be admitted, the bequest would either never have taken effect at all, or some interpreter of his will, as ingenious as Dr. Lieber, would have proved that children of colour were nothing more than white children somewhat carelessly designated. M. Girard might, however, have founded two schools, one for whites and one for coloured children; but even in this case, we doubt if the school for coloured children would have succeeded. The coloured people themselves are not competent to direct an institution of this kind; and the whites, we believe, with the exception perhaps of some of the religious sects, would not undertake the direction of a college founded for coloured children. It does not, therefore, necessarily follow that M. Girard's views in limiting his bequest, as above described, must be considered as narrow and illiberal. It is quite as likely that he saw the impossibility of founding a college on more comprehensive terms. The political evil of the broad line of separation between the white and coloured people in the free states of the Union, is not denied by the more intelligent and reflecting among the whites; and the evil is the greater, as there is no probability that the distinction of colours will be soon effaced.

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN SWEDEN.*

THE establishments for public education in Sweden may be divided into four principal classes: 1st, schools for the common people (Folk-Skolor); 2nd, elementary schools; 3rd, the universities; and 4th, schools or learned institutions of practical application.

Before we enter upon a more particular description of the schools in Sweden, it is necessary to make some general remarks on the condition of the establishments for public instruction in this country.

Gustav Vasa reformed (1527) the catholic religion, and diffused the protestant or Lutheran doctrine over the whole country. His reform was so deep and so well adapted to the wants and to the character of the people, that very little change or progress has been made in this way since his time.

The university of Upsala existed before the time of Gustav, as well as different cathedral schools established at the residences of the bishops; but the only object of the instruction in these institutions, was to form civil functionaries and clergymen, and so it has for the most part continued to the present age.

*This communication is from Colonel Carl Forsell, of Stockholm. APRIL-JULY, 1835.

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Great attention was paid in former times to public instruction, and Sweden is much indebted for her past time of glory to the exertions in favour of learning of Gustav Vasa, from 1527 to 1560; Charles IX., from 1597 to 1610; and Gustav Adolf, from 1610 to 1632. John III. enacted in 1574, that every nobleman, who was not a well instructed man, should lose his privilege of nobility. Charles XI, enacted in 1684, that every one of his subjects should be able to read, that the curate should examine him in religion before he was admitted to the holy sacrament, and that nobody should be married who had not been confirmed.

Both these regulations or enactments seem to be the true reason why the Swedish nobility gained so high a consideration in the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as why the Swedish peasantry has been hitherto regarded as the most religious and the best instructed working class in Europe.* In recent times, however, other nations have far surpassed us, a fact which shows, more than any thing else, that nothing stands still in society, and that it requires as much labour to maintain an honourable place in the rank of nations as to gain it.

Many interesting inquiries into the state of the public establishments for education have been made under the reign of our present king, and as a result of these inquiries, an elementary school has been established in Stockholm, to determine, 1st, the best methods; 2nd, to what extent the different branches of science are to be taught; and 3rd, the time necessary to acquire them.

The definitive object of this school has, however, not yet been attained. Of late public education, and particularly that of the peasants, has been very much discussed. In the present diet, a number of motions have been made with the view of ameliorating, or rather extending and facilitating the means for the lower classes obtaining instruction. Schools are founded or growing up every where. As to what course of instruction ought to be prescribed for the schools of the common people, the committee for the revision of public education, formed by an order of the king in 1825, have given the following as their general opinions.

1.—SCHOOLS FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE (Folk-Skolor).

In every community, where circumstances allow, there ought to be established regular parish-schools, where youth may be instructed in reading, religion, and the history of the Bible, church-singing, arithmetic, writing, and gymnastic exercises,

*There is not one in a thousand who does not know how to read in Sweden.

together with swimming. Reading ought always to be united with the history of the native country, and the elements of geography, as well as with a short account of the constitution of Sweden and Norway, their situation and productions. A library stored with useful books of a popular character, as is the case in various country-schools, might afford inestimable advantages for a more general diffusion of useful knowledge among the poorer classes of people. To writing are sometimes added lessons on the general principles and character of the native language.

Elementary drawing (linear-teckning), which constitutes a branch of instruction in certain lower schools of Sweden, should certainly be a part of the education of all orders. It is commonly confined to the slate, and consists, as is well known, in teaching to draw straight and curved lines, making regular figures, and, finally, in drawing various real objects. Symmetrical figures, or compositions expressing merely symmetry, such as architectural ornaments, patterns of vessels, furniture, &c., need only be drawn on slates during the lesson, and may afterwards be copied at home into books, with lead pencil. There is little doubt that those who after leaving school enter into trades, may derive the greatest advantage from these drawing lessons, which develope and cultivate a taste for beauty and symmetry of form. Such practice will undoubtedly soon have a beneficial effect on all the great branches of national industry, where the taste of the workman is called into action.

