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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 5, 23 May 1884, Page 25

The education question in France ia proceeding in a most lamentable manner. The schoolmaster is the fashion in ministerial circles Fine residences have been built for him, but otherwise his fate has not been ameliorated. The desire to get rid of religious teachers has created a demand for lay schoolmasters which it is difticult to satisfy Therefore teachers have been sought anywhere and everywhere The agents of M. Ferry and Paul Bert have even sought school! mistressess in the condemned females of the penal colonies. These are the teachers destined to educate the future mothers of France This is sadly true. Certain directors of penal colonies have received' orders to hurry forward for examination their interesting convicts that they may become school-teachers. The effects of the war against Catholic instruction will be best demonstrated by facts. At present there exists in French public schools about 3,000 male teachers belonging to religious teaching Orders ; and 20,000 female teachers of every religious order, who are consecrated to the education of girls. The average pay of male religious teachers is from 600 to 700 francs each per annum (120dols. to I40dole.) ; that of the female religious, a little less than 600 francs (lOOdols.) Lay teachers on the contrary, receive from 800 to 1800 francs a year, so that the replacing of a religious by a lay teacher costs the State an annual increase of from 500 to 600 francs. For replacing the 23,000 religious teachers— Brothers and Sisters of various Orders— the increased expenditure to the State will range from thirteen to fourteen million of francs. To remove the well-organised and the cheap system of instruction at present in nse for an ill-organized and exceedingly costly body of teachers, and at a period too when the financial conditions of the Government are very low, is regarded by the thinking men of France as an extraordinary example of ministerial folly. This new attempt in popular instruction is regarded as auggetted! solely by hatred to religion, and the desire to remove the rising generation from the influences of the Catholic Church.— Pilot.