E.—l2.

REPORT UPON STATE EDUCATION.

Introduction. fully passed an examination for teachers before a Board organised by the Government; (c) the instruction given must come up to the proper standard; (tl) the children of the poor are to be received gratuitously ; and (e) the school is subject to Government inspection. 1 The defect, however, seems to be the non-provision for a minority of less than twenty fathers. The effect will probably be that there will be in towns as many undenominational schools as ever, but that in the rural districts, whore the Roman Catholic clergy have greater influence than in many of the towns, there will be great changes," and the peasantry will be relieved from the serious hardship of paying for schools which they do not use. The law, as regards State schools, still remains intact in respect of its secular character, and in respect of the provisions for religious teaching; but the main amendment promotes the support of schools where such religious doctrines and formularies, be they Roman Catholic 3 or otherwise, as the managers of the school think proper, form a portion of the ordinary plan of study. 4 However, until such measures be introduced as provide that consideration be shown towards all, one can scarcely expect to find that the Belgian educational system will be devoid of that friction which would alone prevent the perfecting of details apart from those relating to religious teaching. 0 MAIN FEATURES. The main features of the Belgian system are as follow : — (1.) School age is defined to be from the age of six to that of fourteen, but attendance is not compulsory;" and there is no restriction against the employment of uneducated or young children. 7 Persuasion instead of compulsion is relied upon. 8 (2.) Education is, subject to the important provisions already mentioned, secular, 0 and not gratuitous, except for the needy. 10 (3.) The Government only exercise control over State schools, not over private ones, or scholars receiving private tuition; and the sole exception is that in denominational schools receiving State aid they are subject to the five conditions already mentioned . (4.) There are four classes of public schools for children, and also special schools; some particulars concerning which arc given in the following table : —

Its probable effects.

Defects of Act

School age.

Education secular, and not gratuitous. Private tuition not under Government control.

Different classes

TABULAR STATEMENT CONCERNING BELGIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS (EXCLUSIVE OF NORMAL SCHOOLS).

64

Classes of School. How supported. Usual age of froquenting. Fees payable. Instruction. I (1) Ihfaxt schools" The 3 to 6-7 years. ■ Instruction is Programme generally based on (ecoles gardienncsi (a) Communes (pri- ■ gratuitous to the method of Froebel. ,2 eommunales—jardins marily), ! the poor; in d'enfants.) (6) State and Pro- other classes a vinees, ■ small fee pay(c) Pees. able. j I 1 See loi 20 sept., 1884, art. 9, - Note letter from Mr. Hodgson in Times, 25 Nov., 1884. B The teachers in the Roman Catholic subsidized schools will probably be " Petits Freres" (Christian Brothers). 4 Note similarities to the English voluntary school system; although, of course, there are grave dissimilarities. " In Holland the law of 1857 enacts that while a general religious instruction is to be given in the State schools, instruction on specific points is to be left to the different religious communities themselves." See paper on " Primary Education," read by W. T. liailey, on 18 Dec, 1883, before the Statistical and Social Inquiry Soc, Dublin. E. Ponsonby, Dublin, 1884. 5 >Toie comparison, by M. Couvreur, between Swiss and Belgian results, I.E.C., vol. 18, pp. 323, 326. 6 Note tlio results, see remarks of M. Couvreur, I.E.C., vol. 18, p. 324. See also p. 52 supra, and also note 1 thereon. ' See also E.C., vol. 1, pp. 25, 354, 355, 359, 360. 8 See loi, 1879, arts. 21, 22. Note similarity to American principle. 9 As before noted, in Europe where there is no official religious teaching, it is apparently deemed requisite to teach " Morale." 10 See loi 20 sept., 1884, art. 8. 11 The Communal Councils regulate everything relating to their establishment and organization. See Art. 2 of loi 20 sept., 1884. " See I.E.C., vol. 18, p. ICG. Note also " Creches " institution.