16,014

TABLE 111.-Ratio of School Enrolment to Total Population and to School Population is

Foreign

Countries.

REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE BY THE HON. J. L. BATHBONE, CONSUL

GENERAL.

I.

At the close of the Revolution the state of public instruction in France was extremely bad. The law of April 30, 1803, revived it somewhat and the establishment of the Imperial University in 1808 brought about complete re animation.

The university formed a corps, having complete charge of education throughout the Empire; at the head was a grand master, assisted by a council, all appointed by the Emperor.

The Empire was divided into as many academies as there were imperial courts (27). Each academy was governed by the rector, and controlled absolutely within its jurisdic tion the establishment and conduct of all degrees of instruction.

A director and an academic council were associated with the rector. In addition there were a number of inspectors general to watch over the condition of education throughout the Empire, to verify the capability of the teachers, and to report the progress of the pupils. But with all this, primary education was neglected and schools were established only in the communes sufliciently rich to support them.

Since the establishment of the university changes have been made. There is no longer "whose functions are less autoa grand master, but a "Minister of Public astrnction," cratic. Under the former régime no one could open a school without the permission of the grand master. By the laws of March 15, 1850, and July 12, 1815, any Frenchman of proper age and conforming to the laws may found a school of any grade.

MINISTER OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

But the minister's powers are yet very considerable. It is upon his proposition that the President of the Republic names and revokes the inspector-general, the rectors, the professors of the faculties, and the administrators of public libraries. The minister directly names and revokes the professors of secondary instruction, the inspectors of primary instruction, employés of public libraries, and in general all functionaries of public instruction.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL.

The council is composed of the minister of public instruction (president of the council), three members of the council of state, five members of the institute, members from the army, the navy, the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, and nine lay members; in all, thirty-nine (39) members.

The council prescribes the course of instruction in all public schools, establishes new lycées and communal colleges, and determines what assistance shall be given to private schools. It determines further what books shall be used and what proscribed as being contrary to the constitution, law, and morality, and grants licenses to foreigners to found schools in France; finally, it has judiciary functions, and pronounces in the last resort in cases tending to exclude teachers from their profession.

THE INSPECTORS-GENERAL.

The inspectors are eighteen (18) in number, and their duty is to collect information regarding all questions concerning public instruction in France, and report the same to the minister. Twelve (12) of them, together with certain professors, form a consultation council at which the minister presides.

THE ACADEMIES.

Below the central body come the academies. The rectors superintend the higher and secondary schools, oversee the free schools, and control the primary schools. Each convokes the faculties of the various schools in his department to devise courses of study and transmits these courses to the minister, together with his views upon them. Associated with him are an inspector and an academic council. These academies are not, as the word would imply with us, institutions of learning, but the representatives of the Government in the district.

THE HIGHER NORMAL SCHOOL.

To complete the educational framework, normal schools were established to train teachers for the primary schools, and a higher normal school to prepare teachers for the lycées, communal colleges, and all schools of instruction above the primary grade. The pupils are at the charge of the state. The number of pupils to be admitted each year is determined by the minister, according to the needs of education.

II.

Public instruction is divided into three grades, primary, secondary, and higher. Primary Instruction.-Primary instruction is obligatory, and includes religious instruction, reading, writing, arithmetic. geography, history of finance; and for girls, needle-work. Except in small places, the children of the Protestant and Catholic faiths have separate schools, and the sexes are also separated.

Attendance is compulsory; tuition is free to children whose parents are unable to pay. Every commune must support at least one primary school, or a free school affording the same opportunities, but in cases of thinly populated communes they may, by the consent of the minister, combine to support a school. Budgetary aid is rendered only to communes which are unable to wholly sustain the expenses of their schools. Secondary Instruction.-The schools of this grade correspond very nearly to our high schools. Instruction is given in languages, ancient and modern, mathematics, the elements of natural sciences, history, and literature.

Belonging to this class are all the lycées, communal colleges, and nearly all the institutions known as free schools, i. e., giving free tuition, although not belonging to the state.

By a law passed in 1865, special secondary schools were established where the dead languages are not taught, and special attention is given to fitting pupils for business. Higher Instruction.-Higher instruction is given by what is known in France as the faculties, supplemented by a number of preparatory professional schools. The faculties are those of law, medicine, theology, science, and literature. The preparatory schools are a higher school of pharmacy, schools of medicine, chemistry, and literature.

III.-SPECIAL SCHOOLS.

