TEACHERS AND POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 13

TEACHERS AND POLITICS

IMPORTANT BILL PASSED BY FRENCH DEPUTIES,

Tko I'aris correspondent. of' the "Westffliiiste!' Gaz'otte" Writes The' Ohambci. of Deputies voted, by o'Oo' against 27, » Biilwhjch withdraws,.from tho Prefects ' ok' Departments tie' appointment- of elementary school teachers, and entrusts it to a personage) termed "Academical Hector." This vote d<jes not to attract as niue.li.attoiitffisi a-s it deserves* ■ for it is wsrfly of capital importance, -from. a s-iiKply .political point of _ view, and considering only the Ministerial policy, one may discern a now application (if tho sy.stcrn of government 1 have_ already liotiited to tl system which is iiardly "piovrniiip;" at all. If. Yivi&ni, who is moreover one of tho most distinguished members of tte present Cabinet, opposed the motion, and urged that tho present' system <}f ■appointment by the I'rcfccts sheiild bo !:ontim!ed._ When a division showed 323 I votes against h.is view and 234 for i't,v ho contented himself with putting hia ; opinion, and that of the Ciiliinet—so to speak—in Ms pocket., and declared himself ready to do all that Parliament might desire, Then' a second veto, in which the Chamber was almost tynauim- . o-U-s, ttecided that those appointments should bo henceforth entrusted to thei "Rector." s This •pemiiago is a professor, a distinguished University mtM, who, with Ijis studies "and wudition, will generally be very. little interested m. political feelings and teca.l rivalries. In tha appmn'tment and promotion of teachers a rector'will consider their

University qualifications aad otter di* plotnas, and also tho proficiency shown by their pupils .it inspections and examinations. . Zeal and energy to inflttCTtfe him Burst bo displayed "jit professional rather than in political matters. Now, during the last forty years, there have been no more powerful election iigejits in Franco than the elementary schoolmasters, The. reason, is this: ill the great majority of tki rural "camfliimes" only oho person is really guaUfi.ed to dischargo the fauctions'of secretaijr to the- "inside,that is ts be, on a small seaJe. a kind of town clerk. This person who has the maecasary education is tits schoolmaster; and ho, by his office, has to.bo ctmstajitly at the school, that is, In the mi Mo of the village. In a few years—or less- -all thq, ejectors of a "comnrono" havo had dealiiifis'witli him j» liia secretarial functions, and this "factotum" exercises a groat influence over them. We may Weil mark with tSic colours of Liberalism the day whan the ■Chamber, which has already taken additional praeaatioiis to ensure tiio secrecy of voting by bullet,, has adapted so important a measure for diminishing Governmental infliwnc.e in eleetiotis. EvOry.tking Iradn us to expect that the Bill will duly becoms law • the v®ry large majority in its favour ir. the Chamber renders it improbable that til® Senate Caft offer any serious opposition, whatever hielinatioii it way havo thereto.