21. Each pupil to have a book. Each class must not only have the same books, but the clergyman and teacher must see that every child has his own book, so that two pupils need not look over the same book. Children, whose books are furnished from the funds of the church or the commune, are not allowed to take them home, but will deliver them to the master, at the close of the lessons, who will take charge of them as the property of the school.

22. [Discipline. Lays down rules for.]

23. [Church attendance. Parents on Sunday to send children to schoolmaster, who shall escort them to church and note conduct and absences, and on Monday question them on the sermon.]

24. Relations of schoolmaster and clergyman. In all other affairs of the school, the teacher must avail himself of the advice and suggestions of the clergyman, as his superior officer, and by his school-regulation the teachers are so directed. Of all that regards their office they must, on demand, give an account, and accept directions in reference to the prescribed method and discipline, because we have confidence in cur ministers and bind it upon their consciences that in their towns they will earnestly endeavor to abolish all abuses and defects, and improve the condition of the schools. In case however one or the other of the schoolmasters should neglect the duties of his office, after he is engaged, and be found unreliable, the pastor's duty will be, earnestly to remind him of his duty, with kindness once or twice, and if he still continues in his negligence, to apply for a remedy to the nearest justice; at the same time to inform the Superintendent or Inspector, and if their warning is not heeded, make a report to the consistory, that, according to the circumstances, they may decree a suspension or removal.

25. Clerical supervision. Especially is it our pleasure, that clergymen in villages and towns shall visit the schools of their place, generally twice a week, sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, and shall not only take the information of the sacristans or schoolmaster, but themselves examine the children in the Catechism and question them after other schoolbooks. They shall hold a monthly conference with the schoolteachers in matre, and designate to them the portion of the Catechism, the hymn, the psalm and Bible-verses which the children shall learn during the next month. Then he instructs them how to observe the principal divisions of the sermon and how to examine the children; he also points out the defects of their instruction in school, their method, discipline, and gives them other information, that the schoolteachers may fulfil their duties. If a clergyman, against our expectation, should be careless in his visits to the schools, or in the performance of other duties enjoined upon him in these regulations, and not labor earnestly to effect an exact observance of this law on the part of custos and teachers, he shall if convicted of the non-fulfilment of these instructions, be suspended cum effectu, for a time, or, as the case

may be, removed from office: because the care for the instruction of the young and the supervision thereof, belong to the most important duties of the ministry, as we always desire them to be considered.

26. Annual inspection. The Superintendents and Inspectors of every district are hereby commanded, in the most expressive manner, annually to inspect every country-school in their jurisdiction, and with due attention to inquire into the condition of the schools, and examine whether parents and school authorities have held their children to regular attendance at school or have been negligent; whether the clergymen have done their duty in the observance of these regulations, by visiting the schools and superintending the teacher; especially whether the schoolmaster has the ability required or is not competent, and whatever else is in need of improvement. About all this the said Superintendents and Inspectors shall remit a dutiful report, every year, to our High Consistory in this city, for further examination and disposition. . . .

Conclusion. In general we here confirm and renew all wholesome laws, published in former times, especially, that no clergyman shall admit to confirmation and the sacrament, any children not of his commune, nor those unable to read, or who are ignorant of the fundamental principles of evangelical religion.

275. The Silesian School Code of 1765

(Translation in Barnard's American Journal of Education, vol. XXII, pp. 869-77) In 1748, as a result of an eight-year war known as the War of the Austrian Succession, Frederick the Great of Prussia succeeded in wresting by force from Maria Theresa of Austria the Province of Silesia. It was an arbitrary act of spoliation, similar to the "divisions" of Poland which soon followed. Silesia was a Catholic province, and in 1765 the King issued a long General Regulations (Code) for the Schools of Silesia, much like the previous (1763) Code for Prussia. In three particulars (a) training of teachers, (b) regulation of conditions under which teachers lived and worked, and (e) the supervision of instruction by clergymen and inspectors the Code embodied new directions, and these are reproduced below. The nature of the instruction required (c) and the regulations dealing with compulsory attendance (d) are also reproduced for comparison with similar regulations of the earlier Prussian Code. (R. 274, §§ 19, 20; 10, 11.) While still working through the Church authorities, the strong arm of the State is becoming increasingly evident.

