§ 76. Mr. WHITEHOUSEasked the President of the Board of Education what developments have recently taken place in the system of continuation schools at Munich?
Mr. PEASEThere have been no recent changes in the continuation school system of Munich so far as boys are concerned. Boys are required to attend a continuation school for eight to ten hours a week for four years, i.e.,until the age of eighteen, after a special supplementary or eighth year course at the elementary school, which has been super-imposed upon the ordinary elementary school course. Attendance at this supplementary course has been obligatory upon boys since 1907. Up to the present attendance at the eighth year or class has been permissive, and not obligatory, for girls. Girls have, however, been under obligation to attend a "sonntagsschule" for three hours a week for three years after leaving the elementary school, i.e., until the age of sixteen. In practice this instruction has often been given on week-days. A new scheme, drafted by Dr. Kerschensteiner, passed the executive committee of the Munich Town Council (Magistrat) in 1798 April of last year. This scheme, which it is proposed to put into force in the autumn of 1913, makes attendance at the eighth supplementary elementary school year obligatory for girls. This year's work is mainly concerned with domestic economy and allied subjects. Girls are then, at the age of fourteen, to proceed for a further two years to a continuation school for six hours' instruction a week. These continuation schools are to be of three kinds, commercial, trade, or technical, and domestic economy schools. Further, it is proposed to do away with the voluntary continuation schools for girls now existing. Information as to the development and working of the continuation schools of Munich can be obtained from the annual reports of Dr. Kerschensteiner, which may be seen in the library of the Board of Education.