, 1874-11-22
POPULAR EDUCATION IN l. REPUBLIC.

Ono OF the most remarkable systems Of public
instruction in the world is that Of the Canton OF
Zurich, Switzerland. The Government Of Zurich
is q democratic deepotism. The laws passed by
it's Assembly have to be ratified BY the popular
roto before they can take effect For nearly
forty years it has derived all it's revenues trom
an income and property ta1, arranged on slid
ing scale, 30 that the rich pay more, not only ab-
solately but in proportion. than the poor. The
Canton provides gratuitous education, civil and
military, and compe1s sll ita Inhabitants to avail
themselves Of it. It habitually er@nts subsidies
to book-publishers. This scheme OF government
contains some OF the features which are almost
universally considered by writer's on political ad-
uirietration to be fatal to the prosperity OF tue
individual and the preservation of tho State. It
is striking proof Of the way in which practice
30 often modides .:heory, especially in politics,
that Zurich il one OF the worlds most
fourishlng communities The ratio Of it's &C
cunulated capital to its area is something re-
markable. The a3erage wealth Of it's families is
three times that Of France. Pauperism does not
61i66~ AAe " @A0Iok4VA - A&4aA
high
The system Of public instruction is q tri1e
complicated, when put into print Schools for
children under ara free from State interfer-
enca. This is, however, matter Of complaint.
From the age Of 6, the child is under Govern
ment control. II he OF sho goes to the public
schools, instruction is free. II to the private
schools, the State supervision still continues.
Primary instruction, compulsory upon all. lasts
nina years. The 6rst six are spent in the ' ele-
mentary," the last three iu the complementa-
~" schools. In the former. the sessions
consume from twenty to twenty-eight hourB
per week, exclusive of the sewing-lessons
Of the girls No child under u years
Of age is permitted to 60 out to work. The courso
Of the complimentary schools consumes four
hours OF each Tuesday and Thursday, and con-
sista Of review of all the elementary studies.
1t this point, when the pupils are 15 years old,
compulsory education, except in singing. ceases.
One hour week for one year must be spent in
finishing the musical course, which begins eight
years beforehand, when the scholars are but 7
years old. There are 600 Of these elementary
and complementary. schools n. 1874, $1,000
children attended them, at IN average cost OF 81
apiecs. They have to huy the necessary books,
but the subsidies TO printers and hthog-
raphcrs make these. wondrously cheap. "a
frst-rate atlas, in the hands Of every Scholar
costs next to nothing" BOYS aud girls are
educated together The teachers are now ali
masculine, but some women are to be employed
hereafter. There are substantially no prizes.
but scholar getting good marks need pay moth
ing for instruction in the higher grades Of
schools now about to be described
Next to the primary schools are the secondary,
seventy six in number. Since last year, these
have been made free to all. instruction is given
in modern languages, history. geography, phys
ical science, etc. The boys learn geometry, and
the girls sewing and conversation" II the
last branch is well taught, Zurich society must
be in delightful contrast with that Of the zest Of
the world The 5000 pupils in these schools cost
the Canton s2.50 apiece peryear.
Tho next grade is the Cantonal school,
menta1y schools can enter it. Zurich pays $40
per year for each pupil in this, and he or she
pays $40. The courses OF study are divided and
sutdivided with great ninuteness- The Specta-
Tor sums up the whole system to this point By
saying: "Thus the school-years Of working
men are from sir to fifteen (or ai1teen, it ne in
clude the last years singing CLASSY; those Of the
rades are from ak to seventeen (six years In tho
primary schools, two in tho secondary or Can
tonai schools, three in the industrial schools):
those Of tho engineer, architect, chemist, etc,
from ai1 to sevanteeo and half; those Of the
lawyer. doctor, theologian, etc., from six to
eighteen"
Besides all these schools, Zurich maintains IN
university OF four faculties, and the Swiss Con-
federation supports. in the Canton, frst-class
polytechnic school. 4 course OF lectures in
either, occupying ons hour week through tho
year, costs 81.
The inhabitants Of Zurich pay Al avarax.