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.

Every month they must go over the tables belonging to the subject, as they are found in the school books for children. 2d, in writing, the teacher should first acquaint the pupils with the rules of penmanship after the printed instructions, and they should then practice them until they have a correct German current handwriting, and can also write Latin letters according to the rules contained in the above instructions. He should go over the tables of calligraphy every month, taking the general principles during the first two weeks and the current letters; in the third week, Latin and current handwriting; and in the fourth week whatever is necessary to write words and sentences. In correcting, he should not omit to point at the tables, and proceed after the instructions printed on the same. 3d, in arithmetic he must likewise proceed after the tables on the five simple operations prepared for the Silesian schools; also in the rule of three with simple numbers, and he must endeavor to bring the children to do quick cyphering. During the first month he is to finish the table of enumeration, and the children should know how to pronounce and write any given number of not above eight or nine figures. Addition and multiplication should be completed in two months, and the remaining three months of the semi-annual term given to subtraction and division and recapitulating the other operations.

21. The children thus prepared are to be further instructed by the second teacher. When they are able to read the larger tables with fluency, they should be taught how to pronounce correctly the French words which occur frequently in German papers. In writing, the teacher should show them the law style and fractura, and the current letters which they learned from the first teacher need not conform to his own handwriting, and he need not make copies for them, but should cause them to copy select portions from books or other useful matters, he seeing that all they write is in agreement with the rules given in the tables of calligraphy. He should instruct them in orthography, not only by copying, but by dictating to them from time to time, in order that the pupils acquire a fluency in writing, and also to see how far they apply the rules of orthography. He should teach the older scholars to write compositions of various kinds, especially letters and forms which occur most frequently in common life. He should observe the mistakes in the use of language in the modifications or combinations of words, for which purpose he should use Gottsched's grammar. In arithmetic the pupils should learn the four operations in simple numbers and with fractions, the rule of three in all its applications, and the Italian practice, if any desire it. Oftentimes, especially to those who are about to leave the school and gain a living by the pen, the teacher should give them various bills and accounts, and show them how to draw these up correctly, and what must be done in revising accounts. 22. If, as in almost all large cities, the school has a third teacher, he

should instruct in the first elements of the French and Latin languages, in general and special history, in understanding and using a map, in studying geography from tables printed for this purpose, and in finding places on the map by means of the Lexicorum. We shall also, in order to give the young an idea of those things which render a State prosperous and the subjects contented, cause to be published a short textbook, containing the most useful knowledge of physics and some preliminary knowledge of the objects which are of importance in arts, trades, and manufactures. The duty of making the contents of such a book known to youth belongs, also, in larger cities, to the third teacher.

(d) Compulsion to attend

25. All these regulations, intended for the welfare of our faithful subjects, will create but little effect if, as has been the case heretofore, the schools are empty, where it is left to the will of the parents to send their children to school or not. We ordain, therefore, by this present, that all children in cities and villages, without distinction, whether the parents are able to pay for tuition or not, shall be sent to school as soon as they complete their sixth year, and shall attend the same until they are thirteen years old.

26. Parents and guardians who retain their children at home against this order shall, unless notoriously known as unable, pay double the tuition fee to the school teacher; the guardians from their own means, without any right of charging it to their wards' account; this to be levied by the justice of the court of the district; and the poor, who cannot pay this forfeiture, shall be compelled to two days' work for the commune, without pay, for every week they neglect to send their children to school. Children of less than eight years must attend school in summer and winter; in summer only in the forenoon.

27. As regards older children, whom the parents need for guarding the cattle and for other farm work, we permit that such, because the young now learn faster and more thoroughly by the new method introduced, be free from school from Saint George's day to Saint Martin's.

28. They shall be required, however, during this time, to attend the instruction in Christianity every Sunday afternoon, and after that to participate for two hours in the lessons in reading and writing given in school; which lessons the teachers shall give under direction of the pastor, that they may become useful to the young. Those, also, who have left school, and are not yet twenty years of age, must attend these lessons, though they may be in service on a domain or with a farmer, for their employers are bound to send them to school at such time, that they may recapitulate what they learned before, and prevent the utter lack of necessary knowledge. . . .

(e) The supervision of instruction by clergymen and the State

43. It is the duty of the clergyman to see that the young of his parish are well taught in school. We therefore command earnestly all clergymen in cities and villages to take care that these regulations are faithfully observed.

44. Clergymen who, on account of age or professional engagements, have been provided with one or more chaplains, may transfer the care of the schools over to one of them, but they shall be responsible for their delegate.

45. At least once every two weeks the clergyman or his chaplain shall visit every school during school hours, of which the teacher shall make a note in his register, by placing a V, for visitation, on that day.

46. The clergyman, during his visitation, shall observe: a, whether the prescribed school-hours are kept; b, whether the improved method is practiced; c, whether the catalogue and list is in order; d, whether punishments are too severe; e, whether the school utensils and books are well kept; f, whether the school room is clean, and used for no other than school purposes, those cases excepted where no other room is provided for the teacher.

47. In regard to the children, the clergyman should see—a, whether all persons, who, according to law, should attend the day school, or Sunday and repetition school, are regular in their attendance; b, whether the scholars are divided into classes on the basis of their abilities as well as age; c, whether they are benefited by the instructions and have made progress; d, whether the teacher advances them too rapidly before they have well learned the preceding lessons; e, whether the teacher employs children at his private work during school hours, and excuses them on this account from learning their lessons.

48. The clergyman shall also see whether the schoolhouse and furniture are in good condition, and whether a copy of the school regulations and everything necessary has been provided; and if not, he should notify the magistrate, the nobleman, or the justice; also expostulate with parents who neglect to send their children, and endeavor to remove all defects and impediments as much as is in his power; and where he cannot remedy them himself, he should notify the bishop and the school inspector. He should preserve the monthly statements of the teacher, and prepare an abstract of them, which he should be able to present to the bishop or school visitor.

49. He should remonstrate with the teacher for his faults, but not in presence of the children, only when alone, and endeavor to instruct him in those matters wherein he is deficient. He must never employ him for other purposes during school hours, especially not in his own interest. When ministerial duties, like the visitation of the sick, call him away, he must not take the schoolmaster along; but may take one of the larger boys. He should also exhort his people on the advantages of instruction, before taking up the collections for school purposes.