The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08
POPULAR EDUcA r1oS IN FRANCE
Limited destruction In Primary schooIs-Ness
Iect Of the Higher BREACHES.

Iect OF the Higher branches
PARIS Nov 23.-Thc discussion yesterday,
In the Chamber Of Deputies. OF tho chapters in
the budget for 1879 relating TO public instruc-
ton. resulted In an almost unanimous vote In
favor Of the appropriations asked for by the
Government in fact. there seems 10 be but ono
opinion among tho prominent men OF all parties
In France ms to the measures TO be taken for the
spread OF popular education. Clericals as we'll
as Liberals are agreed that nothing IL so con-
duciye to the woll-being OF the nation as the
multiplication OF schools and the increase OF
facilities for sending children 10 thom My
friends hero say that II the present tendency
OF fittings meets with no check there will not be.
I'm twenty-five years. man or woman Ia all
France who cannot read and write At present
however. llliterarcy is widely prevalent No
accurate statistics on the subject exist that I
know Of. but find that in SOO427 marriages
contracted in 1875. tho number ~ men VINO
signed the rigisicT Nth cross 90 was s 59g5l and
o. women who az me same v3ssy Judging
by this ~ a standard. one.llith OF tho meu and
one third Of the women In the country cannot
So much rs write their own namcsl
Tho rising generation. however. even under
the present arrangements, will show much bet
Yer results when they grow up TO adult age II
that over 4OOO.OO0 of the children in Franco bo-
tween the ages OF and IA now attend what are
called the primary schools. In these schools.
.
and for thosupport OF which the communps or
districts expcnd IN the aggregate $40. 0OO,0O0
| annually. the pupils are taught to read. write.
aud cipher, and are given some general ideas
| OF geography and OF the history OF France. I'M
fortunately however they cense their attend
ance ut about the age Of i2-that H. at tho time
OF their first communion-und thereafter busy
themselves exclusively with learning trades
and ehrningtheir living. Consequently. where
~ 1000 600 children ns I have said. attend the
primary schools. the total number who avail
themselves Of the means OF what Is called here
and other institutions. in which Latin Greek.
mathematics. aud the sciences are taught ne in
only $4,000 In other words. while 7j out of
loo French children learn to read. write. and
Cpher. only in 100 attempt to do any moro
Tho statistics Of these institutions Of the sec.
1iloi 0fuGt ~ lr1sSnhIni fh q recent RrIntl Oh
Barbour. are highly interesting To an Ameri.
can. Altogether, there were IN 1876. of second
grade schools. | 1911 OF witch ~ wcrc lyrcums
-upporleh by the nation. 2l2 wore colleges sup
ported 10y the communcs. 493 were private lay
enterprises. and 30G wcr0 maintained by re-
ligious bodies. prncp ally the Jesuiis and other
kqmpn catholic organ cations. The number Of
scholars Taught by the lyccums was lOOG6; thnt
by colleges 81 lNl that by lay cstab shments
H .23l anu that 10y religious nsttutiOns 465l2.
That II To say, One-hHlt Of the higher cdu 'ation
aud one-lalt by private enterprise. and of this
lntipr half the larger part. or one-third OF the
whole. l. under the direction OF the Roman
Another curious feature revealed by the sia.
I tisiirs have mentioned II the extent To which
the children attending these higher grade
schools are not only taught but boarded In
diem. or tho whole 10000. there are over
1uuOO 81 nearly onc-hnlf reported us bonrdors
or nalt-hp0dcr-. The hoarlrr-. by the way
are both lodged and fed. while the half-hnardrrs
9re not iodged. and get oniy brcakinst and
lunch al the school. I'm the crcles instlc1l cstnh
li-hm'nis two-thirds OF tho pupils are full
J boarder-.
4 furnish instruction erMuitnusY. Tho hoardrrs
puV oh nm average 5000 per nnnum for board
and tuition the hqll-boariers in proportion,
per Hnnum for tuition only There are.
however. 3.egl purses a. they are caed.
lotted 60 nrtoriouS scholars aud .5l2 scholars
are. Tor various reasons. exempted from tuition
f,'s A. rulc. thor,f tore. Il 'ariy tho whole Of
aud the report | reirr 10 estimates the total
amount ihcy p{ a. tlj Wl.U0o "a year. whereas
only 1000 ODO year.
Io9Sing oyer the payments reported find
that the highest salary of any professor In I'M
der $4,000 a wear. and the salary OF the tutors Of
the lower grades only $40. SuIl, u must DO re-
many Instances furnished gratis 10 the men,
bors oi the teaching stan, 10 that the money
recompsnse IL not So inndequatc as II seems.
especially when the greater purchasing power
81 money IN France 10 taken into account.
~ mentioned the number OF pupils in the
Roman Catholic schools ns being nearly one
: hird OF tho whole number iOllOwin the higher
grade course. This number has INCREASED, and
u -tll inereasi ng at the expense ~ the private
lny schools. Under the spur 81 emulnti,.., Nth
The secular educational element j." rrAnce the
ccrirns have nude prodigiou.. efforts 10 i'm
prove and To muffin" in,., institutions. Thus
VIE ! IN l9.9 .i-rh were 6j7 lay establishments
nltl 1" 80 SCHOLARS and 21S religious establish
Ne :. with 81 S97 scholars. there were In 1876
: out i9l lay establishments, with 81 .249 scholars
and 300 ecclesiastical establishments with
/ 46slG scholars The Jesuits take the lead In
/ the work. They havo immense school build
/ ings hero in Paris. and their pupils carry OIL
| the majority % tho prizes Mt the competitive eN-
/ aminations which the Government prescribes
/ o. applicants for appointments. The darling
ambition Of French parents being to procure
] Tor their sons places in the GOVernment bu-
reaus. this success OF tho Jesuits has given
/ them great reputation. and In recent debate
/ Ia the Chumhcr ~ Deputies q radical member
was forced 90 confess that even no had placed
his son ia one OF their establishments. At all
events. these establishments have increased in
/ number from IL IN 1868 a. y ia $40. and their
pupils from LAC in 1868 to g. 1871 in 1876. Next
/ o. the Je@uts in prosperity are the Marstcs.
/ who had. IN 1876, % schools against 10 in 1865
| and i.416 scholars against 25j in 1868.
tn manner In which religious and secular
/ instruction are combined in the public schools
IA FRANCE has also singular look ~ an Amer
lean. For the minority OF tho schools Roman
+ Catholic d0HouityS are appointed. with salaries
/ varying from $500 To 5000 year. md IL il their
/ bus ness 10 conduct religious EXERCISES and at
b tend o. tho religious education Of Roman Cath
| Gle children. Who're there are Protestant chill
! dren Protestant pdsfflTs are appointed. with
B similar salaries, t. perform similar duty. and
/ ind even fourteen Jewish rabbs under pay
Charged with the spiritual care OF Jewish chill
/ drcn