Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-06-13
American School System viewed by
Frenchmen.

| IL will be remembered that. upon the oc
caslon ot the Centennial Exhibition a
! Philadelphia, commission was appointed
| by the French Government to visit the Ex
| hioition. and report upon it aud upon the
system OF American schools generally
That commission, OF which Mr.. +. Buisson
was chairman, have just published thelr
report, superb volume issued by the I'M
pr'msrie HitiOHdlt, addressed TO the Minis.
Ter Of Public Instruction, from which some
Interesting extracts can be made After
stating the difficulty OF answering the
questions, What conclusions do you draw
What lessons have you learned? What
examples do you propose for our Imitation ?
IN short, What is the practical result OF your
missiont NJ. Buissou observes:
Scholastic institutions are pot like indus
triat institutions or scientific establishments
which, II recognized good Ia one country
are equally so in all others, because schools
are not Institutions that eau be studied
apart ani oy them selves like a system of
they have their defects. their qualities.
their genus; It is "A social institution, 10
seperable from its own society, Impossible
to transport entirely from one country or
one regime to another. Even II We hau
seen In America the perfection oil the schol-
a.tic system, it would be none the less chi
mericaI on our part 10 decide on the impor-
tatlon here OF such system. Applied TO
other manners other traditions, other So
cial conditions. It might and prooaoly
would prove detestable, for II wonid only
be a corpse; the soul would no longer be
there.
What We have tried 10 do in THIS study,
Is To become penetrated with the American
spirit in its application TO scholastic lie !;
to comprehend the organization of the Tree
scnooI system; TO seize its spirit; 10 follow
it- course and state its results. We nave
tried to Judge American schools In their
bearings and connection with Americans
for whom they are made, and not with re-
spect to Europe or France. Tor which they
we're not made. In blaming or in praising,
according TO our conscience, the schools oi
the United States we have had no inten-
tor thereby of eulogizing OF criticising
FreOch schools. nor WAS this our mission
This, then, is the testimony which We,
simple reporters, have TO render. Amerl-
eau schools. so far as We have been aole
TO discover by the Exhibition, by our read
ing aud our visits, seem To present IN a
striking manner the following Characters
ties:
Il. Primary schools in the United States
| are essentially national schools. They are
| dear 10 the people. respected by all, crea
| ted, sustained. enriched by spirit OF unan
| imous patriotism which has never tailed
tor a century; considered, in short, as the
very source OF public prosperity, as the
| conservative and protective Institution pdi
| excellence ot democratic government ant
| republican manners.
- The scholastic organization IS rigor
} ously municipal. The law only establish
es in principle the necessity oil puoiic IN
| struction but each community PROVIDE:
| Tor il in it, own way there is no constraln
| frYn the State. no other subsidy than TN
| public lands formally given by the Union
| within u few Years only eacE State II IS h'l'
A general .ht OF surveillance, which /
| almost always coniiued to statistic cen
traiization To all official pedagogical direc
ton, and to the support of the State nor
| NAL schools.
.3. The higher direction and snpervss
ion OF primary instruction are conhded u
| councils Cor committees) elected, ana u
| officers sometimes elected and sometime!
appointed by the councils themselves. iron
| which these various consequences result
| the frequent renewing Of councils aud su
periuteudents, the often regretabie innuehc
Of ponlical preoecupations and local Inter
ests, the possibility OF abrupt chaoges
the scholastic organization; In short, In
necessity lor the people 10 eniighten toeu
selves upon questions relative TO schoo''
upon which they are continually calie
to vote Ne,c England Journal OF kd'
cation.