New-York tribune., 1901-01-06
PROGRESS RAPID
DIFFUSION OF ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT
CIVILIZED WORLD IT'S MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE
By PROF. WINTHROP MORE DANIELS, A. H.
Political EcOnomu Princeton EHirersifn

Poftttcdt Economy n
Rapid and varied as the educational progress
of the nineteenth century has been there is one
of it's movements which i'm scope and Importance
outstrips all the others combined-I refer to the
widespread diffusion throughout the civilized
world of rudimentary instruction. For what
ever else in the nineteenth century may be for
gotten, future generations win not forget it's
radical dismemberment of the empire of Hitter
acy. TO realize this change fully must look
for minute at the situation in 1901. Statistics
of illiteracy not forthcoming until about the
middle of the century but it is scarcely ex-
aggeration to say that throughout Central Eu-
rope the ability to read and write then al
most as rare as to-day it is common. The
prevalence of rudimentary education has in a
way alienated from the experience of the
race. and so sophisticated have we become that
to-day we have TO think twice TO catch the poin:
of DOgberry's dictum that 'to be a we'll favored
man is the gift of fortune; but to write and
read comes by nature
1t goes. of course. without saying that this diff
fusion of the rudments of letters is the outcome
of the public school system. itself the most wide
spread social institution of the century. Com
mon schools there were. it is true. in preceding
centuries; but how few and transient these oases
in the wilderness of nliteracy were prior TO 1901
cursOry review will tell. In the early sixteenth
century, as the outcome OF the Reformation
common elementary schools We're instituted in
SaxOny and other German States and in certain
of the Swiss cantOns Luther and Calvin in ap-
pealing from infaibe Church to an infalli-
BILE book" and the right of individual Judgment
thereupon. realized that popular education
an Indispensable bulwark to the reformed sys-
tenn In many parts OF Holland and Sweden
also, the common school followed in the wake
of the Protestant movement. But after the
Thirty Years War had swept over Germany
scarcely vestlge OF the common schools re-
mained. IL was only in small Out-of-the-way
corners. such as parts of Holland and Switzer-
land. that the young educational shoot took per-
manent root. In Scotland it is true that the
parish schools planted by KnOx's fiery zeal as
an auxiliary TO the Kirk lived on; and as late
as 1776 Adam Smith could say of them. I'm
Scotland the establishment of such parish
schools has taught almost the whole common
people to read. and a very great percentage OF
them to write and account
COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM
Not least important Of these beginnings was
the common school system of Northern
American colonies especially New-YOrk, Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut-a system seemingly
indigenous TO New England. and transplanted
from Holland to New-YOrk. Despite these ex-
ing the bulk of their respective populations. the
general situation in England. France. Germany
and the rest of Europe in 1901 was almost
unbroken prevalence of general illiteracy. tenn
pered by the enlightenment of the nobility, the
wealthy and the professional orders. on whose
patronage the schools devoted TO superior edu-
cation depended. The public conscience excused
it's neglect of the masses by meagre doles for the
religious instruction of fraction of the poor.
Even where common schools existed they gave
in general only the most rudmentary instruction
in 1.-The three RS" They were under central
control or inspection. They had uniform
ganization There was little or no provision
for testing the capability of the teachers. Every
thing requisite to make instruction efficient. at
tendance general. school influence pervasive or
financial support adequate lacking.
The leadership in the task Of providing uni
versal elementary instruction must be conceded
TO Prussia Frederick the Great as early as
1863 had by decree made school attendance uni
versally obligatory upon children, and had
backed up the decree by specific provisions for
general financial support of teachers and for
competent instruction. This legislation, though
falling largely of it's aim. blaZed the way for
subsequent advances. The present system may
be said to date from llg4, when the PruSSian
Government took direct control and supervision
of all schools public and private, whether con-
cerned with elementary or superior education
cation in elementary studies has been enforced
with increasing vigor In point of COM
pleteness the PrusSian system is still unrivalled.
combining State supervision and inspection OF
schools and teachers. providing seminarteS for
the preparation of qualified instructors enfOFC-
ing with thOrOughness the requirement of COM
puIsory attendance, and cOrrelating into uni
fled whole the primary and the superior edu-
cation of the kingdom.
France, Notwithstanding her early adhesion
to democratic principles. was unproyided with
elementary public schools until 1855. In that
fha dor An, of nYfz w hOm
Victor Cousin had investigated the German
school system, public schools for primary in
struction first instituted. Here also the
central Government took from the outset the
power of supervision and control
HORACE MANN's GREAT WORK.
In characteristic contrast to the Prussian and
French systems of national public school estab-
lshments with central administrative control
was the system of school administration to be
found at the same time in the northern Ameri-
can States and in England. In the first the local
governments had practical control over the pub
lie schools. In England the elementary schools
were controlled by two voluntary religious So
cieties the earlier composed of NoncOnformists
and the later of Churchmen. But neither of
these societies exercised any common superin-
tendence imposed any code of regulations
nor enforced any uniform standards of instruc-
tion The problem presented in New-England
was TO reform elementary education by wrestling
from the towns. and particularly from school
districts their short sighted and misused power
of control In old England the more serious
problem was to provide instruction for the
masses and at the same time TO steer clear of
ecclesiastical prejudlceS. In America IL
Horace Mann. who in the fourth decade OF the
century, undertook and accomplished In Masss-
.1 v1tYt.x1 vis.,,a. al