The higher education of Prussia is given in the universities, w•itlh their four faculties of phi losophy. theology, law, and medicine. They are discussed in the article on UNIvratsirv. There are also various polytechnic and agricultural schools that may be included with the schools for higher education.
At the head of the Prussian school system is the Minister for Religious. Educational. and Medicinal Affairs. As Minister of Education alone, his department is subdivided into two parts. The first has control of superior and sec ondary instruction, and the second of the ele mentary schools. The Minister of Education represents the schools in the Prussian Parliament, and plans and oversees legislation on school mat ters, including, finance. Ile distributes the State school money, appoints the members of provincial school boards, confers titles on school officers, judges on appeal all eases involving dismissal from office or other contentions in school mat ters. besides fixing the normal course of study. Each of the thirteen provinces of Prussia con stitutes a division for school administration. The immediate superinfimlence of secondary schools is in charge of the provincial school boards, consisting of from three to five members and a chairman, who is the president of the province. One of these men inspects the gym nasia. another the Realschnlen, and a third the Volkssehulen. This board has the power of ap pointing and dismissing teachers in secondary schools, except in such as are supported wholly o• by private funds. when the selection is made by a local board from a list furnished by the provincial school hoard. The appointment of directors of the schools requires the confirma tion of the Minister. To the provincial school hoards also fall the control of the seminaries for the training of secondary teachers, and the regulation, for all the schools of the province, of the school programmes. regulations. leaving ex aminations, and of text-books for the higher schools. In each province the general superin tendent of the Evangelical Chinch has the func tion of inspecting the Protestant religious in struction in the secondary schools, and a Catholic bishop has a similar right regarding Catholic in struction. The provinces of Prussia are divided into thirty-six governments, each of which has a school board consisting of two men appointed by the King for life, four appointed by the pro yineial board for six years, and the dent of the royal Government. In such schools
as are supported largely by the State, this board appoints the teachers. Wherever, on account of extensive local support or private patronage, local authorities are given the naming of teach ers, the school board of the Government roll firm,: their appointment or nominates, a list from which the selection must lie made. II also over sees the conduct and work of the teachers, super intends the elementary schools generally, settles upon new districts and text-books for loeal schools. The governments are divided into dis tricts, sonic of which have inspectors, whom the .Minister on examination appoints for life, and who devote their whole time to the schools. Other districts have a number of local inspectors. who are clergymen or have sonic other ocelipation besides that of school inspection. The district has a school hoard composed variously in differ ent localities of inspectors, members of local councils, and representatives of religious denom inations. This board has the power of erecting and organizing schools, determining teachers' sal aries (the minimum being fixed by the Govern ment I. increasing pensions, and deciding on prop erty liable to a school tax. Each school has a local school board chosen in cities by the central school board. Sometimes, however, it is elected by the citizens of a community or by a church organization or by a patron, Ilepending largely on the source whence the Seh001 derives the larger part of its income. The local board looks out for repairs, supplies, and attendance, but cannot interfere with the internal management of the school. In many eases it has a voice in electing the teacher or fixing his salary. cities have established secondary sehools, the funds for• whieh are largely emitriloffed by them. Here the local boards have ebarge of financial matters. choice of teachers, etc., but the work of the school itself is under the supervision of the provincial boards. The most extreme cases of local control arise in connection with the country Volksschnlen. under the patronage of the nobility. liene the patron names the teacher, and sometimes even interferes with the course of study and school hours.