Years' War (1618-48) had practically destroyed the schools. In 1641 he ordered a "school-visitation" to ascertain the condition of the schools and churches. Inviting to his little kingdom a schoolmaster by the name of Andreas Reyher, who was familiar with the work of Ratich (Ratke) and Comenius, the two drew up a School Code (Schulemethode) which was alike the making of the schools of Gotha and a matter of derision and astonishment to his people. First published in 1642, it was revised and republished in 1648, 1653, 1662, 1672, and 1685. It contained minute regulations about everything that concerned schools and teachers, school government and superintendence, and the relations of parents and children to the schools.

Duke Ernest obtained teachers, built schoolhouses, prepared school books, and sent the children to school, and in time transformed his kingdom into one of the most prosperous spots in all Europe. His became the best type of school system organized in German lands before the late eighteenth century.

A digest of his Schulemethode shows the following organization:

Chapter I. The Nature of Schools in General. The obligation to attend.

Attendance after five.

tions.

Attendance in summer and winter. VacaSchool books. Methods of beginning instruction.

attention to be given to poor and backward children.

Chapter II. Of the Instruction in the Lowest Class.

Special

Beginners to learn Bible verses, the Lord's Prayer, the articles of faith, the Ten Commandments, and morning and evening prayers. Class to advance from spelling to reading in the year.

Chapter III. Of the Instruction in the Intermediate Class.

Luther's Catechism to be committed to memory. Much instruction in religion. Psalms, and prayers in rhyme. Penmanship to be begun. Addition, subtraction, and the multiplication table. Hymns and singing.

Chapter IV. Of the Instruction in the Upper Class.

Subjects of study: religion, reading, writing, arithmetic, music, composition, and spelling. The Bible the authority for spelling.

Church doctrine as it relates to dying, certain prayers, family life, and regulations as to baptism, marriage, burial, and dress. drinking to be interdicted.

Chapter V. Lessons in School Hours.

Outlines the class programs, by days and hours.

Hard

Chapter VI. The Method to Teach the Catechism Understandingly. Every word to be learned by heart, as Luther advised; in the upper classes to be explained. Minister to assist teacher weekly.

FIG. 36. A GERMAN SCHOOLROOM IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY (After a woodcut by Hans Burgkmair [1472-1559]. From Rhyn's Kulturgeschichte des deutschen Volkes, vol. II, p. 46)

Chapter VII. The Manner in which the Sermon is to be Remembered and Examined.

Sunday morning assembly of children, and march to the church. Outline of the sermon to be written down.

Chapter VIII. The Natural and Useful Sciences, and how to Teach them.

This closely follows the outline of Comenius.

(a) Natural Science. Teacher to explain hour glass, sun dial. points of compass, signs of zodiac, rising and setting of sun and moon. shooting stars, thunder and lightning, observation of wind and weather, herbs and trees, plants and animals, observation of anatomy of a pig when butchered.

(b) Ecclesiastical and secular. Cities, towns, ditches, streams, courts, laws, taxes, merchants, the blessings of schools, and good rules for domestic life.

(c) Other sciences. Surveying, measures, carpenter's rule, angles, circles, plummet, weights, balance, lever, rollers, ropes, etc. to be explained.

Chapter IX. Of Christian Discipline and Godliness.

Good discipline necessary, and punishments.

Chapter X. Of the Duties and Conduct of Children.

Moral conduct. Attendance at school. Prayers. Manners. Cleanliness. Courtesies. Bad Language. Stealing. Lies.

Chapter XI. Duties of the Teacher and his Assistants.

Attention to. Kindness. Punishment; types of. Diligence before God, and wise use of gifts. To attend sermon, and live by its precepts. To lead a godly, quiet, retired life, and to be respectful and obedient to his superiors.

Chapter XII. Duties of Parents and Guardians.

Obligations of parents to educate and care for and guide their children. Parents to be fined if children fail to attend school. Good discipline at home.

Chapter XIII. The Annual Examination.

Of the school, the teacher, and the children by the ministers and superintendents of the school.

Of this work Barnard says:

These are the contents of the school manual (methodus), the grandest work of the many grand creations of Ernes the Pious, and that in a time when life and property were trodden into the dust, and when licentious mobs stubbornly resisted the establishment of schools - a work which was destined to be the foundation of a new edifice in Germany, because A. H. Franké, (whose father was counselor to the duke,) carried into effect subsequently the principles of the schoolmethodus in Halle, and rendered it thus available for all schools. The new regulations were received with laughter and derision in the principality of Gotha itself; yet the duke was not disconcerted. He first obtained better teachers, built twenty new school-houses as models, established a new school-inspection, and charged rector Reyher to get the necessary school-books for teachers and pupils. The German Hornbook and Speller for children of the principality of Gotha was published, 1641; The German Reader, 1642; and both were given gratis to each child, an instruction which is still in force. Reyher published later the Arithmetica, and (1656) the Short Instruction in natural objects, in some useful sciences, in ecclesiastic and secular institutions of the country, and in some " domestic prescripts"; and in 1655 he published some patterns of catechising on penitence, the virtues and vices spoken of in the Ten Commandments, on the value of the holy communion, &c. When it was reported to the duke that some teachers did not study satisfactorily for their self-improvement, he issued an order that they should study arithmetic and writing more earnestly, either by themselves or with their pastors, or the inspectors of schools. To improve the domestic education of the children, a "short instruction" was published (1654) “on the behavior, &c., of children," when going

to school, at dinner, at home, in church, at play, at supper, when going to bed, when in company of strangers, on rising early, &c. This instruction was not only posted in every village, but the duke decreed, May 1, 1654, that it should be read in every school on examination day, in presence of the mayor, citizens, and elders of every township.

