The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-21

and What the Greeks May Do in the
Future.
copyright, 1911, by Frank G. Car
penter.)
The shoes Of America are now large
" BACKED by young Greeks. Every
town Of any size in our country has
it's Greek bootblack establishment, and
the work Is done by boys h are
shipped there by contract and whose
wages are sent back home to their
parents. In talking with these little
fellows you will find them as bright
as new dollars, and if you can speak
Greek you will discove that almost all
have had some education. Not q few
have gone to school at the night
schools at Athens and other Greek
cities, and many have begun the study
of the classics at home. Athens
swarIns with bootblacks and newsboys.
They have come here from all over
the country to earn their own living.
I see them working at their books on
the streets during their spare
moments, and it is not an uncommon
ing in q copybook while waiting for
the paper to come from the press
The Night Schools of Athens.
I venture there Is no other natiotn
whose children are so ANXIOUS for an
SOQcdl-Ol as lIlS, ana none WIcTe the
people are more ready to give it. There
are three night schools for poor boys
In Athens alone. with branch schools
in other towns throughout Greece. I
went to a school last night Which
held 500 boys ranging in ages from ten
to fourteen, and / saw one class Of
$50 going through gynnastic exercises
and drill on the street outside. They
had an excellent director. They were
straight and well developed and they
marched we'll. their shoulders thrown
back.
Entering the building. T was taken
from room to room. finding each filed
with thirty or forty boys as bright as
any to be found in America. Ny guide
was q director of the Greek National
sank. who devOtes his evenings to this
work. Each class stood up as we en-
tered and they rose again as we left.
in some rooms they were studying
others how to read and write Greek.
l was told that the school wa at
tended by about 500 bootblacks each
year.
Taught to Save Money.
Ihese boys get an education at no
cost to them except what they pay
Tor their books. They are taught
habits Of thrift. The teachers have a
savings bank and each boy can deposi,
AAS E" jain SSOul TX
other day one of them left for Amer
sca, taking along 1900 francs, or $40.
which ne had saved In this way.
/ was surprised at the teaching and
the high class Of some Of the studies.
The ordinary branches are the same
as those OF our graded schools, but in
addition they read the classics and
many OF them can quote Homer and
Oemosthenes. There is a man OF
Greece in every Sphno1r0nn oD6 ~
children are instructed in Greek his
tory and they follow the
more closely than our boys at home.
The Greek Common Schoo System.
The Greeks are now spending a
great deal on modern education. Ac-
cording to law all boys between the
ages or five and twelve must attend
school, and there are now primary
moo! secondary schools and col
leges almost everywhere. There are
altogether five or six thousand teach
ers. and the school children are num-
oered by the hundreds of thousands.
mere are private gymnasiums and
commercial schools. normal schools
and agricultural schools. There are
trade schools at Athens and Patras
run by the government, and there is
a university here which has more thar
$500 students.
No Civil Service for Teachers.
One of the political jobs given out
by the government is that of school
teaching. This is not governed by
civil service rules, and a new set OF
INSTRUCTORS is usually brought in with
each change Of government. The
schools of each district are looked
upon as q kind Of a political perquisi,e
OF the ministry and they are farmed
out for votes.
Another objection iiessin the sciaoo]
DOCKS, which are changed every yeaf
or SO, new books being written. There
are annual competitions for the writ
ing Oh school books and the publica-
ton of sue books is SO profitable that
there is talk Of making the business a
state monopoly. the government liking
the price Of each book.