With the exception of those parishes which have their own school-fund arising from the interest of certain sums designed for the purposes in question, and vested in land, or arising from certain taxes paid by the inhabitants, the common revenue of a teacher in a parish-school, consists of voluntary contributions paid by the parishioners, and other accidental remunerations. The teachers are in general appointed by the bishop of the diocese.

No particular method of teaching is prescribed in these schools, but a wish is expressed that the mutual instruction, (Lancaster method) may be more generally employed, and for this reason a normal-school is established in the capital, with a seminary for the instruction of teachers in this branch of education.* Other establishments of this kind, which are not placed under the direction of the parishes, such as schools

* The number of children in this school is about 240. Last year 23 teachers were examined. Teachers can obtain testimonials as to their ability in other Lancaster-schools, besides the normal-school in Stockholm. The expenses of the normal-school last year, lodgings not included, amounted to 2,200 dollars banko, or £180 sterling.

founded within a mining district, iron-work, or other manufactory, are obliged to follow the regulations of the consistory

or curate.

Besides the stationary or fixed country-schools, there are also, in some districts, ambulatory school-masters, who proceed from one district to another, and remain a certain time in every station, in order to instruct the children of the neighbourhood in the elements of learning. None can be appointed to this charge without being previously approved by the curate of the parish.

The obligation of teaching the children to read in books, to know the catechism and the history of the Bible, has, from the remotest time, been imposed on the children's parents; but in proportion as civilization has advanced, and instruction has been extended to arithmetic, writing, geography, and history, the duty of teaching must be transferred to particular teachers. This is the history of all schools.

It is not known how many parish-schools we have in Sweden, but to judge from the printed accounts of the Consistory in Wexiö, it seems that more than half of all the parishes are without them. It is, for example, stated, that in the government of Wexio, with 86 parishes, no more than 29 have either fixed or ambulatory schools. In the government of Iönköping, with 130 parishes, there are schools in no more than 25. In the government of Carlstad with 85 parishes, there are 40 schools, &c.*

2.-ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

According to an order of the Government of the 16th Dec. 1820, the schools in question are divided into two different classes, viz. 1st, learned schools (Lärdoms-Skolor), and 2nd, real schools (Apologist-Skolor.)

In the following remarks on the organization of these establishments, we shall endeavour to exhibit a sketch of their actual condition. Consequently it is necessary to explain their object and operation, as well as the subjects which are taught there.

In the elementary schools, two systems may be distinguished, namely, one for the literature of the classical languages, united with that of the modern, and the other for the last-mentioned languages, apart from classical learning. But the real sciences are uniformly taught in both systems. In the former system, the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, as well as the three modern lan

*The number of schools in Sweden conducted on the principle of mutual instruction, or as they are by us called Lancaster-schools, amounted last year to 323 with 19,682 children.

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State of Education in Sweden..*

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guages are learned: a dispensation is however allowed from one or two of the last-mentioned. In the latter system, the French, English, and German languages, are taught, so that one of them may be mastered to the ability of speaking and reading it, but the other two must be well understood. A dispensation from any of them may indeed be obtained; all dispensations however from learning any foreign language, are given on the strictest condition, that the same time must be employed on a more complete study of another language. No dispensation is allowed for any subject belonging to the real sciences.

The subjects taught in the elementary schools are as follows: (a.) real sciences; 1st, religion, ecclesiastical history, and theology; 2nd, geography, history, and politics; 3rd, geometry; 4th, elements of physics, chemistry, and natural history: (b.) languages; 5th, the Swedish language, its history, and literature; 6th, Latin; 7th, Greek; 8th, Hebrew; 9th, French; 10th, German; and 11th, English: (c.) arts; 12th, calligraphy; 13th, drawing; 14th, gymnastic exercises; 15th, singing church hymns with music; and (d.) all of which have reference to education in general: 16th, philosophy, elements of anthropology, or psychology, and logic, together with universal grammar, and the history of human civilization.

The principal methods of instruction employed, and on which opinions have been considerably varying, are three, viz. (a.) the instruction given by every teacher within his own class, (Klass-Läsning); (b.) the ambulatory instruction, (den ambulatoriska), and (c.) the instruction of matters, (ÄmnesLäsning.) The first-mentioned is the method of late employed in the Swedish schools, by which all subjects taught are treated and communicated by the same teacher, whose care and activity are confined to his own class. According to this method the scholar can be transferred from a lower to a higher class only once a year, and he must be equally advanced in all the subjects taught in the class, and those only can be transferred, who have mastered the subjects during the stated term. Before the expiration of this term no transfer takes place, though a pupil may, by the progress he has made, sooner be qualified for a higher form. Instances of the contrary case must only be considered as extraordinary exceptions to the general rule.

The ambulatory method, which has hitherto been employed in the Swedish gymnasia, is distinguished from the former in this, that every teacher treats only certain kind of matters through all classes from the first to the last. The third method above mentioned is at present employed specially in the royal military academy at Carlberg, near the capital. Like the