Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-03-17
The History of Co OmpulsOry Educa-

The interest in the theory of compulsory edu
cation is so great that it is almost impossible to
take up any prominent periodical or paper with
out finding some reference to the subject The
March Atlantic takes the field with an interest
ing historical summary Of the progress OF the
idea.
After Germany had been crushed BY the Ma
poleonic wars, her foremost thinkers took hold
Of the work Of restoration, and laid the broad
aud necessary foundation by making education
compulsory The famous rule of 1919
obliged every child between seven and fourteen
TO so TO school regularly More recently, the
school age has been fixed between aud II
years. There was some difficulty at first IN en-.
forcing the rule, but Fichte said 1.-The first
generation will be the only one upon whom it
Will be necessary to use constraint for those
who Will have received the proposed education
Will voluntarily send their children to school"
lime has shown this TO be so true that,
IN 1868, only seven persons in all Prus-
sia were. punished for falling to comply
with the law. Saxony did not enforce edu-
cation until lSj5. and had some trouble at
first TO do 90, bat has none now. Almost every
German Las come education Jules Simon. late
Minister OF Public Instruction III France wrote
Prussia, with obligatory instruction, has con-
quered ignorance victory from which we are
separated. after thirty years OF Efforts by gnO.-
uOU Children, ignorant AMI neglected" France
has spent much on education. but she mas not
compelled her children to be educated and her
efforts have therefore been iu vain A rtriking
comparison can be drawn between Saxony and
Belgium Both pay much attention to education.
Belg gum spends more upon 1t, proportionallv,
than SaSony does. Saxony enforces attendance
upon schools and Belgium does not. All
saxons are educated. Half the Belgians, accord-
ing to the last Official cenrus, canuot read and
write. The Belgian plan is the one pursued In
most OF our States. Schools and teachers are
provided, but children and their parents are left
to decide for themselves whether they shall
learn anything or not. In New York CITY, be.
fore the Compulsory Education Law took effect
there were 2i0, 900 registered scholars and less
than l20, 600 regular attendants. These fgures
too, take no account Of the mass of poor children
who were not even registered at any school and
never entered one.
The trial OF the system in England is especial
" interesting to us. There has been a long
night for national education there Macaulsv
was one of the combatants. 1t was al this time
That he uttered his famous saying ''rhe right
TO hang involves the right to enforce nstruc.
ton In 1870 there were 1000, 900 unschooled
children in England and Wales. The law drawn
by MIR. ". Z. Forster, and passed in that wear,
contained provision permitting Local Boards OF
Education to make instruction compulsory, if
they wished. 1t was Test OF the popular feel
ing. Few persons thought the permission would
ever be utilized. To everybody's surprise near
ly all the great cities enforced educatsn forth
with, The plan has worked admirably even in
London.