The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-09
EDUCATION IN EUROPE.

An English journal has the following valuable
summary OF the educational statistics of Europe:
Recent publications enable us to ix pretty
accurately the present state of primary or ele-
mentary education In most OF the countries in
Europe, and II may be useful to give general
sketch OF the condition in which they stand In
this respect Among other Continental coun-
tries we may distinguish groups some countries
making primary education obligatory, while
others recoil from this measure for tear OF over
stepping the rights of the State. Elementary
education is compulsory in all the countries of
Germany; in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark; in
Switzerland, and indirectly in Holland also, bat
on paper only, in Span, Portugal Italy, and
Turkey. In making education obligatory, 1t
became necessary to place within reach OF poor
children the means to receive It, and 1t was on
the cOmmunes that tins burden was lald'
France has not gone so far. She allowed her
rivals to outstrip her in the lace; and the exer-
tons of a private society were necessary to In
duce the Government to propose and adopt the
scheme which passed into law on the 28th OF
June, 1888. At that time, as again recently,
the French Legislature, out of regard for the
rights OF parents, refused to impose upon them
the obligation of sending their children to
school; nevertheless, by article nine OF the
law of 1885, and article thirty.three OF the
law of 1850, every commune is bound to sup
port a public school where poor children are
admitted gratis. The children of rich or we'll
to-do parents pay school ices, which are col
lected either by the communal authorities or
the tax gatherer.
ENGLAND.
To commence with Great Britain. The Com
mittee of the Privy Council reports that in 1868,
8438 schools were inspected, having accommo-
datlon for 1,677 ,803 scholars, and attended on
an average by 1867 745 scholars. eAt the time of
inspection l246, ,055 scholars were present. The
cost to the State was 9636, ,S06; what the parish
expenses, parents expenses, contributions of
benevolent societies, ETC., amounted to is not
exactly known. Nor have we any precise in
formation as to the number of children attend
ing private schools. 1t is satisfactory, however,
to know that the state of education among the
lnNun pI ic Alu ipnr nNin in
only forty weight per cent. of the population could
sign their names in the registers of marriage
and in 1864 the proportion was seventy-two per
cent 1t is only within the last thirty years that
any rapid improvement has taken place; fer IN
1S40 only ftty-eight per cent. and IN 1851 sixty
two per cent, could sign their names IN the
marriage registers.
FRANCE.
In France we find an analogous Improvement.
Forty or fifty years ago two-thirds OF the popu-
lation could neither read nor write, whereas at
present only one.third are ignorant of the alpha
bet The 1910 communes OF France contain
72,069 primary schools (inCluding 1908 infant
schools), with 4, ,720, ,224 pupils OF whom 393,S56
attended the infant schools. 1t was estimated
that at that time C864) 100000 children were
receiving no education. Upon these 72,069
schools 58,646,952 francs were expended, of
which about twenty millions were paid by
parents, and over twenty-five millions by the
communes, while 1900, 600 francs were supplied
by foundations and legacies, 100000 francs by
the departments, and about 100000 francs by
the State. This does not include l6979, 538 francs
voted by the municipal councils for the erection
OF schools. in the above figures are included
S22,59S pupils attending 1876 private schools
called eCoes Lbres but not the amounts paid by
relations to the masters and mistresses of these
schools. According to the census of 1861 the
entire population of France was 37,3S6,l6
PRUSSIA.
The latest official information with regard to
education in Prussia is for the year 1861. At
that time there were in existence, for popula-
ton OF 1S,47s,500 inhabitants, 26763 public
schools, with 3,OO6,273 pupils of both sexes;
S4,O2l children. The cost of these amounted to
9,902,696 thalers, of which 7,449,224 thalers
were paid as salaries to teachers, and the rest
ior various purposes not including 1905, I63
amount expended in salaries was provided for
thus:-School fees paid by parents, 1890, 1858
thalers; sum found by the communes, 4,799,95S
thalers; State subsidy, 32S, 298 thalers. These
salaries were paid to 33,6l7 male and 1855
female teachers.
BELGIUM.
In Belgium the question of education is left
perfectly open, and, consequently, out of 1864
primary schools, 1868 schools, with 109l74
pupils, are under no control. The expenses OF
the rest, accommodating 435, 5S7 children,
amounted in 1862, the last year known, to
1878, 3OOf, of which about one million was paid
by parents while 4l0,000t were contributed by
public and private benevolence, 3, lao, 000f by
the communes, 0,000t. by the Provinces and
the rest by the State.
SPAIN.
Spain, with population of 1878, ,481 inhabi-
tants, has published most complete statistics,
but they unfortunately date from the year 1860.
AT that time Spain had "a, 353 schools, 4l55 being
private. The public schools were attended by
l,lOl, 529 pupils OF both sexes, 587, ,7l2 OF them
paying nothing. The 4l55 private schools had
l50,l24 pupils. The ordinary expenses were
61,b89,4 465 reals, of which 5,792,2l9 were con-
trlbuted BY parents, 54,39O,6l4 by the com com
The extraordinary expenses exceed tWenty-one
millions OF reals.
PORTUGAL.
Portugal, with 4.35l, ,5l9 inhabitants had IN
| 1865 1906 primary schools, with 100000 pupils;
| between $4,000 and 10000 milrees (somethlns
more than f3000l is all that the State con
| tributes towards these schools, and we are noI
informed OF the amount of expense incurreu OS
| the communes or the parents OF the chllureh'
ITALY.
An excellent table of statistics informs US
| that italy, in 1854, with a population ,,Gn Ut
q, III, 334, had ,037 829 pupils in 24,99S pubic
i schools, and l40,9l4 pupils in $500 pIlvaIIe
| schools. The expense of the public sc1Voio EVot
amounted 10 40,0O6,3 359 lire, of when tne @ ooaoo
found 784,487; the provinces 29O, tue tui,ad oU
munes $751; 74l; while l,l83 664 were IecedEe does
/ from different quarters. The documentG - uT ne
parents Of the children, and It's geneIaa Tor Tor
seems to imply that the commanes p"S
/ them,
AUSTRIA.
Austria, with a population OF 3o,Ol9,ygUG1
habitants, including Veneta, eeS no hod in 1854
Lombardy, only tells us that she @ nau, - them
81 5s9 schools OF different classes among oSoois