086543575

The Public Instruction.

In Denmark a distinction is made between the Staten and the Municipal-schools. Private schools are found, b u t tlieir numbers are insig­ nificant. The education is compulsory from the 7th to the 14th year, and with the exception of the private schools, all schooling is free for the poor. This means, th a t the expenses of the public in ­ struction are paid p artly by the State and partly by the communities. The country ta ­ kes a pride in providing the very best, and most modern rooms for education and thinks, th a t the future will pay hack manifold the big expenses for this purpose. Especially in Copenhagen the municipal schools during the last years have been high­ ly improved with regard to all kinds of equipment, besi­ des th a t regular exam inations by physicians and dentists have been introduced, bathes and kitchens added to the schools and, of eousse, gymna­ siums and sportings grounds. Finally may he mentioned, th a t the public schools have laboratories and zoological collections, thus doing every­ thing possible to reach the ideal, th a t the poorest mans son may get the same good education as the millionaires.

A Danish specialty of the greatest importance to the modern young people and thereby to the culture of the future generations of the country are the »Peoples High Schools«. The first of these schools was founded already in 1844 by the noted liberal Danish church-historian, the bishop N. F. K. Grundtvig. This school was quickly followed by a number of others all over the country. The idea w ith these schools is to spread knowledge among the young country-people of such sub­ jects, which may be conside­ red of importance to the thriving and future of the country, of the understan­ ding and deepening of the national character and to teach the pupils to express themselves easily and clearly. Young men as well as women frequent these schools in courses, lasting from 3 to 6 months, in which time they are boarding at the high- school. Among the highschools especially worth visiting for tourists we mention Humps Iligliscliool, 24 Frederiks- holms Kanal, Copenhagen, the Iligliscliool in Aslcov and the Ollerup Highschool on Funen, where the world-known prin-

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