The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-18
EDUCATION IN ICELAND

Iceland though one of the poorest
and most inhospitable countries on
tn globe, has the reputation of
being unsurpassed by any land in
the nobleneSs and general education
OF its population. The inhabitants
are industrious, pious, pure in their
lives, and lovers of learning. Many
Of its scholars have wide
reputation for genius and scholar
ship. 1t was first settled
by the NorwegianS in STA and
In the wear 1000 Christianity was
established by law. Schools were
established at the same time.
This was natural as educa-
ton should always go hand
IN hand with religion. The
Protestant religion was introduced
IN 1910 and fully established in 1851.
So well has the teaching of the
young been cared for that one
author remarks: 'sThe humhlest
inhabitant can read and write, and
is thoroughly cOnversant with the
Sagas, the history and the laws Of
his country, and with the Bible"
Such high praise as that can not be
given by any other country on earth.
Considering the sparse population Of
the island, and the poverty of the
land it would seem almost impOssi-
BILE to accomplish such universal
education, but q correspondent of a
Swiss journal explains the matter as
follows:
"I once asked young Icelander
who undertook the instruction of
children who, from the distance Of
their dwellings or the poverty Of
their parents, could not attend
school. AT the age Of Z years, he
replied. 'all our children know how
to read, write and cipher; among the
poorest fishermen Of the coast there
IS not one who has not received
what may be called a good primary
education. Our mothers are our
teachers, the boer ICELAND house,
our SchOolroom. The nearest pastor
has an oversight of the progress of
the children. and that one who does
not furnish the proof of a sufficient
education would not be admitted to
confirmation. An Icelandic mother
would not survive the chagrin of
seeing her children refused by
the pastor, and not a single ex.
ample is known Of it. Ask the FIRST
child you meet who it was that
taught him or her the history and
geography Of his country, the name
of the birds and flowers, and the in
variable reply will be, MOdre-
min. my mother. Touching in its
simplicity and grandeur, and reveal
ing truly the character of this SYM
pathetic peoplel At 25 the young
man is profoundly religious, chaste,
gentle and honest as on the day
when az his mothers knee he was
spelling out his first lesson. Can
one be astonished after this that in
Iceland there are neither soldiers nor
cannon that the art Of rObbing ones
neighbor Of his purse or his land is
unknown; that one sees there no
police nor prison; and that for CEN
turtles one has lost the memory Of
every kind Of crime?"
Now, this is similar to the pOSSib-
ilities we have heretofore expressed
for education in Ireland. Let those
mothers who are able teach the chill
dren and let the nearest priest teach
the rest. By such means the Irish
might have been as well educated as
the Iceianders are, and with this
education the Irish people would be
a power in the British empire.
Without if thew can never eXDeCt to
have any considerable influence. In
Iceland it will be noticed that an
ignorant child cannot receive con-
6rmation. Let the Irish priests take
that ground and some means would
be found to obtain the requisite
education since the devotion Of the
irish to their religion would impel
them to comply with any rules for
the sake Of receiving what they be-
lieYe to be the all important SacTa-
ments of their church. The ex-
ample of Iceland shows that there is
no country in the world so poor but
that the children can be educated
and also that where intelligence and
Diety, with good habits are instilled
into the minds of the young, crimes
and all wrongs and injustice are
very largely prevented IL not en-
tifely unknown. From poor little
Iceland the whole world can learn a
grand lesson in tie culture of the
Young and in fitting them for the in
5eIligent, conscientious performance
IF the duties of life.