Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/897

 RELIGION — INSTRUCTION 845

divided into agglomerated, scattered, and separated [compU* a part) ; the first two constitute the municipal population, and the third consists of garrison, college, prison, and hospital population. Different from this is the distinction between urban and rural population, a commune being urban where the agglomerated population is over 2,000, and rural where under 2,000.)

Religion.

No religion is recognised by the State.

Under the law promulgated on December 9, 1905, the Churches were separated from the State, the adherents of all creeds were authorised to form associations for public worship {associations cultuelles). As transi- tory measures, ecclesiastics over 45 years of age and of over 25 years of service remunerated by the State were entitled to a pension, and all other ecclesiastics were to receive a grant during a period of from four to eight years. All buildings actually used for public worship and as dwellings in that connection were to be made over, after an inventory was taken, to the associations for public worship : the places of worship for the total period of the existence of these associations, the ecclesiastical dwellings for a time.

The law of January 2, 1907, provides (among other things, that, failing associations cultuelles, the buildings for public worship, together with their furniture, will continue at the disj>osition of the ministers of religion and the worshippers for the exercise of their religion ; but, in each case, there is required an administrative act drawn up by the pre'fet as regards buildings belonging to the State or the Departments, and by the viaire as regards buildings belonging ro the Communes. Forms of the documents necessary under the new law have been supplied by the Government.

There are 17 archbishops and 6S bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in France, not including Alsace and Lorraine, Algeria or the colonies, in addition to 51,000 clergy of various grades. The Protestants of the Augsburg Confession are, in their religious affairs, governed by a General Consistory, while the Reformed Church is under a Council of Administration, the seat of which is at Paris. There are about a million Protestants in France.

The Associations law, passed July 1, 1901, requires religious communi- ties to be authorised by the State, and no monastic association can be authorised without a special law in each particular case. Before the passing of that law there were 910 recognised associations, and 753 not recognised ; the establishments, mostly not recognised, numbered 19,514, and their mem- bers 159,628 (30,136 men and 129,492 women). After the passing of the law, of the 753 associations not recognised, 305 dissolved themselves and 448 asked for authorisation, which was refused by the Chambers to the majority of them.

Instruction.

The Minister of Instruction, seconded by the Government educational bureaus and inspectors-general, directs public and controls private schools. The public schools constitute the University of France and are divided into three classes, primary, secondary, and superior. The Superior Council of 52 members has deliberative, administrative, and judiciary functions, and a Consultative Committee advises respecting the working of the school system, but the inspectors-general are in direct com- munication with the Minister. For local educatioual administration France is divided into 17 circumscriptions, called Academies, each of which has an Academic Council whose members comprise a certain number elected by the professors or teachers. The Academic Councils deal with all grades of