Herbart, Ziller, Stoy, and Rein have been deeply interested
in philosophy and psychology as life-long teachers of these subjects at
the university, but in their practice schools in the same place they
also stood daily face to face with the primary difficulties of ordinary
teaching. At the outset, and before laying out a course of study, they
were compelled to meet and settle the aim of education and the problem
of relative values. Having answered these questions to their own
satisfaction, they proceeded to work out in detail a common school
course. The Herbart school of teachers has presumed to call its
interpretation of educational ideas "scientific pedagogy," a somewhat
pretentious name in view of the fact that many leading educators in
Germany, England, and elsewhere, deny the existence of such a science.
But if not a science, it is at least a serious attempt at one. The
exposition of principles that follow is chiefly derived from them.
With us the present time is favorable to a rational inquiry into
relative educational values and to a thorough-going application of the
results to school courses and methods.
_In the first place_ the old _classical monopoly_ is finally and
completely broken, at least so far as the common school is concerned.
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