164. The Careful Supervision of the Teacher's Acts and Religious Beliefs in England

(Strype, John. (a) The History of the Life and Acts of the Most Reverend Father in God, Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury, p. 378. Oxford, 1821. (b) Ibid., The Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, vol. II, p. 335. Oxford, 1821. Summarized by Stowe, in his Elizabethan Grammar Schools, p. 68)

After the English Church had been separated from Rome and separately established by the Act of Supremacy (R. 153), and after the coming of Elizabeth to the throne (r. 1558-1603), the English Church authorities began a very strict supervision of the manners, morals, and religious teachings and beliefs of the teachers in the schools. Two extracts will show the extent to which this was carried.

(a) Letter of Queen's Council to Archbishop Grindle, June 18, 1580 ... for as much as a great deal of the corruption in religion grown throughout the realm, proceedeth of lewd schoolmasters, that teach and instruct children as well publicly as privately in men's houses; infecting each where the youth without regard had unto (a matter... chiefly to be looked into by every Bishop within his diocese) it is thought meet for redress thereof, that you cause all such schoolmasters as have charge of children, to be by the Bishop of the diocese, or such as he shall appoint, examined touching their religion: and if they shall be found corrupt and unworthy, to be displaced, and proceeded withal as other recusants; and fit and sound persons placed in their rooms.

(b) Dismissal of a teacher for non-conformity

In 1573 the mastership of the free school at Aylesham became vacant. Of the three men who applied for the position, Mr. Harrison, M.A., Cambridge, appeared to be best qualified, and was highly recommended by the Mayor and Aldermen of Norwich. Rumor's of Harrison's lack of complete conformity, however, had reached Archbishop Parker, who wrote and urged the Bishop of Norwich not to admit Harrison, who was finally admitted upon condition that he would keep and execute the statutes of the school, in reading the authors there appointed (it had been asserted that he had condemned the reading of profane authors to children), that he would quarrel neither with his Pastor nor with his neighbors, that he would hold no "strange opin

ions" nor defend them obstinately in prophesying, or any other conference, and that "he should use no unlawful games, neither vain nor disordered company." Harrison's term of office was not long. While acting as godfather to an infant about to be baptized he requested the Deacon "to change the word of the bok, viz. thou into you; and to leave out the sign of the cross: as for Dost thou forsake, he would have had him say, Do you forsake; for Dost thou believe, Do you believe; and when it was asked, Wilt thou be baptized in this faith? it was answered, We do bring this child to be baptized into the faith of Christ." Such signs of non-conformity could not be tolerated in a schoolmaster and the Bishop declared his position forfeited, and appointed or admitted a Mr. Sutton whose candidacy had been supported by Archbishop Parker.

165. Penalties on Non-Conforming Schoolmasters

(23 Elizabeth, 1580; c. 1. Statutes of the Realm, 1819 ed., vol. IV, p. 656, s. 5) The following statute of 1580 carried the matter of penalizing non-conforming schoolmasters still further, and shows the type of penalty inflicted on those employing teachers not sound in the faith, and the emphasis placed on the proper form of religious teaching by the State Church in England after the Reformation. An Acte to reteine the Queenes Majestie's subjectes in their due obedience V. Penalty on Corporations employing Schoolmasters not resorting to Church £10; on Schoolmaster, Disability and Imprisonment.

And be yt further enacted, that yf any person or persons, Bodye Pollitike or Corporate, after the Feaste of Pentecost next cominge, shall kepe or mainteyne any Scholemaster, which shall not repayre to Churche as ys aforesaid, or be alowed by the Bisshopp or Ordinarye of the Diocesse where such Scholemaster shal be so kept, shall forfaite and lose for everye moneth so keeping him £10; Provided that no suche Ordinarye or their ministers shall take any thinge for the said Allowaunce; and suche Scholemaster or Teacher presuminge to teache contrarie to this Acte, and beinge therof Lawfuilye (convicted) shall be disabled to be a Teacher of youth, and shall suffer ymprisonment without Baile or Maineprise for one yeare.

166. The English Act of Conformity of 1662

(14 Charles II, cap. 4; Transcript, Statutes of the Realm, vol. v, p. 364) This, the last and most exacting Act of Uniformity in religion in England, received the royal assent May 19, 1662. For two centuries it crushed the secondary schools of England.

The Act begins by reciting that in the first year of the reign of Elizabeth (1558) there was compiled a uniform order of service