BELGIUM.

[Constitutional monarchy, (kingdom :) Area, 11,313 square miles; population, 5,021,336. Capital, Brussels; population, 314,077. Minister of public instruction, the minister of the interior, Ch. Delcour.]

COMPOSITION OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR.

The ministry of the interior is composed of several bureaus, viz: The bureau of accounts and pensions; of communal and provincial affairs; of militia and general statistics; of public instruction; of sciences, literature, and fine arts; and of agriculture and industry.

The bureau of public instruction has 1 director, 1 honorary director, 2 chiefs of division, 2 chiefs of bureau, and 4 clerks. Among the chiefs of bureau there is M. Léon Lebon, author of a number of well-known. works on educational subjects. There are 4 inspectors of instruction, viz: 3 of intermediate instruction and 1 of primary normal schools. M. A. von Hasselt, a poet and author, who died December 1, 1874, filled the latter position.

PRIMARY INSTRUCTION.

The basis of the present system of primary instruction is the law of September 23, 1842.

The inspection of primary schools, as regards instruction and administration, is in the hands of the communal authorities and of inspectors and, as regards religion and morals, in the hands of men appointed by the heads of the different denominations.

There is in every province a provincial inspector of primary instruction appointed by the King. He inspects at least once a year all the schools of the province. He communicates with the cantonal inspectors, who are subordinate to him.

The provinces are divided into districts, each composed of one or more cantons, each having its inspector, who is appointed for three years by the government on the recommendation of the provincial government. The cantonal inspector communicates with the communal administration, visits the schools of his districts at least twice a year, and keeps a diary of his inspections, which must at any time be open to the provincial inspector. The cantonal inspector holds at least once a quarter a conference of all the teachers of his district, where educational methods, text-books, &c., are discussed. Once a year these conferences are presided over by the provincial inspector.

The provincial inspectors assemble once a year under the presidency of the minister of the interior. This assembly is called the central com

mittee of instruction. Each inspector presents the report of his province, and the assembly discusses new text-books, methods, &c.

Every year a competition is opened in each province between the pupils of the highest class of the primary schools. The number of competitors is at the rate of 1 to 5 pupils, half of them being designated by the teacher and half by casting lot. The examining jury is presided over by the provincial inspector. Stipends of 200 francs each are granted to those pupils who pass the examination satisfactorily, to enable them to pursue their studies in a normal school.

The law provides that every commune must support at least one primary school, where gratuitous instruction to all those children belonging to the commune whose parents cannot afford to pay anything, is given in religion, reading, writing, elements of French, Flemish, or German language, (according to the different localities,) arithmetic, and legal system of weights and measures. The communal council appoints the teacher and has the right to suspend him for three months, during which time the government decides whether the suspension is to be definite or not. The school-age is between 7 and 14.

Schools for adults.-By the law of September 1, 1866, modified by later laws, the communal councils are obliged to establish special schools for adults. These schools are to be kept in the primary-school-house and by the primary-school-teacher, and are subject to the same inspection as the primary schools. All schools for adults must have two divisions, viz, an elementary and a superior one. Instruction is to be given free of charge in the elementary division in reading; writing; arithmetic; legal system of weights and measures; elements of French, Flemish, or German, (according to the localities;) and in the superior division in French, Flemish, or German; arithmetic; drawing; elements. of geography and history, especially of Belgium; the constitution of Belgium; and hygiene. For females, the knowledge of needle-work is substituted in place of the constitution.

Normal schools.-By royal decrees of April 10 and November 20, 1843, two State normal schools have been established, one at Lierre for the Flemish portion of the population, and one at Nivelles for the Walloon portion. By later laws normal sections have been established in connection with a number of primary schools, and by a law of October 25, 1855, the establishment of normal schools for female teachers by private or religious corporations has been sanctioned. Besides these, there are also private normal schools for male teachers.

The course of instruction in the State normal schools occupies three years and embraces the following subjects: Religion and morals; sacred history and church-history; reading; writing; book-keeping; French, Flemish, or German grammar; geography, especially of Belgium; history, especially of Belgium; arithmetic, with special regard to commercial transactions; legal system of weights and measures; elements of algebra and geometry; elements of natural sciences as applied to every

day life; horticulture; theory of education; methods of instruction; schoolhygiene; the constitution of Belgium; drawing; vocal music; and gymnastics. Each school has a director and a number of professors, who are appointed by the King. The students live and board in the school, for which they pay a certain amount fixed by special regulations. Examinations are held at the end of every half-yearly term, and a final examination at the end of the whole course, when students who pass it satisfactorily receive a certificate. The normal sections at present differ but little from the normal schools except in name. The course of instruction in the normal schools for females also takes up three years and embraces all the subjects taught in the normal schools for males, adding to it instruction in needlework, &c.

STATISTICS OF PRIMARY INSTRUCTION.

The number of primary schools in 1869 (the most recent statistics) is 5,641, (being an average of 1.12 schools to every 1,000 inhabitants,) with 10,576 teachers and 593,379 pupils, (being an average of 11.7 pupils to every 100 inhabitants.)

The number of schools for adults is 2,620, (an average of 4.8 schools to every 10,000 inhabitants,) with 217,168 pupils, (an average of 43.2 to every 1,000 inhabitants.)

The number of infant-schools (maintained by the communes and by private aid) is 609, with 60,570 pupils.

