, 1863-08-25

AV~4A%fF0A-A|e
It Is si1ty:three years since Napoleon or
Eanized France, and thought to SEQ order rise
Immediately out Of confusion. lie founded
universities and high Echoo1s, but during oil
Lis reign only $3.50 were appropriated for pri-
mary schools. lie die not begin at the found
alton. In 1905 not half tho Villages In France
had any species Of primary school.
At the Restoration. IN 1916. $40, go were
decreed, and eoHething done toTArd orgau-
izing committees, and q minister of public
instruction was appointed. In 1890 the num
vas increased TO 10000, and in 1850 to
10000.
at this tiEc, Just before the revolution,
something pretending to be school was cstab-
liehed in nearly two thirds Of the communes,
but with no provision for pernmnency.
There Was no school house and no land upon
which to build one, The children assembled
In bain or stable, or in some horel where
the teacler's family cooked, slept, and others
were bern OrHscme place was reserved for
this purpose, It WaE cold, damp, and dark,
nithou. window, Or fire, or seats, and the
teacher cold rum md tabacco in the next room,
and was cftea intoxicated.
This was the Importance attached to pri-
mary instruction only thirty Jca.s ngo. It is
not strange That France had no solid founda-
tion, md that the Is ever tottsring. During
the eight years previous to 1861, there WAS uO
,spoTr concerning public Instruction, because
aGairs cahrot be entrusted to the people
themselves in the different departments, as
they are inefficient as children, never having
been trained to any Intellectual labor.
In 1888 system Vas organized, and $780,
0c0 appropriated to establish permanent
schools, and tcachers' salaries fixed at forty
dollars a Jear. Since then the appropri .tion
has been increased to a little more than eight
millions aid half, which includes the SUN
derotcd to Normal schools, rent and repairs
to school houEes, salaries Of inspectors, cete-
sateR, paper EpGn which reports arc ll1:e,
and every possible item OF expense. OF
tis kum fire hundred thousand Is gpcot for
Parie, y hlcs has population Of nearly two
millions.
Schools for girls we're net considered impor-
| tant md 4ot established for several years nj,
! ter those for boys, and even now, no law Tc~
| quitcs the c2mmune5 10 sustain them Where
they exist, they are taught by nuns, and all
the influence OF the clergy is given to rrtain
| them under their supervision.
In public school Of four hundred boys, In
Paris, there will be seen one teacher and one
assistant, How thoroughly they must be
taught When they come to enter the army,
| q good deaf more pains Is taken to teach them
| to murder and destroy.
Girls are considered sufficiently educated
| who know how to read and write, aud perform
| eums In the first few rules Of arithmetic.
They have no knowledge Of geography, even
of France, or history. except a faW dry sen'
tepce6 about the spl5ndor Of kings, courts,
and conquests, and though IN all the schoola
Of every description, four millions are regis
tered as attending, not two.tti1ds Of fhta
number actually 60, and still large proper.
ton only attend few weeks in winter.
Let those who know the statistics concern
| irg schools in Amersca make q comparison
| Which re think will not lead them to prcfsi
al Empire to Republic,