El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-05
Teachers In That
Country
Retire With
Pensions.

relaCN6 development IN the past ~
years. Both have put forth diiigent
and well directed efforts along lines
of popular education, Japan probably
with better results than Mexico. me
Japanese possess temperamental quail
ties which serve to impel them TO seize
upon educational opportunities with
more avid enthusiasm and determine
ton than the average Mexican Japan,
too had scholarship and an elabo-
rate, useful and permanent education
al system centuries before the Spanish
came to Mexico.
There was scolastic attainment among
the Aztecs, it is true, but it was of
nature calculated to leave slight I'M
press upon the latter day generations
of Mexicans. In the Calmecac
schools of the Aztecs the mobiles were
taught the martial or priestly arts Pa
triotism and the qualities Of the stole
were the elements upon which the
greatest stress was laid. For the com
mon people there were the telpu-
chaIr' schools. In the curriculum were
included history, eloquence, astronomy
astrology, law and military tactics, as
the Aztecs understood them
Popular Education.
There was no popular education in
Mexico under Spa nish rule. For the
sons of the wealthy. or those who were
patronized by the opulent, opportunity
for mental training was offered viz
tually only in two professions, the
priesthood and the law. Colleges were
founded, it Is true, but, like the schools,
they were under the domination or
the priests, and no encouragement was
given the children of the poor either
to seek admittance, or to prepare them
selves by course of preliminary study
to attack the higher citadels of learn
ing The priests taught the indians
to read and write, but only as means
for spreading the propaganda of Cath
olicism among them The Spaniards
and their priests subscribed to the the
DRY that education tended to foment
disconte.e and rebelious tendencies
among the masses. So. generally
speaking, the educational policies of
the conquerors was repressive-
Only Education.
Yet Mexico saw the birth of the first
university and the first college upon
the American continent. The Univer
sity of Mexico was founded in 1885,
and enjoyed high rank among the
worlds institutions of learning until 1t
was closed in 1888. One of the pro-
jects inaugurated by the government
in celebration of the Mexican centen-
NAL this year is the establishment OF
the university. The National Prepara-
tory school, which now partakes in
part of the functions of a national uni
versity. probably will be absorbed.
Within the scope of the university
also are likely to be brought number
Of 2 f,vi nd schools
of higher education, among them the
preparatory school, the national med
ical school, the San Carlos academy of
fine arts. the school of Jurisprudence,
the agricultural school. the pedagogic
department of the two normal schools.
the school of mines and the school Of
engineering. the advanced school OF
commerce, the national conservatory OF
music, besides several others. The
College of San Nicholas de HidalgO was
founded at Patzcuaro. Michoacan, in
1910.
Revolution LulIs Education.
Blight fell upon all educational ac-
tivity in Mexico in the period of revo-
ton and general civic porostration that
ensued between the establishment OF
the country's independence in 1921 and
the opening of the DiaZ regime in 1875.
There was no money forthcoming from
the government. The great mass OF
the population. which had remained
densely ignorant under the Spanish
reaped no educational benefit under the
republic.
1t was estimated 80 years ago that
less than 1000. 900 of a total estimated
population of 100000 could read and
write In the latter part of the 18th
century there were only 10 schools in
Mexico. BY 1895 one-third of the popu-
lation of the federal district could read
and write.
With the enactment of the reform
laws, by which the religious orders
were disestablished. the church sepa-
rated from the state and the influence
of the priests broken. education began
to revive President Juarez. in 1857,
had enacted a compulsory education
law. 1t remained non-effective until
president Diaz gave it force and vi
tality.
Education is our foremost interest,
he said recently. I'VE regard it as the
foundation of our prosperity and the
basis Of our very existence. For this
reason we are doing all that we can
to strengthen its activity and increase
its power"
In the Mexican Schools.
One gains, perhaps. his strongest i'm
preston of the manner in which Mex
leo has progressed by visiting some Of
the schools IN this city and in other
parts of the country. The primary
schools are the most interesting. In
them are the boys and girls from to
IA. or older. The law makes it obli-
gatory upon parents to send their chill
dren to school between the ages of c
and IA A sharp system of Inspection
Is in operation, by which watch is kept
upon the children within the city. which
IS divided into districts If they fail
to obey the law they are fined, or im-
prisoned.
Discipline and Cleanliness.
In the primary, schools three striking
conditions forcei themselves conspicu-
ously upon the notice. One is the dis
cipIine. another in the cleanliness Of
the children. and the third is the aston
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