The Morning herald., 1878-12-24
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
NO. ILL., N
CoMKoN SCHOOLS.

i i4 CoNHoN SCHOOLS.
The origin Of common schools ID ns'
generally ascribsd Ia: :Prussia. That the sys
tenn is ofTsutonis origin, which has passs
Into tho popular mind IS II unqusstione
fast, il popular error. Neither tb
origin, organisation, or methods Of com
mon school education, are bof Germal
growth. Like unto other things, one mus
travel away into tho ! extreme boandar!
Of the annalled past, to skstch the rise ant
onward march Of education. lln "a o9n1..s,
| The salutation which one Of our chill
dren gives to the teacher, when. entering
the class room Of D SmorHjng, is 8 pisce o
educational etiquette, which has; cons
from China Confucius fys centuries he
fore Christ, drew fanjl elaborate Gods ge
rules for Chinese Pedagogy. Among hem
is 10 be found thsduty Of children to salute
their master, al they enter the ichoolroom
The school age Of children /, was f8ed by
him at six Yeas. The course u study
embracing reading, writing " grammar
arithmetic, sstroapmy, and manners; Part
ofthe school exercises consisted, ,,of sing
ing n national ode and symbols dance,
For the children Of tho wealthy, 9 shishsr
course of finstruction was provided.gfl,gg,
Education in China then o. now, Mas
without charge and compulsory hence
- - .sa< 49,. Il II yNl, - =, 1noI
son q, Rsrs shown. China 7 universally
'ediestsd for tvsnty-three centuries, and
ct The isame, time universally immoral.
There, was no system 9 popular education
among the Aindoos. Their learning was
limited to the Brahnins; the same may be
said of the Psrslans, whose .Magi alone
were learned. The common people had
NO means Of Obtaining any education, and
during the whole period Of Psr.isn opower
remained Id gross ignorsncs:l There
is no relh bic evidence, that free, schools,
or gratuitous modes, OF education existed
either anongl 1heJ Egyptians, Jews, or
Greeks, polished aud learned though the
people were save the free schoolsof Sparta
whiehrwsre, ths.crsation Of the code Of Ly.
curgus. In Rome, there were public
schools, but they were expensive, aud Only
within the reach of the children Of patriTrl
clans, or plebians ofwealth.U y5f ts .y,lg
We must therefore overleap the mighty
nations Of ofantiquity with all their splsn.
dors and glory, overlook the culture OF
Greece to find the counterpart Of the
Chinese common school asa plant Of
Christian growth 49,, W. -oL. ..,. =.
After the introduction Of Christianity,
tho duty of educating the masses, at the
general eost, Was speedily recognized by
The bishops and clergy of the church. The
BY Constantine, the great Of
The Council of Nice, H. D., 325,e was an
,ficial recognition that Christianity was
the established religion of sths, Roman aan
This gave to the, church tens
and one of the frst use made By
hsr, of her acquired power, and wealth was
10 dedicate Sunday as the public day OF
Test instead of Saturday, tand to provide
yratuitous education for the poor KEN
i'm Digoy id his wonderful budget Of eru>
lition, iorss Catholica speaks of free
'chools springing upYig Borne, Antioch,
Odessa, and Constaptinople. As early as
L. ID. AS, . Provincial Council held, in
Gaal, directed every parish
priest to open a, free school in connection
With, and supported by the rev enues Of his
parish. In 629the Council Of Vaison re-
commended the establishment Of common
chools, and petitioned the municipality To-
'slisvs from all public burdens the school
rouse and the teachers. Z In 800 synod
It Nentz ordered that the parochial priests
hould have schools ip the towns and wis
ages, that - :. D.' d ID ''''1 Y
"TheIittle children OF all the faithful
hould learn letters from them. Let them
'eceivs and tsachi tAese, with the utmost
that they themssl> ss may shine
n stars fol ever Let them rese1ve no re-
from the scholars, unless wnat
pe parents through charity may vslun-
arily Offer" rj-a .uratfa syl ~ 1-..
In thirty-six years after, in the city Of
Rome, Council composed mainly Of Ital-
an and French bishops and abbots, pres
ded over by Pope Leo XIII was held.
Among other thingI education Of the poor
vas discussed, and after much debate,
chools of three kinds were directed to be
established throughout Christendom. Epis'
opal attached to cathedrals. Parochial in
owns and villages, and Others in rural
districts to be cared for by the adjacent
hurches and mon asteries. In ll79 the
,reat Council Of Latern Ordained that a
,rsmmar school should be opened in every
Jathedral for the grstuitous instruction OF
he poor. The following are the words Of
he decree of the Council: onr ,ata
"since the church Of God as pious mo
her, Is bound to provide that opportunity
or forming alike to rich and poor, there
must be gratuiteus schools attached to
very cathedral for both clerks and lay
cholors --.-,
Innocent III in 1915, and subsequently
Ionorious III enlarged the decree, 50 that
free school be attached to every church,