Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-10
EDUCATION IN SPAIN
TWo-Thirds of the Population
Are IIIiterate.
NOT ENOUGH SCHOOLS
impossible to Enforce the Law Com
polling Attendance.
REFORM IN UNIVERSITIES
REFORM IN UNIVERSITIES
Professors Chosen by Competitive
Examina Unused
Church Property Proposed.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

Herald.
In reply to an inquiry l would say tina
it is true that there is compulsory edu
!, cational law in Spain, but 1t is not en-
forced. and it cannot be enforced unit
more school houses and teachers are pro
vided. BY the latest census, taken II
1901. two-thirds of the population-6S.
per cent-can neither read nor write. bu
there were 2j,34O public and 6,1S1 private
schools. with 1.617,314 pupils in the for.
mer and 344.3SO in the latter. OF these
j 10000 pupils were in attendance upon the
! nine universities and several norma
/ schools, which reported the following
/ faculties and students: Barcelona. "a pro-
| fessors and 1,SSS students: Grenada, AZ
| professors, 712 students; Madrid. o. pro-
| fessors. 5.11S students: Salamanca, Is
| professors, 1000 students: Santiago, ):
professors, 612 students: Seville. - pro-
| fessors, LOO students: Valencia. 50 pro-
| fessors, 1.72S students: Valiadolid. 30 pro
| fessors. 1,12O students: Zaragoza, ~ pro-
| fessors, LOGO students.
| There is also medical school at Cadiz,
| and a law school at Oviedo Each of the
| universities above named has faculties of
| philosophy. arts. law. physics and medi-
cine, and several have departments of en-
gineering and pharmacy. There is a mill
| tary school at Toledo, with about 600
| cadets.
| The general government pays AZ, % 25S
pesetas. which is equivalent to about
| $S,0O0,OOO per year for education This
money is expended under the direction of
| minister of education. but the schools
in the municipalities and other political
districts are usually regulated by local
boards. which also contribute to their
support by taxation. The contributions
of the general government are pro rata of
population. The total sum raised in Spain
by local taxation for school purposes is
about 100000 year, which, added to
the eight millions contributed by the gen.
eral government, makes total expendl-
ture for education of about $13,OOO,OOO an
nually.
This includes the universities. but does
not include the parish schools Or the con-
vents mOnasteries, which are more
numerous in Spain than in any other coun-
try. 1902 law was passed requiring 1s
all nuns and monks to register, and 40. 1SS
nuns and 1O,7 45 monks responded from
1856 converts for women and 80 for
men. Many of these institutions are edu-
cational. and $3.50 nuns reported them
selves as engaged in teaching. The
amount of money devoted to education
by them cannot be estimated because the
church does not publish any statistics Of
that kind.
educational laws by the cortes. in 1902.
there was a general reform of the public
schools of Spain. Formerly the teachers
were selected for personal or political
reasons, and were i'll paid. so that a ma
jority Of them were utterly incompetent.
but the new law requires examinations
and certificates of efficiency. and COM
pels the local board to pay at least $125
a year salary and provide residence
for the teacher. which is usually part
of or connected with the schoolhouse.
This has caused q regeneration of the en-
tire educational system. and is now bring
ing into service a large number of uni
versity graduates and young women who
have something to recommend them be-
sides their relationship to mayor or
member of parliament No priest. monk
or nun is allowed to teach in the public
schools. although there Is no restriction
upon private or parochial schools. This
law caused an increase in the private
and church schools, which are preferred
by the aristocracy and the wealthy por-
ton of the population, the common
schools being patronized almost eXciu-
sively by the peasants and working
classes.
BY concordat with Rome no teaching
that is opposed to the doctrines or disci-
plin of the Roman Catholic Church is
permitted, but religious exercises and in
struction are absolutely forbidden dur
ing school hours in the public schools.
This has driven faithful members of the
church to send their children to the parish
schools and the converts. Nevertheless
the teachers can voluntarily give religious
instruction outside of school hours and
on Saturdays. and bishops and parish
priests may visit the schools at any time.
provided they do not take any part in
the teaching. Several normal schools
have recently been established at which
young men and women are being trained
for teachers. and they are SO well at
tended that within a few years there will
be still greater improvement In the staff
of instructors.
The nine rectors of universities act
as an advisory council to the minister
teal supervision of the educational facil-
tiles within his district. They confer
with the minister of education concern
ing the examinations of candidates for
teachers and the regulations for discipline:
They also select the text books and
supervise the methods of instructions: they
look after the sanitary conditions of the
schools and hear complaints against and
appeals from local boards of education.
ANY teacher holding a certificate who is
dismissed has a right to be heard by the
rector The provincial boards. which are
equivalent to our state boards of educa-
ton. are appointed by the governors OF
the provinces. but they must include the
rector of the university, the bishop OF the
diocese. and at least one woman. who
must be a mother The local boards are
organized on a similar basis and include
at least one priest and one woman who
must be mother.
There Is constant agitation among the
liberal and socialistic elements of the
population for another revision of the
laws. which shall prohibit the clergy from
having anything to do with the schools
and place them on an entirely non-re-
ligious basis. There are private Protest
| ant schools in Madrid. Barcelona. Cadiz
and one or two other cities. but they
are patronized chiefly by foreigners.
| The universities of Spain are being
slowly reformed. They are still the most
primitive and conservative In Europe and
| until recently most of the instructors
| have been monks. Under the new law.
however. the professors are appointed by
| competitive examination. Whenever a
| vacancy in a faculty occurs the governor
of the province advertises the fact and
invites all whom 1t may concern to attend
| an examination which is held by a court
of examiners. whose decision is subjected
versity. and finally by the minister of
| education. This system is not an ideal
one. but has resulted in a great improve
ment because, under the old system the
| faculties were composed almost entirely
| of local clergy, who maintained local
traditions and perpetuated the customs of
the institution. Now. under the new
regime. modern ideas are beginning to
pervade the universities. modern text
books are being introduced and the six-
teenth century methods of instruction are
being replaced by modern methods. While
the clergy still have a large influence in
the universities, theology Is no longer
taught, and candidates for the priesthood
are trained In the monasteries exclusively.