The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-29

without beins called upon TO read word of
Greek or Latin, and carry - q lest soun-
tarlslt dipioma, imputing 70 then soquirs-
ments which they do mot posscss, and ex-
pressed In q language which they arc probar
bly, unable to translate.
Education II Scotland.
The recent tercentsnary OF che Uuivsrsity
Of EdAnburgh has drawn xttention to the
remarkable improvements which have al
ready been effected, or may soon DO looked
for, In the whole system Of Scottish educa-
tion. The work q reform was begun ct the
bottom by tho thorough renovation Of the
primary schools, and measures hsvo since
been taken to supply tbs appliances for Soc
ondary or intermediate instruction with
which Germany and England are richly on.
dowed. but which up 10 very late date wcro
almost wholly lacking north Of tho Tweed.
After the creation II number Of grammar
SCHOOLS Il high grade. It will b possible.
for the lrst tima. 10 relieve the university
prpiessors from the functions Of schoolmas-
tiers by prescribing much higher standard
OF admission.
It was the Educational act Of 1872 by
which the old-iashioned paroohiai schools
were completely n,etan0rphosed and the re-
quirements Of PRIMARY education moro Tally
met in Scotland than In any other part Of the
United Kingdom. The number Of pupils has
actually doubled since the law went into op-
Grafton. At present moro than So, 900 out OF
8l2,0O0 children Of school age arc On the
school registers. and s6 per cent. are In daily
regular attendance At the Same time the
standard Of instruction. instead VI being
lowered, as was apprehended, through the
raised. The number Of children examined
In Latin, Greek. and mathematics IL now
nearly four times greater than 1t was eight
years ago. We may add that the sum OK
pended last year on primary education In
Scotland reached =, oOO. 900, of which u. $780,
600 was contributed by Parliamentary grant.
A second, and for Scotland even moro in
dispensable step, was taken about two years
ego by the passage OF the Endowed Schools
act. The Commission appointed under this
law is provided with ample resources for
calling into being endowed secondary schools
In all the principal centres of educational &C
tivity. Within few years Scotland will be
covered with q network Of institutions at
which her young men can procure almost
gratuitouslv the same kind Of intermediate
instruction which is obtainable at the
Prussian Gymnasls, at the so-called public
schools OF England, or at the academies Of
Exeter and And0ver in the United States.
The multiplication Of these secondary estab-
lishments will put an end to practice hith-
erto well nigh universal among Scottish can
didates Tor tho degree Of Bachelor Of Arts
that, namely. OF passing directly from the
parochial primary schools to the universities.
During the latter half OF the eighteenth
and the first half Of the present century the
four Scottish universities Of Edinburgh and
Glasgow, Of Aberdeen and st. Andrews-but
especially the two f0rmer-gained more dis
tinction In the departments Of philosophy
and OF physical research than the older and
incomparably richer English seats Of learn
ing. The amount, too. OF educational work
which they are now performing 10 out Of all
proportion to the population Of the country.
The English universities excluding the Uni
versity Of London, which is only an ex-
amining body-can show only some 5000 un-
dergraduates, whereas those Of Scotland,
which contains only one-eighth as many In
habitants as England, are attended by 6.6O0
students. There are upward Of 5000 students
at Edinburgh alone. II is, nsvertheless,
true that In respect Of classical attain
ments tho Scottish universities are still. as
they have long been, much below their
English rivals. Their backward condition
In respect of the so-cailed humanities Of
those classical studies which IN Scotland as
elsewhere are deemed to constitute tho
groundwork Of q liberal education has been
60 ~ al,
referred IN the Scottish system Of education.
the absence OF secondary schools. TAe want
Of adequate preparation on the part Of appli-
cants has withheld the universities from pre-
scribing q reasonably high standard Of ad-
missions. and accordingly the first two years
Of college Afe have necessarily been devoted
to school work This neoassity. however, will
soon disappear, and nothing will then prevent
the imposition Of rigorous conditions OF
mstrioulation except the fear Of reducing
the income derived from fees, on which the
professors mainly depend Tor adequate re-
muueration. This obstacle VIII be sur
mounted, 1t 10 hoped, by increasing the
amount Of tho annual Parliamentary grant.
At present tho sum yearly voted to the four
Scottish uniVsssiHes. together with the
Edinburgh Observatory and Botanic Garden.
does not much exceed, On an average,
$4,000. On the other hand. the annual
grants and allowances to the Royal irish
University and colleges 10 os60, 900. and this,
too, although Scotland contributes ~. Ooo. 900
in taxes to tia national ezcheqser. against
Irsland's o., 900 900. When we add that the
Irish students subsidized number only l,lO0.
against the 5000 Scottish undergraduates,
We must coneede that the northern kingdom
has fair claim TO . largely inorsssed sub
ventisn to tts university system. A bill In
trod0osd at the last session proposed to
increase tho Parliamentary grant to . omar
tor OF million dollars, and this sun 10
more likely to be raised than Diminished
whom the measure comes mp for debate.
Ampler pecuniary resources and higher
standard Of admission-that 10 all which tho
Scottish universities necd In order to place
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