The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-19

| many more cases than we would willingly ad-
| init. but a transient or hcitoua feeling BY
many ignorant town councils u southern Italy.
| we are sorry TO cay schools are still considered
| useless institutional wretchod extravaganza
and tyrannical imposition on the part Of tho
| Government-and tho most Jealous Of those
| administrators work 10 the best of their cum
ming to elude tho law. The Government Scho-
lastlo Board Of tho province OF Bari 1.-THE second
city in the old realm OF Naplesl has had ten
years struggle with many town councils in tho
region TO obtain from the Inter some guar antee
that ther school teachers should be regularly
paid their scanty salary. $1G0 u year-the mini
mum permitted by the law. Many have 30 stub
| bornly refused to engage teachers and open
| schools that the Government, though not az
| readily as was desirable. has ut last been com
| pcllod to send teachers OK offlcio. A poor lady
teacher. arriving in similar circumstances in a
| country town OF tho province was obliged to
return. because. after going from door to door.
she could find no hospitable roof. The parish
priest had threatened with accommodation
any of his parishioners who dared to shelter
the hcathon." II was only by employing tho
police that the Project Of the province succeeded
in having the young lady installed and the
school opened.
In our provinces" says Neapolan writer
not send their children to school because they
care that thoy may lcnrn something but be-
cause It puts them out Of their parents way
Tho very same parents who send their ch lldren
! for Instructions sake being utterly ignorant
themselves. fancy that nothing that " once
learned can be forgotten. Accordingly. as soon
rs the child is able to scribbo letter he or sho
is recalled and set to work either at home or at
some ncighbor's. Now the child who knows
still too little to have acquired any taste for
learning and finds ut home neither books nor
paper. and. were these even supplied. would
have no time to continue his own education
soon forRets all he had learned ut school; and
IN conclusion. the object the Government had
in view. the improvement Of the lower classes
il far from being attained with the present
legislation on popular education" 1t l. CON
scaueutly evident that instruction should not
only be obligatory but according 10 circum-
stances. also obligatory for certain number OF
years.
Tho law too which bids every youth attend
school is. unfortunately. far from being re-
spcctcd. According 10 the last statistics Of
tho Ministry OF Public Instruction $3.50. only
twenty-five per cent among the males and lf-
teen among the females between 10 and ~
years " age. know how to read and write and
this In the most cultured provinces OF southern
out of 1212s girls upon whom instruction was
an obligation. only 2.G.7 had inscribed their
names on the rolls 81 the elementary schools.
ana only SOS o.. them showed degree Of ns-
siuuity in their attendance. Out ~ 1889
males only 532 were found 10 have compiled
with the disposition 81 he law. In the other
provinces Nipples Bari. and Palermo excepted.
matters proceed from bad 10 worse Statistics
show that in the province OF Lrcco. out OF 36.cGj
children to whom said law is applicable. hardly
G,OJO had cilcctually inscribed their names at
th" schools Of their villlgcs. Tho rolls for the
province 81 Bari show that only 2).331 out ~
s27aj have practically answered to the appeal
Of tho law. II Arprnrs from ho Same statistics
that the causes which prevented CO 379'children
from attending school are chiefly the following
Extreme poverty -............ - NO.
y. ....,c distance r., ID. ihe iearcsi school irei
WORK AMI other .... ......... ..... Iu-
Total. ........... .............. .... a2s78
Comments nrc needless in presence II figures
So eloquent ~ the foregoing. We cannot for
bear remsrsinG. however. that a Government
which Is inpoteni TO enforce It's laws would
command more reepost 10y RbsiaininE from
making any. Way does not the ltai,an Govern
mcnt deal with the parents Of at ieast those
- .jiJ Ga iidreu WIZ ar guilty Of Wil'ui u-gli-
;cn 'e u.s. severely as u sUoulit j. tho law too
len.ru, coward ih'm3 Tt another be made
which may teach those'brutes the duties they
owe the n"sh ~ their 1esh; the curses Of tho
passing generations will Dee drowned in tho
blessings 81 the rising ones.
Tho greatest bench, TO tho future Of public
education IN Italy will come from another
quarer-the rceimeutal schools o. its gallant
army. Every cons r.pi. in entering any OF the
Italian regiments. !, ceiNes "a thorough course
II education, whi-h L. superior ~ that 81 any
nation. cNr'ItLs the Germans. Whom these
| brave soldiers are dismiss q from service. they
| rrturn o. their villages 80 much improved in
every WAY n 90 become n cause ~ wonder and
| pride TO their follow peasants. Fully apprrci-
| atiuE tho benefits of education. they speak ~ il
with wild enthusiasm. When these people
marry, no fear that they VIII impose the curse
OF ignorance upon their offspring Thor BEN
! eilcial influence already asserts itself in the
clearcst manner. In twenty years. even the
provinces that now stand AT the foot of the lad
der Of civilization VIII have no more analpha-
be,ics than Eng and and Belgium.
MAURICE MAUEIs.