The San Francisco call., 1909-04-10

ships receive free secondary education.
Some of the head masters of public
elementary schools expressed them
lselyes rs greatly in favor of this ar
rangement, saying that if higher edu-
cation were given indiscriminately the
barriers separating the classes socially
would eventually be broken down,-a
condition which would break the
hearts of the people thoroughly ac-
customed to class distinctions, and de-
sirous of maintaining them. They also
claimed that many Indifferent pupils
would fill the secondary schools who
are eliminated under the pay system.
Again the compulsory education law
keeps pupils in school till they are IA
years of age; If a child completes his
elementary studies earlier he may at
tend secondary school IL his means
permit. otherwise he is retained in
the elementary school and placed in
what is known in England as the
higher elementary standards, and in
Scotland as the supplementary classes.
In these classes both the grammar
school and lower high school studies
are pursued, and here is the tapping
of grades mentioned above. A num-
Der of teachers in charge OF such
classes expressed themselves as op-
posed to the pursuit of high school
studies in them, claiming that the pu-
pills would be better prepared for their
lifework if the time thus spent were
devoted to more practical subjects.
Scotland offers free secondary educa-
tion to its children who complete the
elementary studies satisfactorily.
In Ireland a system of half time at
tendance prevails among children over
IL years of age, especially the manu-
featuring centers, where pupils obey
IL l.
tending school every other day, and
satisfy their parents by working in
the mills on alternate days. 1t was
touching in such centers to see bare
footed and bare legged children at
school working away cheerfully at
their tasks, utterly unconscious that
such a condition was pitiful sight to
ug.
Children without number in large
centers are suffering from neglect and
from lack of the necessities Of life due
in a measure 30 the drinking and dissi-
patton of the parents. The authorities
have found 1T expedient to organize re-
formative schools for truants called
Day Industrial Schools" schools for
cripples and for physically defective
children. outdoor schools for aenemic
children and special schools for the
mentally deficient. Everywhere the
tcdCItIS are DlOSl duAtOuS W SLuQJ lue
needs of their charges, and to benefit
them as fully as possible Their earn
estness is as admirable as 1t is touch
ing.
Drawing is universally taught, but
schools differ greatly in their require
ments, which seem to depend some
what upon the district in which they
are situated. In the Dublin central
model school girls department, the
drawing in the elementary grades is
very simple in character and includes
lessons in the use of the ruler copy
ing designs, enlarging or diminishing
them to scale. copying drawings OF
flowers, etc. It seemed to me that not
much power was developed by these
lessons, but the drawings were neat
and exact
In the Dublin metropolitan school OF
art for advanced pupils. good training
10 given in art and in drawing for the
various industries It's lace patterns
were exquisite and accompanied by