Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-10-23
THE SCHOOLS OF RUSSIA.
Poor Accomm odntiOns for the Public
in Town and Country, and Hard
on the Leaders.

While children in America are pro-
vided with comfortable public schools,
young Russians have the poorest OF
accommodations even if the recent Of.
fetal report about the school system
in Russia did conceal a part OF that
systems worst aspects. general re-
organization Of the public instruction
was ordered a few months ago by the
imperial government, and numerous
commissions of inquest have been IN
stituted. Their work of Investigation
was relatively easy when it referred &c
schools situated in towns, but 1t be
came very difficult when information
had to be collected about the schools
in the country. No official was anxious
10 proceed to villages lost in the
steppes. the forests or the swamps.
Still. some persons devoted to the
cause Of popular instruction. especial
" NJ. Ponomareff, inspector of primary
schools. have undertaken journeys
more fatiguing than explorations IN
Tibet or Patagonia, reports London
paper.
The report of NJ. Ponomareff in effect
is that in Russian villages the shepherd
| is happier than the male teacher, and
| the latter happier than the female
/ teacher. The moujil considers the
teacher a man who lives athis expense,
and he pays him less than the shep-
| herd. When snow has fallen and the
| BOYS are without anything to do, be-
/ ing unable on account Of the winter t0
/ fha 1at
/ think Of their education. An "out-
chittel." or schoolmaster, is hired by
! the villagers, who agree to feed and TO
! pay him. The price varies from 10 to
! 30 rubles $50 to S40) for the whole win
ter. which is very long in Russia. A.
TO the food. it is not so good as that
of the shepherds: each family whose
children frequent the school feeds in
It's turn the schoolmaster. The school
building is a miserable hut, often
where pigs, hens and cows are fed
twice a day. 1t is the business of the
teacher to keep his school clean, says
NJ. Ponomareff in his official report
There is no ventilation; at the APP
proach of the cold weather all win
dows are Theoretically closed with clay
or GLACIERS putty. The moujik can
not understand that anything should
be open in winter time. In regard To
the heating. it is quite primitive. Each
scholar is bound to bring some pieces
of wood to heat the school, When il is
freezing too hard the pupils do not
come. and the teacher, being compelled
to remain until the evening, envelops
himself in his tothoupe, or sheepskin,
and STAYS motionless in n corner Of the
"khata," or school hut.
Such is the custom in poor villages.
In the rich villages the schoolmaster.
instead of being a martyr. becomes a
tyrant. He strikes the pupils brutally,
tears off their ears and pulls their hair
and breaks their teeth. for he is al
most continually drunk. The official
report instances many cases in which
the children were violently thrown on
the ground and bruised by the teach
er's feet 10 such a point that blood
pushed out from their noses and
mouths. Rut what is most eXtraor-
binary, says NJ. Ponomareff, is that
those queer schoolmasters intrust the
task Of teaching to the best scholars
These are called "the first group" oil
"the professors and thSy are not
Adore eight or ten years of age. While
they try 10 teach their little comrades
the schoolmaster sits down to drink in
the next kabako."
The St, Petersburg correspondence
which gives this summary of Pono
marefT's report. SAYS that on receiving
it the minister Of public instruction
sent numerous commissioners to rar
over. incognito, every part of Russi'
at the approach Of the winter with q
mission to remedy the evil and psnisf
the culprits.