Summer Schools

SUMMER SCHOOLS. Courses of instruction given at educational centres during the summer vacation. These special ized courses are largely attended by those wishing to increase their knowledge of special subjects, e.g., teaching, music, drama, handwork, etc. Among the earliest summer schools must be mentioned the one carried on at Naas in Sweden and attended by teachers who desired to learn Sloyd as a step to handwork.

The progress of handwork in English schools soon led to the establishment of summer courses under the direction of the Educational Handwork Association. In a less specialized field, the University Extension Movement had established summer meet ings held alternatively at Oxford and Cambridge. These were attended by many teachers, although designed primarily to meet the needs of students in University Extension classes. The Science and Art Department, now merged in the Board of Education, provided holiday courses for selected teachers in various branches of science ; and certain French universities organized summer classes in French language and literature which attracted teachers of modern languages.

Development.

The movement developed rapidly, and the provision of summer schools and vacation courses became ex tremely liberal, although it did not cover the whole ground. The courses offered present great variety alike in their curricu lum, direction, and organization. Some are specialized in charac ter, as, for example, a course dealing with the teaching of Latin; while others aim at supplying teachers in secondary and element ary schools with general information concerning new develop ments in school organization and method. The Board of Education continues to provide courses for selected teachers who receive a grant and attend lectures and demonstrations in such subjects as rural education, modern. languages, science, geography and history. Music also receives considerable attention.

Features of Summer Courses.

A well-arranged course pro vides opportunities for social intercourse and for free discussion. Some of the most successful courses are held in university towns, where the students live for a time in a college and enjoy the amenities of the playing fields and the river. A very popular course, which is held in London under private auspices, aims at giving to teachers from the provinces and from abroad an intimate knowledge of the chief attractions of London and of hearing addresses from eminent men and women.

Courses for Teachers.

It is now generally accepted that teachers should be encouraged in every possible way to refresh their minds and revivify their work by attending schools and classes, whether in the summer or at some other time. Probably the most complete example of such classes in term time is that of classes arranged by the London County Council, which extend from single lectures or sets of lectures to courses of a year or more, leading to the acquisition of a university certificate, diploma or other degree, such as the geography and history courses at Uni versity College, London, and the certificate and diploma course at the French Institute. There is a growing feeling, however, that

for many teachers the best refreshment is a complete holiday, and some of the courses arranged are therefore held outside the holiday period, the teachers being granted leave of absence. This plan is held to be justified on the ground that the work of the teacher gains in efficiency and therefore brings a return in public service. In England the practice of giving a "Sabbatical year" has not been widely adopted, although in some universities certain professors or lecturers have been granted leave of absence for a term or more to enable them to pursue definite lines of research. It is in creasingly held, however, that some arrangement should be made by which teachers may have the opportunity of bringing their studies up to date. The report of the departmental com mittee on the training of teachers recommended that teachers of experience should be granted leave of absence in order that they might attend university courses on education, and thereby equip themselves for posts of responsibility in the educational service. (F. Ro.) In the United States since the '7os, and more especially since about 1905, there has been a widespread offering of instruction by universities and colleges during the summer months. The universities have been desirous of aiding their students who wish to qualify for degrees as rapidly as possible and especially by con tinuing during the summer regular study "for credit," and enabling teachers to attend the summer sessions for additional training. Furthermore, quite apart from any question of academic recog nition for summer work, there is a nation-wide interest in intellectual improvement. (See ADULT EDUCATION.) The interest in study as a recreation rather than for credit was satisfied by the earliest programme of summer study, and in 1869 at Harvard university a course in geology was arranged by Dean Shaler. Similar field work in his own subject was offered by Prof. Louis Agassiz of Harvard university in a zoological labora tory established on Penikese island in Buzzards Bay, Mass., in 1873. Provision for lectures on special subjects was made in other places. In 1878 at Martha's Vineyard the first six weeks' course in education for public school teachers was offered. In 188o, Prof. C. 0. Whitman established the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole as a centre for researchers in biology.