American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-11-27
School Life In Paris.

The Paris correspondent OF the Man
chester EId.nsner and Times devotcs a re-
cent letter to the Paris school SYSTEM
Holidays are at an end, and boys have
resumed their studies in lycees and
private schools. 1t is common saying
that school days are the brightest in life !;
it may be SO in England, but it is in no
1t may not be amiss to give you few
practical details in the life of Partisan
boy at school. I will draw nocomparison
with what is done in England, but may
state, once for all, that, with all its fail
ings, the English system of education
seems to me far to be preferred.
The great majority of boys in Paris are
boarders in a school or lycee. The
lycee is State establishment Some in
some do not; two especially are in the
latter class, the Lycee Fontaines, in the
Rue Caumartin, close to the st. Lazaire
Railway station, and the Lycee Charlie
magnc, in the Rue st. Antoine. But in all
of them, whether they take bOarders or
not, there is twice q day q class of two
hours duration, which is presided over
by university professors, and which is at
tended by the boarders of the lycees
or those of private schools. These
classes include in their curriculum of
education Greek, Latin, mathematics,
the modern languages, etc. They are di-
vided in a number of forms, through
which the boy is expected to pass success
sively. The lycees of Paris being only
nine in number, and all the boys who want
to get an education having to attend them,
it follows that each form includes by far
too large number of boys for the pro-
fessor to do justice to them; each of them
includes, in fact, about sixty boys. But l
will leave aside today that part of the
subject which would require great many
explanations, and will return to it some
other day. only wish to call your atten-
ton to the physical part of our system of
education. It is the same both in private
schools and lycees, SO that I may describe
the one or the other, with the only excep-
ton that the boys boarding in schools
have to walk over to the lycee four times
day, whatever may be the state of the
weather. Boys get up in all our schools
at 80 both winter and summer. They
sleep in large dormitories, including
usually some forty or fifty beds-I know
of some even larger ones; each bed is
about half a yard to yard distant from
the neighboring one, and is not sur
rounded by curtains. Each dormitory is
under the charge Of one maitre d'etude,
or usher, usually called in schools the
pion; the class these mditres d'etude be-
long to is sham for most of our schools.
Exactly as 5 80 strikes porter comes to
the door of the dormitOry and rings a
large bell; in lycees man with drum
comes and beats that. Boys are allowed
half an hour to wash and dress; in many
schools they are still Obliged to come
down in the courtyard to wash. 1t was
always the case when l was at school in
Paris, and 1 remember many time when
we had to break the ice in winter to get
little water. 1t is the only time during
the day that boy approaches a layatory.
At six they go into what are called the
studies, long rooms with desks. Each boy
is expected then to prepare his lessons for
the classes at the lycee. This study con-
tinues till eight O'Clock. Then breakfast
The breakfast in French schools usually
consists of kind of soup. Do not fancy
it is anything like what you call soup in
England; no, it is merely a kind Of greasy
water, in which are soaked few pieces
of bread, and to which is add
ed piece of bread without any
butter or anything else: On the whole,
the breakfast may be said to consist mere;
ly of bread alone, as the soup is so bad
none Of the boys ever taste it; at least so