The Portland daily press., 1900-12-07
AMERICAN WOVEN in AR
GENTINE.
Our Public school system Has Firm
Hold There

Argentine" said Mrs. Clara q. Bischon
direst:r Of the Escuela Normal National
st Rosario, Argentine Republic, South
America. Mira Bischoff IL Sc. Louis
woman who for IL years has taught school
in the Argentine Republic and is now in
New York on her way hack from the
peds gogiosl congress In Paris to which
she was sent as q delegate BY her govern
ment. she Is the principal Of the normal
school ct Rosario. IL stands In the CEN
ter OF the city on the Plaza Santa Rosa,
and occupies an entire block. There are
co rooms In the structure. Including q
gymnasium perfectly equipped.
81 take intense personal pride In the
building" said Mrs. Bisohen, "because
fer eight years Miss Morrow Of oswego,
N. Y, and i worked fer Its erection.
You see down there all che normal
schools are under the direction OF the
government. and are always in the capt
tails of the provinces. My school was-ors-
sinally 10 Santa Re, the capital Of the
province OF Santa Re, OF which Rosario
Ia the chief commercial city. But the
cid, conservative element objected 30 the
innovation OF public schools and the nor.
NAL school was moved to Rosario, There
was then no suitable building, 30 we
went into an old, ramshackle Motel,
which we adapted to our purpose a. best
we could, and the people were 90 eager
over the American school that they aided
us In every way TO become permanently
established there. ..The government builds
the normal school, but the province gives
the land. A land concession was finally
granted In Rosario and i had the i'm
mense satisfaction of superintending
the erection OF the normal school build
ings and furnishing 10 throughout; Miss
Morrow at that time went TO Buenos
Ayrea and became principal.
"The principals OF the normal schools
down there live In the buildings. have
beautiful suits OF eight rooms overlook.
ing the Plaza, furnished and appropriated
to me by the government, so that my only
household expenses are my actual living
and servants wages. The pay or the
average teacher In the Argentine Repup-
lie is 20 per cent more than here. And
after 80 years service all teachers are re-
tired on full pay"
This state or the public school system
has been the growth OF many years. Tne
Introduction of the ystem into the Ar
gsntine Republic was the work OF Do
mingo Sarmiento, VINO was president OF
the republic in the early '70,'s de had
lived In the United States as secretary to
the Argentine minister at Washington.
A progressive man and intensely Interest,"
ed in educational work, he studied
American methods, particularly In Bos-
ton. One of his first acts on becoming
president OF the Argentine Republic was
to get American teachers down to his
country and endeavor to establish public
schools or those who went first few re-
mained; the country was In o constant
state OF revolution, and life in the prov
inces was little too uncertain to suit
the Yankee taste. President Sarmiento
persevered, however, got down more
teachers, and during his term did much
for law ana order by introducing the
telegraph. developing the railroads and
educating the people.
"Sarmiento implanted N the Argentine
heart said Mira. Bisckoff, 1.-THE love OF
everything American. He translated
into spanish the lives of Horace Mann.
BE njamin Franklin and Lincoln, and did
more than any other enc man to raise the
country to the front rank OF south
Amerios N republics Our present presi-
az mt, Julio A. Noca, Is worthy suo-
cessor Of Sarmisnto. He, in 1883, perma-
ntiy established American teachers in
Arze n. inc. He believes in American
school methods, wants every innovation
in the lins Of progress snd 1t IL for that
mat am now making an investigation
tf the public schools OF New York, Bos-
ton nd Chicago before / sail On Novem-
ter 20 for Rosario"
According to Mrs. Bischoff. American
school teachers are IRENE ndously popular
In Aren'ine. CuIiously enough, the. men
who have gons down from tbs United
States to teach have not been successful
and have not remained, bus there are
four government schools in charge OF
American women, and many American
eaohers. Mrs Biscnotf has two In her
school. Her niece. Miss Mamie GILES Of
Steeleviile, Mo, is the yice-principal OF
the Rosario normal school, and another
Amer lean girl, Miss Cboate OF Minnesota
established ana is carry ing on the kinder
garten.
-"Our SCHOOL year IL from March to
December Ia said Mrs. Bisohotf. BE.
ing on the other SIDE OF the equator our
hottest months are December, January
and February, when we take our vacation.
Our school sessio is from II TO 4, with
ten minutes recess at the end OF every
hour and 10 minutes for luncheon. IL Is
a Catholic country, you know, ana we
have to closs the school on religious holi-
days. AS there are 40 OF thsss we have
school on Saturdays to make up for
them
"They call the Fourth OF July my hoIi-
day and never need TO arrange any
ceiebr a., ion, for they do it for me. 1t
cOueb al u Ncky uuny tluir VI WIG sSAoSA
year, but that makes no difference Ito the
pupils, who are enthusia stic over the day.
They borrow my stars and stripes to drape
with the ir nag, recite patriotic American
speeches and demand q half holiday.
patriotism 10 now rampant in the
schools because 10 Is 50 in America. A
law has just been passed by the govern
ment that only q native shall teach Ar
gentine history. l used to teach IL, and
60 did the German and French teachers,
but the government now says: do
Americans allow the history OF their.great
nation 70 be taught by foreigner Ger
tainIy not And that settles it. What
the Americans do not allow neither Will
the Argentines.
''Ihe normal school at Rosario ia
having q democratic influence on the
people. All Glasses attend, though not
unattended. An Argentine girl never
appears ON the street alone. The rioher
ones aressant TO school In carriages or
with maids; the poorer go In groups. On
rainy days they don Z go at all. Fortu-
nately there is not enough rainy weather
to affect the school course. Rosario IL
such cosmopolitan city, that there srs
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