Lessons from the Past

„School in Modern Times and in the Past“ was a lively topic this fall for the 4th graders at IPS Geithain.

The kids interviewed their parents and grandparents and it was interesting to find out what has changed at school and what has remained the same. Listening to accounts from the past provided everyone with plenty of food for thought, but our excursion to the museum in the Frohburg Castle made school lessons from 100 years ago truly come to life.

During the „historical lesson“ at the museum the kids got an authentic taste of the school experience a century ago. The „strict schoolmistress“ checked everyone’s hands and nails for cleanliness, the kids were give small slate blackboards to write on and they were able to practice writing their names in the old Sütterlin script.

It turned out that several of the girls in the class had already been to the museum for school lessons from the past as part of a birthday celebration.

The museum’s historical school lessons seem to be quite popular! Perhaps the greatest source of fascination were the detailed descriptions of typical punishments from the past.

Everyone was very relieved that these archaic and humiliating disciplinary methods are in the past, but almost everyone volunteered to try out wearing the old dunce’s donkey hat – just for fun!