The number of normal schools for primary instruction is 37, viz: 14 for male teachers and 23 for female teachers, (2 State normal schools, 5 normal sections, 7 private normal schools for males and 23 private normal schools for females,) with a total of 1,896 students, viz, 1,192 males and 704 females.

The total expenditure for primary instruction during 1869 was 8,002,043.07 francs, ($1,600,408,) distributed in the following manner: central government, 3,327,912.97 francs; provincial governments, 318,268.90 francs; communes, 2,934,185.20 francs; school-fees by scholars able to pay them, 935,750.54 francs; private munificence, 358,387.73 francs; balance from last year, 217,537.73 francs.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS UNDER THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE.

Besides the primary schools enumerated above there are a number of such schools under the ministry of justice, viz: prison-schools, hospitalschools, and almshouse-schools. The number of these schools in 1869 was 6,564, viz, 3,713 for boys and 2,851 for girls.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS UNDER THE MINISTRY OF WAR.

Every regiment of the Belgian army has its school, where illiterates can learn at least reading, writing, and arithmetic. During the year 1870, 2,541 soldiers attended these schools, of whom 306 were entirely

illiterate, while 2,235 had a knowledge of reading, writing, and arith. metic. Besides these schools for adults, there are in the larger garrisons primary schools for the children of soldiers. The school-age in these establishments is between 12 and 14 and the condition of admission is a knowledge of reading and writing. In 1870, these schools were attended by 241 scholars.

STATISTICS OF ILLITERACY.

The number of young men of the age of 21 presenting themselves for military service in 1871 was 44,696. Of this number, 10,027 could neither read nor write, 2,319 could only read, 15,823 read and write, 15,716 had a better education, and of 811 the degree of education was not ascertained; 70.56 per cent. therefore could at least read and write and 5.19 per cent. could only read.

INTERMEDIATE INSTRUCTION.

The basis of intermediate instruction is the organic law of June 1, 1850, modified by succeeding laws.

The intermediate schools are either government-schools, those of a higher grade being called royal atheneums and those of a lower grade, intermediate schools, (écoles moyennes.) The provincial or communal intermediate schools of the higher grade are called colleges (colléges) and those of the lower grade intermediate schools. They are either provincial or communal establishments aided by the state, or establishments supported entirely by the provinces or communes, or private institutions aided by the communes.

The administration of the royal atheneums and of the royal intermediate schools is entirely in the hands of the government. The provincial or communal establishments, aided by the state, must conform to the following conditions: The school must adopt the course of studies prescribed by the government; the text-books used, the internal regulations, the distribution of the course of studies, and the financial status must be approved of by the government; otherwise the administration is left to the provincial, communal, or private authorities.

The highest authority for all intermediate schools is the council of improvement of intermediate instruction, (conseil de perfectionnement de l'instruction moyenne.) This council is composed of ten members, prominent educators and men of science, appointed by the minister of the interior and presided over by him. The council has to give advice as regards the course of studies, has to examine the text-books, gives instructions to the inspectors, and discusses all matters of interest pertaining to the intermediate schools.

The directors of all intermediate schools, private or government, must have a certificate of professor of intermediate instruction and the teachers must have a certificate of having attended a university. Every

three years a report on intermediate schools is presented to the Belgian parliament.

There are three inspectors of intermediate instruction, viz: One inspector-general, one for mathematical and natural sciences, and one for the "humanities," languages, literature, history, &c. The atheneums are inspected at least once a year by each of the three inspectors and all the other intermediate schools at least once a year by one of them. Courses of instruction.-The course of instruction in the atheneums is divided in two sections, viz, the section of the humanities and the section of professional studies. The former comprises: Religion; laws of rhetorics and poetry; Greek, Latin, French, Flemish, or German; elementary mathematics; arithmetic; algebra, as far as equations of the second degree; geometry; trigonometry; natural philosophy; universal history; Belgian history; ancient and modern geography; geography of Belgium; constitution and administration of Belgium; special study of modern languages, such as German and English; drawing and calligraphy; vocal music; and gymnastics. This section has seven classes, each of one year's duration, and the number of hours per week varies between twenty and thirty.

The section of professional studies comprises: Religion; rhetoric; French, Flemish, German, and English; elementary mathematics, analytical geometry, descriptive geometry, spherical trigonometry, all with their application to the arts, industry, and commerce; elements of nat ural philosophy, mechanics, chemistry, natural history, and astronomy; book-keeping; elements of commercial law and political economy; history and geography, especially of Belgium; drawing; calligraphy; vocal music; and gymnastics. This section has one preparatory class and two subdivisions, viz, the lower one, comprising three classes of one year each, and the higher, comprising four classes of one year each. The number of hours per week varies between twenty-eight and thirty-four. The course of studies in the intermediate schools usually opens in the beginning of October and closes during the second week in August.

NORMAL SCHOOLS FOR INTERMEDIATE INSTRUCTION.

There are four normal schools for intermediate instruction, viz, two normal courses-one normal school of humanities and one normal school of sciences. The course of instruction in the normal courses lasts two years and embraces the following subjects: First year. French; Flemish; geography and history, especially those of Belgium; arithmetic, and its application to business; algebra, as far as equations of the second degree; plane geometry; book-keeping; commercial law; elements of natural philosophy; drawing, especially linear drawing; calligraphy. Second year. Pedagogics and methodics; French; Flemish; algebra continued; trigonometry; surveying; elements of mechanics and chemistry; natural history.