REGULATIONS for CatholiC SCHOOLS IN SILESIA
November 3, 1765

We, Frederick, by the grace of God, King of Prussia, &c.,

Make known hereby that, as in our paternal care for the welfare of our faithful subjects, we were led to issue the order of August 12, 1763, for the better organization of the ill-managed country-schools, we have thought proper to proclaim a similar order in regard to our Roman Catholic subjects of Silesia and the county of Glatz, for the organization of the common elementary schools in towns and villages. That we may make our Roman Catholic subjects more useful citizens, we hereby ordain:

(a) The training of teachers for the Catholic schools

1. To strike at the source of all poor instruction, no schoolmaster, or by whatever name teachers in cities and villages may be designated, shall be anywhere engaged if he cannot prove, in the manner described below, that, with skill in singing and playing the organ sufficient to perform the services in the Church, he has acquired the art of instructing the young in the German language, after the manner approved by Catholic school authorities.

2. And that every one who desires to be employed in schools may have the opportunity for learning all that is needed by a good teacher, we have thought it best to establish here and there certain schools, in which not only the young will have the best instruction, but where adults, also, may be taught how to teach and manage youth. For this purpose we have selected the following schools: for Lower Silesia, the school of the Breslau Cathedral ad Saint Joannem, the school of the second Cistercians at the convents of Leubus, Grussau, and the Augustines of Sagan; for upper Silesia, the school in the city of Ratibor and of the Cistercians at the convent of Rauden; and for the county of Glatz, the school of the city of Habelschwerdt.

3. We command that the above-named schools, which are to serve as seminaries for future teachers, shall not only be constantly provided with skillful teachers, but each shall also have a well-informed director, who shall devote himself to maintaining and improving the condition of his school, and especially to training and instructing those who are preparing to teach. The director must observe the following:

4. He should aim at having everything in his school taught and learned thoroughly, and in reference to the needs of common life, which will be further described below. He should show the teachers how to give their pupils the reasons for everything, that they may obtain an understanding thereof, and become themselves able, on being questioned, to give these reasons. His object should not be to load the memory of the pupil, but to enlighten and train his mind.

5. And, since the method in which the first teachers of the abovenamed schools were instructed is such that, by retaining it, all those advantages may be reached, it is our will that it should be introduced everywhere, especially the essential part of the method of letters, tables, questions, and answers, as well as the books written for this purpose.

6. The directors should not omit to employ such other advantages as they or others may discover in connection with this popular mode of teaching; and to this end they should correspond among themselves, and read the best works on schools and education. That such writings may become known to them, we commend the publisher of the privileged Breslau literary periodical to notice and criticise such books and treaties as are new or reprinted.

(b) Regulation of conditions under which teachers live and work

13. It is well known how much children are hindered in their studies and become distracted when, in the room in which the school is kept,

the wife and children and frequently even the relatives of the schoolmaster, work at their trade or domestic duties. In order to remove this evil, the school-room must be separated from the living room, in all new

schoolhouses erected in cities and villages, and shall be convenient, well lighted, and large enough to accommodate all the children. In cities where schools have several teachers, a separate room must be constructed for every teacher, which shall not be used for any other than school purposes. These schools are to be erected at the expense of the commune, if it is mainly Catholic, with concurrence of the proprietors, without distinction of religion; because it is important to masters of every denomination that subordinates be made useful through the training of the school; and all necessary furniture, blackboards, inkstands, and books for children of destitute parents they shall furnish also.

14. In places where the salary of a teacher is so small that he cannot subsist on it, our Council of War and Domains shall see that the proprietors and Catholic subjects raise a sufficient support for him and pay it promptly. In places where the number of Catholic inhabitants is very small, and consequently a living salary for the teacher cannot be made up without oppressing the people, we will permit the teacher to practice a trade for his better subsistence, like that of a tailor or stocking weaver; but he shall not be permitted to work in the school room or during school hours. Any traffic in beer or liquor, or attendance at fairs with music, shall not be included in the lawful trades of a teacher. Experience shows that the first distracts a teacher and entices him from his duties; and by music and taverns the best schoolmasters are ruined, and reduced to drinking and idleness.

15. Therefore all teachers are forbidden to keep a tavern, or to wait on weddings and other occasions; and we permit them to labor in any trade that will be no hindrance to the work of teaching.

16. With the same intent of guarding schools against interruptions, we release teachers from the customary duty of carrying messages from the archbishop to the neighboring clergy, and we command that such should be done in future by other messengers from the commune, since these messages generally concern our war orders.

(c) Nature of the instruction

19. As schools in large cities have frequently two or three teachers, we ordain that one of them - he who writes the best hand — shall teach the smaller children in the first elements; the others the more advanced pupils.

20. Instruction to beginners includes: 1st, the letters, spelling, and simple reading. The letters must be learned in a month; and since, in cities, new children are coming in every month, the course is to be repeated. Every month the children should spell the six different classes of syllables in the spelling book; in the third month the children, who began with the letters the first month, should commence to read, but the difficult words must still be spelled and the rules be inquired into.