The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-04-30
FINNISH NATION
BEST EDUCATED
Second to None in RudimentS OF
Instruction Says Writer

Rev. Francis r. Clark writing in
the Chicago Record Herald ON SUI
frage and Education In Finland made
a number of assertions that are high
~ crcditable 10 the Firms aud their
native country. y few paragra phs
from the article pertaining to the
schools and other educational mat
tcrs. are of particular int,lo,t:
1T may seem an ovcrstrone state
ment that Finland Is the best cdu-
Gated nation in the world, hut ] am
prepared 10 defend the proposition. !
do not mean To- say that classical o.
technical education for the few has
been carried to SO high "A point ms
in Germany. though in this respect
Finland is not deficient but in the
rudmcnts of a sound education she
is unsurpassed. 1t is scarcely an cX-
aggcration to say that every man and
woman and every child of school age
in Finland knows the three RS read
in ritn' and 'rithmctic,' and can pur-
sue his education as much further as
his time and inclination allow.
Think OF the black belts of IL
literacy on our own American south
land OF the crackers who have never
ricd To learn their letters or the
hurdcs of newcomers Ia our shores
'who could never get in of the read
I ,ng test were applied to them, Not
/ that | approve of this test for it
would bar out many an honest fell
low. who, through lack Of his own,
: is AN alphabctst,' as they call the
! illitcratcs over here i'm Finland. | aC-
| knowledge that America has a far
/ dinorcnt educational problem to deal
with than compact hpmugcucuus FIN
land, but IL nevertheless remains tru"
; that from the standpoint of clrmcp-
tary education Finland stands at the
head of the class in the school OF
, the nations
Most exemplary and CommcndabIe
care is taken to provide for the ply
steal as well as the intellectual health
( Of the children. I have not visited
many of the schools myself, and am
! indebted to Ernest Young, who has
( written interestingly about Finland
: for some of the following facts:
! In the folk schools. which cores
| pond to our public primary aud gram
/ mar schools, manual work and gym
nastics are required as rigidl$ az
study hours and recitations
/ "Thc general architectural council
, Of, Finland draws the plans FOR. IN.
| school houses. There plans provide
! for such minute affairs as the decora-
5 tiuns of the rooms. In rooms facing
bthe north which viii receive LITTLE
.runirht, especially in the long winter
,tlNs, warm reds, yclIows aud greens
arc tho prevailing tints, willie in thu
warmer rooms that face. The south
. COLDER tones are used. ,---
Round Cornered Rooms.
! There are no square corners foi
the accumulation Of dust. The boy,
aud urls have separate drcssine
rooms. aud the newer buildings are
provided with shower baths. over
oats are hung up in the cloak rooms
or corridors, ana there is not only q
separate place FOR each class. but
! little closet for each pupil Each OF
! iEese is provided with peg. shcl'
Tor caps and bags stand for tho
umbrella and a pigconholc for the in
d!spcnsable goloshcs European fo'
iubbers). Accommodations for snow
! shoes. sledscs. skis ANA bicycles arr
also provided.
Every folk school in the couutrI
must have "A playground and enough
free land connected with it To furnish