Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/312

* NATIONAL EDUCATION. 270 NATIONAL EDTTCATION. gynmasiuiii, middle schools, higlier schools, tech- nical institutes, and training colleges, are ap- pointed by the Cantonal C'onucil on nomination by the Educational Council and Director qf Ktliieation. J'or local organization and control of education there are ])rovinces, districts, and conununes. Each province has a committee, elected partly by the teachers alone, partly by the rest of the voters. Its function is to visit the schools and supervise their general conduct. 'J'here is a district committee elected by the voters to control the secondary school of the district, and determine the amount to be raised from local taxation for its support. For the pri- mary scliool also there is a district organization, including usually several communes, the voters of which have a general assembly to determine school measures. The communal primary school is controlled by its local board. In Zurich alone of all the Swiss cantons, there are no school in- spectors. In these two cantons, Zurich and Hern, we have illustrated the extremes between M hich the systems of the other cantons fall. In Switzerland, generally, the support of all universities and higher secondary scliools is by cantonal funds, aided occasionally by the cities in which such schools may be situated. The district and communal schools are supported by local taxes with cantonal aid. There exist for such support permanent connnunal funds made up of fees and gifts, and in all Switzerland they amount to over 58,000,000 francs. ^Moreover, twelve cantons have a permanent cantonal fund for Volksschule purposes. This does not, how- ever, by any means provide for the support of the schools. Of the total expenditure on pri- mary education, it is estimated that the local authorities furnish about two-thirds, the rest coming from the cantons; but in Geneva, where the French ideas prevail, the canton furnishes 74 per cent, of such funds. In general, in the wealthier cantons the canton furnishes more and the commune less of the total raised. The can- tonal grants arc made either in proportion to the total expense of the commune, or to its poverty and need for aid, or. as is more commonly the ease, according to both these princijdcs. The cantonal money goes largely as a contribution for teachers' salaries, the school equipment being left mainly to the communes. The canton usually contributes a greater proportion of the amount necessary to support the district second- ary schools than of that for the comnumal pri- mary schools. In the raising of school funds the general legislative bodies of communes and can- tons usiially fix the total amounts, and the dis- triliitiou of expenditures is left in the hands of the school authorities. In some cases, how- ever, as in Zurich, the communal school board can cvy the local school taxes. Of the amount for the support of schools generally, the pri- mary, higher primary, district, and continuation schools get nearly three-fourths: higher second- ary' and technical education receives less. For the organization of Swiss universities, see Uxi- 'EBSITY. OTHER EfBOPEAX SYSTEMS. The systems already described ofTer ex- amples that are typical of the education in other European States. Tn Sweden, elemen- tary' and socondnrv sphool^ are supported by State subsidies and local taxes, Manv schools and universities have in addition to euch sujiport the income from endowments. Con- trol of schools is in the hands of local boards, but the central Government maintains a system of inspection and requires teachers to be graduates of normal schools, Puldic elementary ediu'ation is gratuitous and compulsory between the ages of seven and fourteen. In Austria the ideals and methods of Prussian education pre- vail. The Italian system has the same general features of State subsidies and local and pro- vincial taxes for the support of both elementary and secondary education. The minimum number of schools, the curricula, and the qnalifieationa of teachers are also laid down liy the State. Public elementary education is gratuitous and compulsoiy between the ages of six and nine. The State inspects all public schools, and private schools must receive authorization by the Gov- ernment. In Spain attempts have been made to establish a complete and efficient .system of elementary education. The Government determines pro- grammes and inspects schools, but furnishes little assistance to their support. The nuniicipalities bear most of the burden and the ccim]iuls(iry law is not enforced. For most of the cliildren educa- tion is free. In Russia about one third of the ele- mentary education is carried on by the Church. Xearly all the rest is controlled and supported by the central Government acting tuider the Jlinistry of Public Instruction. The Church also takes part in secondary e<luc.ation. but here the Ministry bears most of the res])onsibility. There are a small number of locally supported schools and foundation schools. I'NITED STATES. In the United States, the control and support of the education of the people have been left prac- tically to the several State governments. The central Government has, however, dealt with the matter in a few cases. The Ordinance of 1787 provided that one section of each township in the Northwest Territory should be designated as school land, and that the proceeds of its sale .should go to the siipport of public schools. After States were organized in this region, the funds derived from these lands were turned over to them for educational purposes. Similar grants of land were made to other new .'^talp'i. imtably in 1S41. in 1840. and in 1S(!0, Up to 1000 aboiit Sfl,000.00n acres had been devoted to tliis purpose, Theso grants were supplemenlcd in IS'ifi liy a gift to the several States of surphis funds in the National Treasury, the sinus thus given being by most of (hem devoted to the support of education. In lSfr2 the Morrill Act set aside additional lands for the maintenance of c(dleges, in which agricultural and mechanical arts and military tactics were to Iw tauyht, and the State univer- sities generally have lieen the recipii-nts of these gifts. The central Government established, in 18117. the Hurean of Fdiication, the main objects of which are the collection of statistics and the preparation of reports. Each of the several States maintains a system of free public schools, including elementary, sec- ondary or high schools, and. in the ease of twenty- nine of them, universities as well. The older States, where great colleges and universities on private foundations have for a long time existed, have not in most cases added such institutions.