The sun., 1894-01-28

Education In Chile has been for some years
q aaubieot not only OF anxious concern on the
part Of the Govern N ent but Of political strife.
II is free. but the common people are slow to
avail themselves Of Balm sceda's school houses
The chief educational centre is the capital.
The national university at Santiago has from
ten to fiteen hundred studenta This and
the National Institute. which has an equally
large attendance, provide collegiate and
professional courses. Medicine. law. mathe-
matics. and the fine arts are said TO be well
taught There are twenty-five provincial
lyceums or high schools. with an aRRre-
gate annual attendance OF nearly four
thousand pupils. There is a normal school
for the preparation OF teachers. an agricu-
tural school. aud other establishments for
special instruction. or primary schools there
are 1.o2e. about half OF which are common to
the two sexes the rest being evenly divided
between them. These public primary schools
have total yearly attendance OF almost 3d.
o00 and there are also 500 private schools
which have in the aggregate $4,000 pupils In
1890 the Congress appropriated over $1,000
600 for educational purposes In Santiago
are q museum OF natural sciences and an
academy OF fine arts. a conservatory OF
music and botanical garden. The
national library contains some 10000
volumes Seven daily papers are pub
lished In Santiago. with q total circulation OF
10000 copies; there are also several scientific
and literary reviews. Valparaiso has four daily
papers, with an aggregate circulation OF over
10000. Other cities likewise have dailies.
Valparaiso. like Santiago has a museum Of
natural history. with sections devoted to min
eralogy. botany. as well as biology. ethnol-
ogy zoology and paleontology. The Mu-
aaum of Fina Arts publiahaa n review md in
said to have a creditable collection OF foreign
and native works. An annual salon is held in
the capital. and. by way OF encouragement OF
the fine arts the Government undertakes to
send to Europe with pensions the most
proficient pupils OF the schools OF paint
Ing and sculpture. The Conservatory OF
Music at Santiago is said to have a
good many pupils II is perhaps significant OF
the national taste that the pianofort is a COM
mon article Of furniture throughout the coun-
try. To sum up. however. the purport OF all
the data relating to education. 1t must be
acknowledge ged that in this respect Chile is back
ward. There are nearly three-auarters of q
million children who ought to be at school, but
only small proportion OF them avail them
selves OF their opportunities. or tho three
millions OF people in the country. IL is probably
an overestimate to say that third can read.
II is true that the so-called upper classes are
well educated and we'll Informed.
As regards social life in Chile we are told
that the season in the capital Is gay. though
the older families there form an aristocratic
coterie which is rather exclusive. 1t seems
that every rich Chilean feels In duty bound to
own q house In Santiago and to live there dur
ing the season. His house. however. is not
often thrown open to visitors. and his family
circle is a narrow one. seldom including any
but relatives and near friends. In the ter
tulia, however. and at public receptions.
dancing. and the ordinary social functions 20
on In the afternoon society drives In the
Cousino Park In tho evening II promenades in
the Alameda or goes to a pleasant little the
atre on the Santa Lucia hill II 1t be sum-
mer: or. II It be winter. to large. com me odious
theatre in tho town. which Is said to be the
third In the world in point OF size On
the great plaza on summer evenings a mill
tary band plays. while people known in society
promenade in families. the young women
being dressed In the French fashion and the
young men apparently in the London way
Though educated in the bellies lettres sense.
the Chilean young woman'is far from enjoy
ing the amount OF liberty conceded to her sex
in the United States and England. She Is Wig
ilantly chsperoned and hampered by an eti-
quette which deprlves her OF the opportunity
this is true only OF the higher classes The
right Of poor women to obtain work Is recog-
nized Chile 10 the only country where women
are allowed to be street car conductors
II. W.. H.