E.—l2.

REPORT UPON STATE EDUCATION.

Secondary and Higher Schools. (1.) Substantial public money aid is givenl by grants and in scholarships (" bourses "), which latter are provided for Colleges, Lyceums, and Faculties, as well as for superior primary schools, and the aid is contributed respectively by the State, the departments, and the communes, and is very munificent j (2.) Instruction is not gratuitous, but the fees payable by scholars, as regulated by public officers, are very much less than in similar establishments in England or the Colony, owing not only to the grants, but to the low salaries paid to professors and teachers of all grades in France; (3.) The admission of young children into the lower divisions of both the communal Colleges and Lyceums, for special elementary preparation; and (4.) Modern languages and science have been largely substituted in the secondary schools for Latin and Greek. 2 TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. 3 The subjects of technical instruction and half-time scholars can be amply studied in the voluminous reports of the Commissioners, 4 and the other publications forwarded herewith.

espec. p. 386, and see pp. 395 and 403, and vol. 16, pp. 346-348, "Enseignement Secondaire des Jeunes Filles, Programmes. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1882;" and "Documents relatifs a l'Enseignemont Secondairo des Jeunes Filles Etablisscments Ecole Normals. Paris : Delalain, octobre, 1881." (e) " Dons et Legs en faveur des Facultes et Ecoles d'Enseignement Superieur, Rapport au President, et Decrets, 25 juillet, 1885." (/) " Circulaire relative a l'execution du decret du 28 decembre, 1885, sur Porganization des Facultes et des Ecolcs l'Enscignement Superieur; Rapport au President, and Decret, 28. deeembre, 1885, and interesting annexes. Paris: Imprimerie Nationalo, Janvier, 1886." (g) " Statistique de l'Enseignement Secondaire en 1876 (p. 470). Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1878," recently (Nov. 1886) received by me from the Minister of Public Instruction, and, therefore, I presume the latest statistics on the subject officially published. (7i) R.C. rep., vol. 3, pp. 190 and 191; and (i) M.C.E. See also— (a) B.E. rep., espec. pp. 175, 176, 426-442; and (6) " A French Eton, or Middle-class Education and the State," and " Schools and Universities on the Continent," both by M. Arnold. Be Higher Education see— (a) M. Dumont, and discussion, 1.E.C., vol. 15., pp. 129--19 1; and seo also pp. 259, 395, and 403 ; (b) " On the Faculties of Theology in the University of France," paper by Prof. D. Bonet-Maury, and discussion, 1.E.G., vol. 15, pp. 44-58, and address, p. 201 ; (c) " On the Paris Free School of Political Science," paper by M. Emile Boutmy, of the Instituto of France, 1.E.C., vol. 15, pp. 409-414; (d) Lordßeay'saddress,l.E.C.,vol.l3,pp, 11 and 13; and (e) " Schools and Universities," as above. On " Higher Education of Women," see paper by Mrs. Byers, Principal of Ladies' College, Belfast, Transactions Nat. Soc. Sc. Assoc, Dublin, 1881, p. 415, and subsequent discussion ; and articles and letters by and on Mrs. Lynn Linton and Mrs. Fawcett in P. M. Budget, espec. 21 and 28 Oct., 1880, and infra, p. 212. " The so-called University of France, if we admit that it is a University, is the largest in the world. It consists of a central examining and degree-con-ferring Board, located at Paris, with affiliated academies and faculties in every department of the Republic, and comprises 421 instructors and 14,572 students. If, however, we take the word in its more usually accepted sense, the University of Berlin is the largest. According to tho latest statistics it comprises 264 professors and teachers, and 4,154 students, divided as follows: theology, 503 ; jurisprudence, 964 ; medicine, 924 ; philosophy, 1,763. 1 See also R.C. Ist rep., pp. 9-12, and Amer. Commr. Rep., 1885, p. ccvi. 2 On " The Battle of the Ancients and the Moderns," "La Question du Latin," par Raoul Frary (Paris,

Leopold Cerf), already run through three editions, as relating especially to classical education in France, should not be overlooked. " Secondary education in England has not yet heen organized ; in Prance it is just being reorganized. The following is the revised time table for secondary schools in Prance which the Education Commission has drawn up. The figures represent the hours of " class work " to bo devoted to the several subjects per week: — "Su i!§ [ 3 S \ 3 tso j£ >* \r* fH i» |M r s iis j g g French .. ..7754442 Philosopliy .. 4 Modern Languages ..7554333 History and Geography 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 Mathematics ..3344466 Jurisprudence and Political Economy 1 1 1 Physics and Chemistry .... 2 4 4 4 4 Natural History .... 2 1 .. .. 1 1 Book-keeping 1 1 20 20 20 20 19 21 23" Further on classical education see "Journal of Ed.," June, 1886, p. 234. 3 An International Conference of Technical, Commercial, and Industrial Education was organized by the Socicte Philomathique of Bordeaux, and took place at Bordeaux during the month of September last (188G), under the patronage of the Ministers of Commerce and of Public Instruction. For details see " Journal of Ed.," 1 Oct., 1886. Note especially that an unanimous resolution was passed " That it is desirable that manual labour in primary schools of all grades, already established by French law, should be imposed by the Legislatures of other countries." « Seefa) First rep., espec. pp. 8-11, 14, 17-26, and 28-30; (b) Vol. 1, espec. pp. 18, 28-39, 48-50, 70-81, 84, 103, 107, 114, 115, 121-124, 166-169, 176-185, 219, 280--231, and 509-511; and (c) Vol. 3, rep. on Agriculture, pp. 94-161. See also for instance espec.— (o) " Instruction Speciale sur L'Enseignoment du Travail Manuel dans les ecoles Normales d'lnstituteurs et les Ecoles Primaires, Elemontaires, et Superieures. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1886;" (b) 1.E.C., "Technical Teaching," vol. 14, for instance pp. 6-8, 11, and 567-570 ; (c) R.E. rep., espec. pp. iv.-vi.,94,169-180, 42G andsej., bearing in mind alteration in laws since ; and (d) " Loi sur les ecoles manuelles d'apprentissage 11 dec. 1880," &c. For notice of first attempt to establish a National School of Agriculture in France, see Sir P. J. Keenan's address, p. 42.

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