Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-15
Students of South American
Institutions Hold Congresses.
CONDITIONS ARE REVEALED
DR.. Brandon Discusses Latin Re-
publics' Educational Advantages.
HAS ENDED LONG TRIP
Panama, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina,
Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela and
Costa RIGA Visited.

After trip of nearly a year through
Suoth America, where he visited many
OF the principal universities and edu-
cational institutions, DIR. Edgar r.. Bran
don has just returned to Washington.
During this trip DR.. Brandon saw many
unique and unusual systems of education
i'm operation. Many of the nations south
of this country have as modern a sys-
TEN of educating their people there is
today.in the United States, while, on the
contrary, some of the smaller republics
are backward But there is d widespread
feeling that seems to take in ali of South
America today, and even the smaller re-
publics that education is the basis of
prosperity in any country in the world.
The work of investigation was under
taken under the direction of the Pan
American Union. 1t was desired to get
firSt-hdnd Information concerning higher
education in the Latin American repub-
lies and with this object in view a rep
reSentativc was sent to make thorough
study of all branches.
Tells of Experiences.
In short talk DIR. Brandon gave an
interesting resume of his experience while
visiting in South America. He intended
primarily to look into the educational
facilities of every Latin American re-
public, but later found he would have
time to cover only Panama, Peru. Bolivia.
Chile. Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Vene-
zuela and Costa Rica.
1T Is strange but nevertheless true,
he said. that nothing has ever been pub
lished in this country regarding higher
education in South America As illustrat-
ing the lack of knowledge on this subject
among many people, | will tell you of an
incident. When l started out on my mis-
sion an apparently well Informed woman
asked me where | was going. i told her
| had years leave of absence. and L
was going to South America TO study the
universities there. She said, Have tn y
got any universities there?
Il first visited Ecuador and Guatemala.
where they have universities. but only In
a small way. In Argentina they have
more than 1000 students in their four
universities. At Buenos Aires alone they
have 5000 students. which is almost as
many as on the rolls of any university In
the United States. Chile has about 1000
students in the State University, with
several hundred more in the Catholic
University. Peru has nearly loco in the
university at Lima. including the three
provincial universities. Even little
country like Uruguay has 1000 students.
Organization Lacking.
In Brazil there are about 5000 persons
tistry and engineering. but a peculiar
fact in connection with this country is hat
it is the only one that does not maintain
a university in the whole of South Amer
lea The schools were never organized
in university FORM They have schools OF
law, schools of medicine, schools, of en-
cheering and many other kinds OF
schools. but. strange to say. they have
no university that comprises all of these
schools
Another striking fact about Latin
America is the great amount or money
the various countries are putting into
higher education of late years Many or
them are putting up fine buildings, in
creasing the salaries Of the teaching staff
and doing many other Things to help
along the educational propaganda. Uru-
quay in the last three or four years has
spent more than two million dollars IN
buildings for schools. AT La Plata, Ar
gentina, the university plant-buiiding.
grounds and laboratory-cost something
ike ten million dollars.
Not Strictly Professors.
''One peculiar feature about South
American Institutions is there are no
professors who are strictly professors
as we understand the term in the United
states. The majority of professors in the
universities throughout South America
are men VINO prdctlce lnelT pFOiesSioHo
at tic same time they teach-lawyers.
doctors. engineers and architects, and
some of the members are made up OF
newspaper men. publishers and editors
These men teach probably only three or
four hours a week. but they come right
i'm from the actual practice of their pro-
fession to do this.
This practice has its advantages and
disadvantages. The disadvantage was
principally m the fact that, not being
teachers by profession. they occasionally
lack proper teaching methods. and they
don't have that intimate relation with
students that teachers do in our univer-
sites and colleges in America
But there is one great advantage.
They are all men of considerable learning
and high regulations in their commune
ties. The best physicians. the best law
yers and even the high state officials all
willingly accept professorships in any of
the colleges.
ninnifu TS Addad