, 1884-06-11
Martinique Schools.

We have received through the courtesy
of the Editor Of LIE Moniteur de la Marti-
njque a report -" on the state of public
instruction in Martinique" in October last
wear. The report is addressed to the
Governor, and is signed by lie Vice Recteur,
II. Guaricr. The title of this officer might
perhaps be rendered by superintendent of
Public Instruction, and it appears from
the report that under him is an Inspector
OF eiementary schools Inspector primaireJ.
From the opening paragraph it appears
that the superintendent had only been 10
months in office, and therefore considers
his report as Il first milppOSt from which
the road 10 be trayerSed in future can be-
measured. From the same paragraph we
learn that the Council General had lately
voted considerable sums for education, and
"although there were not lacking those
who IiGitUled their solicitude and repIoach-
ed them for their prodigality, they had
passed such cUntemptuouSIy by, knowing
well that they were working even for those
who forget that instruction alone makes
the nations strong aud the individual
moral, secures public tranquility and pre-,
pareS for the greatness and prosperity of
the iutule,' The report is mainly occupied
with an account ofthe state Of elementary
or primary ms r%uclion, and as we are
shortly 10 have our new school ordinance
blorgGt into operation, it may be Of par
ticular interest at the present time to
learn something Of the schools Of flourish
ING French Vest Indian colony.
From the first chapter Of the report we
learn that each Of the rs of
Martinique is provided with at least one
pubic boys school and one girls school,
TIE tow Of ST. Pierre has 5 boys schools
and 3 girls Schoo S, 9 sections of communes
have also their boys and girls schools, and
a 10Th section has a boys school. In all
there are 81 boys schools and SO
girls schools. OF these, all the boys
schools are secular (LdJQueS), while II out
OF the SO girls schools are clerical OF church
schools (coAgrfg0RjSteS'. In the Avis of
Sth December 1880 some account was given
of the struggle then going on in Martinique
for the SeculariZati0n OF the elementary
schools, which up to that time had been
conducted by the members of a religious
order. AS the result, it now appears from
the report before us that in the beginning of
1883 only s clerical boys schools remain
ed, and 10y October these had also been secu-
lari$pd, so that no clerical boys schools
then remained. With the girls schools
the process has been slower. On the 31st
January 1888 4 only we're secular and 80
clerical. by the 18th of October Is more
had been SeculaliSed, and 6 others were
to become so by the end of the year, when
there would remain only IL clerical girl
schools, and by next October it was ex-
pected that all the schools would be in the
hands Of lay teachers.
"Unhappily the IS existing schools are
absolutely insufficient for the population
of the colony. and we may estimate approx
imatrly the number OF children, boys and
girls, who do not attend any school or
receive any instruction at from IL to
12,OOO. If we were to promulgate the law
of compulsory attendance, and to call into
our schools all the children between 6 and