The Irish standard., 1893-08-12

Charlemagne, under whom the school
became renowned. Alcnin was the
great light Of the school under Charla-
magne. He brought with him the best
literary traditions of England, as handed
down from the Venerable Bede, through
Egbert OF York. The school continued
under Louis Debonnaire, and under
Charles the Bald it again became
famous.
About the year 842 we find it entirely
in the hands Of Irishmen, among whom
was Scotus Erigena. Bologna and Paris
are the Oldest universities. The origin
of each is buried in the mist of the past.
Bologna became famous as school Of
law; students t1ocked thither from all
parts; in the course of time it possessed
an autonomy of it's own. Pope and
emperor endowed it with certain rights
and privileges. and forthwith it loomed
up as a great university. So it was with
the University of Paris. For half Gen.
tury before it became recognized as such,
we find it to have been an intellectual
centre, made famous by the brilliant
teachings of William of CampeAux,
Abe|erd, and Peter Lombard. The mas
ters became organized into scholastic
guild.
Time was when mon were convinced
that in Europe there was no system Of
primary education till the period Of the
Reformation. They could see nothing
prior to that but an ignorant people de-
prived of all educational facilities for
their children. They are mistaken.
Recent researches carried on throughout
the various countries Of Europe, especl-
ally throughout France, have revealed
to us widespread system of education.
The results Of these researches may be
likened to the discovery of new world.
In the eighth century we find Bishop
of Modena, when investing one Of his
priests with an important parish in the
city, exhorting him to be diligent in
keeping school and educating the child
ren. In the ninth century every bishop
in making the visitation of his parish
was won't to ask whether the pastor has
with him cleric who can teach school
and assist in divine service. In the
eleventh century Guibert, of Nogent,
speaks of rural schools as of general GUS
tom. In the thirteenth century out Of a
population of 10000 in Florence We find
10000 children attending the schools.
A statute OF the Diocese of Rouen, is
sued III the year 1880, reads: "Let the
clergy frequently exhort their parishion-
ers to be careful and exacting in sending
their children to school," It need no
longer surprise us that recent writer,
after investigating the subject should
say" according 10 great number of
traditions, school was as much frequented
if not more SO, formerly than it is to-
day." Another eminent historian writes
of the fourteenth centrlry:-"lt is a grave
mistake to imagine that there were no
primary schools. Mention is made of
rural schools in all the documents
even in those in which We would least
expect to find newfoundland we can
scarcely doubt that during the most
stormy times of the fourteenth century
most villages had their masters, teaching
children reading, writing, and some
arithmetic
In 1851 John Baptist de Ia Sale or
ganized the Brothers Of the Christian
Schools, and gave them the method of
teaching which Peter Fourier had
touched but did not realize, which Com
menus, and De Nesmond, and Charles
Demia had glimmerings of, and which
has revolutionized modern primary edu-
cation. That method is known as the
method. 1t consists in
having all the pupils of the same ca
pacity, and none others, being placed
under the same teacher, with the same
book, all following the same lesson
The introduction of this system has been
likened to the discovery of a new world.
Glancing over the pages of the admir-
able manual of school management
which Blessed de la Sale prepared, we
find scattered through them this prin-
ciple inspiring all the rules of wisdom
and prudence in which the book
abounde. But the method has not only
been embedded in book; it has been
embodied in living organism that has
preserved it's traditions with the greatest
fidelity, and that still applies them the
world over. Because we all of us have
been trained according to this method,
and see it practiced in nearly all our pub
lie and many of our private schools, and
have ceased to find it a subject of won
der, we may be inclined to undervalue
it's Importance. Not so was it regarded
in the days of La Sale. Men travelled
+, L I. \ 3oS,s