Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/351

 is language, 20 hours in other subjects, and 24 in drawing and physical training. In addition they have to act as class supervisors and supervisors of collections. Classes never exceed 50; if the number of pupils is larger, the class is divided.

Secondary schools in Slovakia developed in an individual way within the frame of Hungary. One hundred years ago Latin was still used in Hungary as the official and social language; the languages of the people were completely neglected in higher schools. At the beginning of the 19th century the Slovak language began to be cultivated as an optional subject in several institutions of learning, due to the zeal of professors who were by birth Slovak. Of great importance in Slovak literature is the Latin gymnasium of Bratislava.

Against the growing domination of Magyars the Slovaks could defend themselves only through their church organizations which had the right to establish schools. In 1860 there were opened three church gymnasia, but in 1874 the Magyar government closed their doors, and since that time a Slovak had no opportunity to obtain a liberal or professional education in his own tongue. A few went to study in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, but the majority was exposed to Magyarization. In the territory of present Slovakia there existed 33 gymnasia and 7 “real schools”, all Magyar, all completely ignoring the Slovak language. Students who manifested Slovak national consciousness were persecuted or expelled, and out of these boys grew literary and political leaders of the Slovaks.

Hungarian gymnasia and “real schools” have eight grades. They differ from Austrian gymnasia in that third grade students choose either Greek, or French with study of Greek literature; drawing is taught throughout the eight grades, but less time is given to natural science. “Real schools” require German in all grades, French from the third grade on, history and drawing, and in the two highest classes introduction to philosophy and hygiene. Latin is optional in the four higher grades.

As soon as Slovakia was liberated, the Czechoslovak government began to correct the most obvious wrongs. Slovak secondary schools were ordered established by wire and teaching staffs were sent from Bohemia, where there was lack of Slovak instructors. In three months Slovaks had 9 real-gymnasia, 1 gymnasium and 3 “real-schools” of the Czech type. Each of these schools is becoming a center of culture for its district.

In Slovakia there are to be found more church schools than in the Bohemian lands. In Bohemia there are no private secondary schools, established by individuals and maintained for profit. It would be contrary to the democratic sentiment of the Czech people that children of rich parents should go to separate schools with a high tuition. Besides such schools could offer few variations from the prescribed curriculum. All secondary schools in Czechoslovakia have uniform type imposed by the state, even though in Moravia for instance a majority of the “real schools” are supported by the province.

Heretofore it has been the effort of the political leaders to have all secondary schools supported by the state, for that was the only way to make their maintenance certain, even though it implied the loss of all local influence on the school.

It is natural that extensive reforms of the secondary school system, now in preparation by the government of the Republic, will bring about decentralisation of secondary schools, so that local needs might make themselves felt in the curriculum and management. There will be no longer blind copying of German models, and Czech suggestions which Vienna consistently ignored will get fair consideration. Czech pedagogical knowledge and sentiment is fortunately up to the western European level, and our orientation will be turned toward the west. French educational sysstem [sic] in particular was recently studied in detail by Czech specialists, and there are men available who know from direct observation Swiss, English, American and Scandinavian models. As we pointed out in speaking of the girls’ lycea of Brno and Valašské Meziříčí, the reforming efforts of Czech pedagogues approximate French types of secondary education.

It may therefore be stated that there will be changes in the following direction:

1. Czechoslovak secondary schools will have a common foundation of several grades without Latin, so that the young people would not be compelled to choose right in the first grade either the classical or the modern course, and that grammar