The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-14
coNsUns AS HDu ucA11oN An NEWS
EXPORTERS

5 That many of our diplomatic and consular Representatives abroad are rendering a very real service in ob- tainfng info1 mation bn foreign educa- tional movements is the belief of the 15. s. Bureau of Education The Bur .rsas1 acknowledges that 1t counts on the diplonnstics and consular service for a. consid derabIe part of the matter son foreign schools it publishes every year for the sake of of American school men who can not go abroad. but who need to. know what other countries are doing educan onally. By special arrangement with the Depart rnent of State the Bureau of Educa- ton receives all reports forwarded by consu1s or ether diplomatic agents on educational subjects.
 Many of these reports supplement admirably the official documents oo- tainable. Recently Ambassador Joseph D. Willard furnished the Bureau with g. statement of educational conditions in Spains which contained interesting references to the character of univer- stty instruction, especially in nedi- cine. The report shows not. only a. dis crtruinating knowledge of educational requiren ents generally, but special Eknowledge Of educational conditions in Spain.
 Some of the most useful material in the field of vocational education has been furnished through consular ad- V1CeS- Bulletin D b, 1S10s or the Bu- ra.au of Education contain ed state gnents on industrial education by cons suls at Erfurt, Nuremberg, Frank fort and Cologne The article by Ralph c. Busser, consul at Erfurt, on The System of Industrial SchooIing in Germany" is considered one of the best summaries of the subject ever published, and has proven particularly useful to American school authorities considering the establishment of sys- tems of industrial education. The other articles in this bulletin are spe- cials reports on schools for builders, courses for 'naster-craftsmen the Trade Institute at Cologne, and schools for fruit growing.
 ConsuIs in England and Scotland are sending special information on the so- ciaI welfare work that is now a prom kinent feature of school activity in those countries Much of this material is so new 1t has scarcely begun to find it's way into printed reports Some of the consuls specialize in educational subjects in which they are most ira- terested Thus, at Stavanger, Nor way, the U. S. Consulate is especially keen on furnishing information about the school extension work that is one of the characteristics of education in Scandinavian countries.
 In Central and South America Uni ted States consuls keep the Bureau informed of changes in educational policy as indicated in presidential mes sages, deere ees, etc. Much of this in formation throws light on current American problems
 It has often been urged in the past that each consulate have an '.educa- tionaI attache'' to report on education- al matters. but in the opinion of Blu reau of Education officials the consuls themselves and their subordinates are fully qualified to keep the United States informed on important educa- tfonai work abroad. Representatives of the Bureau of Education who have recently gone to Germany, Switzer- land, Denmark, and the British Isles report that they found not only the courteous helpfulness that would be expected in agents of our government.