The Portland daily press., 1893-12-30
SWISS EDUCATION.
Industrial schools of Small Country.


Industrial Schools of a Small Country.
IT, C. Greenough in Springfield Union.]
Switzerland is very small country, if
you reckon her area by the acreage
available for productive purposes She
is surrounded by nations jealous of her
prosperity. The Swiss have no seaport
and cannot export their products to
the seaboard without paying people of
other lands roundly forl transportation.
Having no navigable rivers and COM
PEELED by the physical character of the
country to spend extraordinary sums in
making and maintaining highways and
railroads, obliged to import the raw ma
terial needed for manufacturing pur-
poses, and hedged on every side by those
sharply competing with them in manu-
features and often imposing severe tariff
upon their exports, it would seem that
the Swiss must be overcome in the in
dustrial struggle with their apparently
more fortunate neighbors. But in spite
Of her greatssnatural disadvantages, there
is no nation so rich and powerful as to
disregard the competition of Che Swiss,
nor so distant as not to be reached by
t.-eir products. Their exports are enor-
nous considering that the aggregate
population of the twenty-five cantons
is less than 5000, 900, and that more than
one-fourth of the total area is wholly
unproductive, and more than third of
The remainder is forest, a good share of
which is very scanty.@
III we inquire for the sources of this
productive power, we shall not find it in
the race characteristics of ner people, nor
in their form of free government, SO
much as in their free public schools
The twenty-seventh article of the
Federal constitution of Switzerland
provide that each OF the cantons shall
provide instruction for all of it's children
of school age, The mode of accomplish
ing this is left to the several cantons
Theoretically the centralized school
system of France would seem superior to
the local arrangements Of the cantons;
but whatever may be the possible i'm
proyements in the mechanism of admin
,sbration, considering the limitations
imposed by physical conditions, the
common schools of Switzerland are to
Re reckoned among the greatest in the
world. No people are more enthusiastic
saSn the Swiss in maintaining public
'eS4loOlo. L AC ACW 1872 llOIC UudIl ally OUuGI
paSple in Europe seem to really believe
Jhas intelligence and character are the
only sure foundations of individual and
natiohal prosperity. They alsolrecognize
the fact that Intelligent suffrage is the
great bulwark of civil freedom. The re-
mark of Bernese ..patrician, at is for
cur advantage to educate our masters"
expresses common sentiment.
switzerland has often led in the pro-
gregs of public schools in Europe. The
sfnrulse that led to the establishment
os FORMAL schools in America is traceable
81 Switzerland. The Swiss have just
pride in the eminent teachers born on
phei: soil. Among these it is sufficient
10 nanle Rousseau. RestalloWie, Fallen
burg and Agassiz. The progress of the
schools of Switzerland in technical edu-
cAtion is especially marked. In the ex-
cellehce of these schools the Swiss find
their chief aid in their successful COM
petition with other nations of Europe
% stimulate love of work and to cherish
i-r5istic tastes, industrial museums are
pulit. open to workmen of every class
4 { the Polytechnic school in Zurich
yuu will find 800 students working at
applied science, including letters, law,
mathematics, medicine, architecture
,nining, railroads, etc. Designing and
mo.ding are taught in another school
.'cG FAR away. In Zurich you will also
III che several processes of making textile
IL ;,rics are taught. Zurich with these
;:ua ether industrial appliances for
tsacnlag reckons population of less
tlan 100000. Basic, with population
a:s5 much over $4,000, has its admirable
i.!a ustrial art school with near 1000 stu
s4eIrs. The organization of this school
!. very perfect, the ventilation and heat
~, en- bodies the latest improvements.
waite the lighting is wonderfully adapted
{ IT, treatment of holdings and mod
e.s. plasters, sketches, paintings and
cQlpJure
IL ether cities equal interest is shown
ii technical shoots. About $4,000 of the
Youth Of Switzerland are today prepar-
il.s, in technical and industrial shoots
to excel if possible, in some Kind OF
productive industry. With q population
80 much above that of Massachusetts,
Switzerland gives governmental aid to
l51 of these industrial institutes, while
csners are self supporting.
Cur consul general writes from, ST.
Pad: The Swiss special training emo
nlea labor; it raises the mechanic III the
EYES of the world, aswell as in his own
eyes. A Swiss who has attended ii trade
school the full time understands his
gaining perfectly, and, has no trouble
~ securing ms employment at the highest
RACES These are facts shown by the
record" Elsewhere, the consul writes:
4 re opinion has prevailed for many
years that in Switzerland. us, i'll the
United States, the so called learned
professions have been :. over crowded
iaiAking people look with alarm at
the vast number of professional men
turned out by colleges Of every grade and
raEk al over the world. How are these
tens OF thousands TO make living in
rhe inevitable struggle that is before
them? Switzerland is solving the prob
lem for herself She is doing it by en-
pobling labor; by teaching the Young
chat trade well followed is as honora-