The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-09
scholarship DIS to the number of from 5000 to

INV yooA
CONTESTS WITH THE CHURCH.
The comforting of degrees is a matter
which the government has gotten now en-
tirely into its own hands. Upon this point
it has had q fierce contest with the church.
but the church has been defeated. Con-
sidering. too, that the bachelors degree Is
requisite in France to admission into the
professions. as we'll as for appointment to
Ger tain offices of state. like that of Judges.
for instance. it would seem as though
motto Of liberty and equality. had
no other course open to il. Another
fierce contest had to be waged with the
church upon the grave question of the
the old system the teaching In primary
schools was largely in the hands OF nuns
and members of Catholic brotherhoods.
and all that was deemed necessary in the
appointment of such teachers was that
their fitness should be certified to by
some bishop or lady superior. But other
aspirants for places of his kind had TO
pass an examination and be certified by
the state. Here was decided inequality.
not to say injustice. and the republic has
cut this knot of difficulty by putting all
teachers upon the same level. In
fact, it has gone further than this. and has
provided that after q certain period. now
nearly expired. no members of q religions
OiQcI SOdI no cilUlOJ ou III 6laL6 bCuOOlo
under any circumstances
After this statement it will be no news
to say that the teaching of religion is not
allowed IN the public schools of France. It
may. however. be something OF q sur prise
70 learn that the curricuia makes special
provision for moral teaching, especially SO
when 1t IS intimated that the moral teach
ing afforded includes the duties owed by
man TO the Supreme Being. What
the government has aimed at has
ham maralv fha pYClnainn of dor
matte religious teaching. In other words.
IL has taken o firm stand against the con-
version of state schools into parochial
schools and the use OF public money and
largely used heretofore. in UNFOLDING the
national supremacy of q particular church.
The state is careful to declare in this mat
Ter that 1t Is not opposed TO religion itself.
and it has practically demonstrates
this. one wOuld think. by the
religious scope it allows IN the
teaching of morals. What is more. this
accommodating government has made it
possible for religious instruction by the
various churches TO go on, IL those inter
ested wish 1t to do so, concurrently with
Its own gratuitonsly impaired secular in
struction. This, by providing that durlDg
one entire day of each week the state
school shall be closed. leaving the children
to go elsew here as parents. priests OK pas
tors may desire them to do.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ANC
Recurring TO the subject of higher educa-
tion, il must be noted that the-e is but one
university for the whole of France.
Strictly speaking. in fact. the University
of France embraces the entire educational
system. with every school controlled by
the three departments before mentioned.
That. however. which answers to ouI
notion of university teaching is carried
on by what are called academies. these
being divided again into various fac
ulties. In all there are seventeen
academies, and these, of course, are con-
veniently distributed among the largest
towns. Paris has one. aud inevitably it is
the best. The city is indeed the only place
where all the faculties of instruction are
represented. the other centers of higher
education being vigorously blessed In this
respect according to their Importance or
enterprise. some OF them having only one
or two Of these faculties. Naturally,
therefore. Paris draws upon the whole ma
ton. and has. perhaps, o full one.half OF
all the students. To show how com.
pletely the dominant church has
been driven from its former position IN