope and to expect a certain and a happy future for our country. And how can we anticipate such a future for the people, if our children—who are themselves the future —are not both at home and at school, brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord P If this should be, if our schools and our homes were built upon that foundation which is sure and eternal, and which is called the Word of God, then would they become fountains of blessing to us and to our children. May the school we this day dedicate to so high a purpose, be such a fountain of blessing to generations yet unborn!"— Scholastic World.