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GYMNASTICS IN THE KINGDOM OF SAXONY. 673 
societies, the fifth place in regard to the number of members, and the 
fourth place in regard to the number of active gymnasts. 
The royal government approached the question of gymnastics again in 
she year 1357, by adopting a set of rules for the examination of teachers of 
gymnastics, and in 1863 it permitted the introduction of gymnastics into 
lower school. by “recommending it to the local anthorities most urgently.” 
But it is to be regretted that few cities and villages availed themselves 
of the opportunity, for, according to the statistical report of the German 
Gymnastic Union of 1869, the schools of only twenty-seven cities and 
three villages, and four state schools situated in villages, had obligatory 
gymnastic exercises in their courses of study. Hence not ten per cent. 
of the school population received gymnastic training. 
The new school law of April 26, 1873, admitted gymnastics, as a ¢ diet- 
etic means of evducacion for boys as well as for girls,” among the essential 
oranches of study in all the schools. The school authorities now began to 
ntroduce gymnastics into elementary schools where hitherto it had not 
oeen done. Since the law fails to state at what year of age the exercises 
In gymnastics are to begir, the curricula of the different schools and cities 
vary on this point quite cousiderably ; but it comes very near the truth to 
say that, as a rule, gymnastics begins with the fourth year of school, or the 
‘enth year of age. Also some differences are noticeable with respect to 
she time devoted to physical exercises. In some communities only one 
aour per week is given to gymnastics, while in the majority two hours are 
given. 
The transitional regulations issued to secure an effective execution of the 
new school law of 1873 permitted the postponement of the introduction 
of gymnastics until 1878 in communities where the necessary institutions 
could not at once be established. The local authorities of many country 
schools took advantage of this privilege, and after the transitional period 
of five years numerous petitions asked the minister and the House of 
Deputies for a further extension of the time. Statistical material gathered 
oy the president of the Saxon Gymnastic Teachers’ Society from the 
reports of the school inspectors confirms the fact that only one of the 
school districts of Saxony has introduced gymnastics in all its schools ; 
‘hat, furthermore, in twenty-three districts a number of schools are still 
without gymnastic apparatus. In seventeen of these districts no less than 
ifty per cent. (the highest was 93.8 per cent.) of the schools fail to live up 
0 the law. 
It is the rule in elementary schools ( Volksschulen) to have gymnastics 
conducted by the regular class teachers. Very few of these schools employ 
special teachers. In extensive institutions, such as city ward schools in 
Leipzig and Dresden, it has been found expedient to place this instruction 
n the hands of specially trained and experienced teachers. 
2