Besides the public schools system there exists to-day in France quite a number of schools for instruction in special branches of knowledge; some of these, like the School of Telegraphy, are exclusively for Government employés, while others, like the Free School of Political Science, are open to the world.

The Schools of Telegraphy.-Intended to fit employés of the post-office and telegraph system.

This school

The Military School of St. Cyr.-Corresponds to our school at West Point. was established at Fontainebleau by Napoleon I in 1802, but was soon removed to its present site.

The Pyrtanee.-A school for the education of the children of army officers. Schools of Manual Apprenticeship.-These are supplementary to the primary schools and fit the pupils for the farm and the workshop. The instruction is both theoretical and practical. To gain admission to any of the above special schools the applicant must either be born French or naturalized.

Higher Schools of Commercial Studies.-These are devoted exclusively to higher commer cial studies, and designed to fit students to be merchants, bankers, administrators, and directors of manufacturing and commercial companies, etc. Foreigners are admitted. National School of the Industrial Arts at Bourlaix.-The course at this school is practical and theoretical study of the local manufacture of cloth, which is very celebrated. Foreigners are admitted by means of a letter from their ambassador or consul.

The Polytechnic School at Paris.-To fit for military, naval, and hydrographic engineers, for engineers of the military bridge corps, superintendents of state manufactories, telegraph lines, etc., and all other careers demanding extended study in mathematics, phys ics, and chemistry. Foreigners are not admitted.

High School of Mines at Paris.-Extended study of chemistry, physics, electricity, mining engineering, etc. Foreigners are admitted free, but no diplomas are granted to them; only certificates of study.

School of Master Workmen of Mines at Calais.—To fit foremen of miners, managers of mines, etc. To be admitted to this school the applicant must have worked in the mines at least eighteen months. The course of study is both theoretical and practical, six months of each year being spent in the school and six in the mines. The course is for three years. Foreigners are admitted.

Schools of Roads and Bridges.-To form a corps to construct and keep in repair the military and strategic roads and bridges. Foreigners are admitted after a great deal of formality.

Schools of the Fine Arts at Paris, Bourges, Dyon, and Lyons.—Instruction is given in draw. ing, painting, sculpture, engraving on wood, copper, and steel. Foreigners are admitted

to all these schools.

National School of Decorative Art at Paris.-This school is open to foreigners on appli cation to the director through the aid of their ambassador and consul-general and the minister of fine arts.

Agricultural Schools.-At the head of these is the Institute of Agronomy, intended to fit pupils to be teachers in the national schools of agriculture, to be scientific proprietors or managers of farms, and to be capable administrators of public duties where agricult ural and vinicultural interests are involved.

National Schools of Agriculture.—At these schools practical and theoretical instruction is given in agriculture, viniculture, irrigation, dairying, etc., and at Rambouillet is a shepherd school.

School of Horticulture at Versailles.-Gardeners are taught their duties at this school, the course being both theoretical and practical.

School of Forestry at Nancy.-To this school foreigners are admitted through their ambassador. The majority of the pupils are those who expect to enter the government employ as keepers of the national forests.

Veterinary Schools.—There are three of these, at Lyons, Toulouse, and Alfort.

Schools of Arts and Trades.-The central school at Paris is known as the School of Arts and Manufactures. It graduates engineers for all branches of industry and for public works which do not pertain directly. Foreigners are admitted on the same terms as Frenchmen.

The other schools are situated at Aix, Angers, and Châlons. Candidates for admission must be French. These are regarded as by far the most important of all the industrial schools.

They are intended to turn out workmen thoroughly skilled in all mechanical employments. These schools accommodate three hundred pupils each, who must be French. Schools of Watch and Clock Making.-There are two. Foreigners are excluded. There are several schools of lace-making and five schools of weaving. In the latter the course includes the theory and practice of weaving, designing patterns, and weaving them, the study of dyes and their application to the cloths. The school at Lyons has a special course on the manufacture and dyeing of silk stuffs. The others are situated at Nimes, Reims, Amiens, and St. Etienne.

Free School of Political Science.-This school closes the list of special schools. Instruction is given in diplomacy, administrative law, finance, constitutional law and history, political economy, training and knowledge required by government officials in France and by consuls and consular agents, and, in fact, in all branches of government. The budget' of the minister of public instruction shows the following figures for the year 1879 to 1886:

Besides, the primary schools receive annually about twenty million francs from the budget of extraordinary resources. Many of the special schools are not under the ministry of public instruction and so figure in other schools. The ministry of the interior's budget includes the following schools:

! The appropriations from the public treasury are supplemented by communal taxes.
2 The equivalent of a franc is 19.3 cents.