Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/744

 692 BELGIUM

Attached to the universities were various special technical schools, with 3,034 students in 1919-20. There were also 6 commercial high schools ; the Royal Academy of Fine Arts at Antwerp, a polytechnic at Mons, a state agricultural institute at Gembloux, and a state veterinary school at Cureghem, schools ot design, and four royal conservatoires at Brussels, Liege, Ghent, and Antwerp. Public schools, (Dec. 31) 1920: — 23 Royal Athenaeums and colleges, with 7,962 pupils; 1 provincial college, with 328 pupils ; 4 municipal colleges, with 1,364 pupils ; 8 private colleges, with 1,462 pupils. The next grades of schools are the middle-class schools, of which there were 97 with 25,903 male pupils, and 48 with 13,638 female pupils. For elementary education there were 7,959 primary schools, with 960,819 pupils; 3,366 infant schools with 205,418 pupils; and 4,193 adult schools with 174,044 pupils. Of normal schools there are 24 for training secondary teachers and 75 for training elementary teachers.

There are many private or free schools — iniant, primary, and adult schools mostly under ecclesiastical care. No statistics are available for these. They are all subject to inspection by the State.

Each commune must have at least one primary school. The cost of primary instruction devolves on the communes, with subsidies from the State and provinces.

The proportion ot the population (deduction made of children of less than 8 years), who could not read or write at the census of 1910 was 13 "1 per cent. ; in 1900 was 19"1 per cent. ; in 1890, 25 - percent. ; in 1880, 3026 percent. In 1913, of the 67,396 young men called out for military service, 4,207, or 9'24 per cent., could neither read nor write ; in 1900 the corresponding percentage was 10"10 ; and in 1890, 15"92.

Justice and Grime.

Judges are appointed for life. Thore is one Court of Cassation, three Courts of Appeal, and Assize Courts for criminal cases. There are 26 judicial districts, each with a Court of first instance. In each of the 227 cantons is a justice and judge of the peace. There are, besides, various special tribunals. There is trial by jury.

Pauperism.

Apart from privato charity, the poor are assisted by the communes through the agency of the Imrtaux de bienfaimvcc whose duty it is to provide outdoor relief, and by the governing bodies of the hospices civih. Provisions of a national character have been made for looking after war orphans anil men disabled in the war. Certain other establishments, either State or provincial, provide for the needs of deaf-mutes and the blind, and of children who are placed under the control of the courts. Provision is also made for repressing begging and providing shelter for the homeless.

Finance.

Budget estimates for 3 years : —

1910 I 1!>20 1921

Francs I'lancn Krancs

Revenue. . . ! 806,845,000 1,819,118,000 * 3,119,227, 822

Kxpenditure. . 1,105,400,89ft | 2,703,096,000 3,780,638,000