The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11
Miss Maria Arias, Member of Car.
ranza's Commission of Teachers,
Tells of School Systems

0NO It a val pN' "lih W hhNt
been through a revolution, in
! sail twice, spied upon by spe-
sAily appointed agents. trusted by
high Government, officials, bounded,
s.aryed. honored and still to remain
unaffected and filed with enthusiasm
such experiences sound more like
those Of a heroine Of romance than n
twentieth century individual. But
SAs Maria Arias of Mexico has gone
through ali this and more Now she
. visiting the United States as a
member OF the commission sem by
N. Carranza Government to study
the American educational system.
Miss Arias had TO start her adven-
lures very young in order TO pile so
much into her life. She began school
when she was but 3 years old.
81 had very good memory when I
was a baby. but not now" she said.
see, IL has taken me since last Sep
ternber to learn the English. and yet
do not know eet ALL"
In vain I assured her that her 20
csbulary was remarkable, far better
than that of the average American.
What I did not tell her was that her
manner Of speech was delicious-the
soft p%urring Latin voice, the DELHI
crate enunciation, and a peculiar ac-
cent all her " and wholly charm
ins.
asked her to tell me something
about the Mexican school system. II
seems that education is n Of the
foremost considerations of the numer-
Gus Mexican reformers.
Ordinarily the schools Of Mexico
city require n course OF eleven years
two years In the kindergarten. four
years in the elementary school, two
years in the superior school. five years
in the normal school. Also II is pos
sble to receive professional training
a. q doctor, lawyer, engineer. &C. abb
solutely free in the public schools.
In the kindergarten the children are
at school only from Q to 1880 A. NJ
IN the primary schools they open
from 2 4 II with their classes; then
70 home for the important midday
meal and siesta; then they are al
school again from 3 to 5. In the $
perior and normal schools the hours
are from 5 TO ~ and from 3 to 5. In
the lower grades the teachers are al
women. but in the superior and nor
NAL schools men teach the boys. on
Of the plans for the future is coedu'
cation in all grades.
The President Of Mexico appoints
the Secretary Of Education for tn
whole Of Mexico. and the Job Of tn
Secretary IL no sinecure. In the frs
place the Governor of each Stat,
names his own Board Of Education an
ne may name highbrows or highway
men, according to his inclfnations
Then also each Mexican State has it
own peculiar educational needs, due L
difference in customs. often IL
race. A form OF education adaptabl
TO Chihuahua in the north would no
he at all suitable to Chiapas In tn
south. or Yucatan in the east, o
Sonora in the west.
Carranza has. according to Mis-
Arias, chosen a mar exceptionally We
fitted to meet these various educationf
needs. Felix Palavicini is about 3
years old. He has studied in univer
sites Of the United States and Europ
and during the Diaz regime he taugt
handicrafts in the Mexican schools
He had long realized the need OF edu
cation in Mexico, even in the larg
cities. So when Carranza appointe
him he Immediately organized I'll
teachers who had congregated in Yer
Cruz and started a system Of ~travellin
schools.
These teachers went to the variou
States (of course only those undo