Page 98 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

RYKEN KEEPS TRYING 77
Like the Infant-School the Lancastrian Monitorial
System of Instruction was another importation to the
Continent from England. It was the expedient of Joseph
Lancaster, a young Quaker schoolmaiter, who needld
assistance in his school and who was too poor to pay for
additional teachers.
"The essential features of the Lancastrian plan were
the collection of a large number of pupils in 6ne room,
from 200 to 1,000 being possible. The pupils were seated
in rows, and to each row was assigned-a ilever boy who
was known as the "monitor," and who was the tey to
the entire system. A common number for each monitor
to instruct and look after was ten. The teacher first
taught these monitors a lesson from a printed card and
the monitors took their rows to "staiions,, about ,the
walls- and proceeded to teach the other boys what they
had just learned."
Anything thar concerned the conducting of a class
was oI interest to Brother Ryken who was thi very active
sup,ervisor of the school at "fler Walletje', and at ,,La
Bellevue." For the Founder in action we are inde.bted
to Brother John Seghers' "Memorandum.,, ,,fle was,,,
Brother John wrote, "very desirous that each Brother
should'be well versed in the art of catechizing the chil-
"Congrega-
dren, for this was the object in founding the
"to
tion; hence he often went into the difiirent clasJes
hear the Brothers in action.
"He did nor limir himself to pointing out the Brothers'
mistakes but he took the trouble to catichize the children
himself to teach the Brothers their mistakes.
"No Brother was allowed to teach catechism unless
he was known to have sufficient knowledge. An older
Brother was present for a few times when the younger
man began his instructions.
"Ife was no less particular about the art of teaching