ENGLAND 



2037 



ENGLAND 



instance, was begun in 1083 and not fin- 

 ished until 1534. This cathedral, one of the 

 largest in England, is 530 feet in length, has 

 a tower 170 feet in height and the only Gothic 

 dome still in existence. Other of these great 

 architectural triumphs are the cathedrals of 

 Canterbury, Exeter, Lichfield, Salisbury, Saint 

 Paul's, Wells and Lincoln; this last named 

 has a choir which is called "one of the love- 

 liest of human works." Most of these are 

 described in these volumes, either under their 

 own names or in the articles on the cities in 

 which they are located. Various types of 

 architecture were used in the erection of these 

 buildings, and often minor structures, as clois- 

 ters or refectories, were grouped about them. 

 Usually the whole group, with an extensive 

 tree-planted open space in front of it, was sur- 

 rounded by a high wall pierced with gates; 

 some of these enclosing walls still exist. 



Education. Though England has always 

 been interested in education, and the illiteracy 

 percentage stands at the comparatively low 

 figure of 5.8, it is only in recent years that the 

 educational system has been well organized. 

 Instruction was for a long time too largely 

 in the hands of various religious bodies, or 

 endowed societies, or private individuals, and 

 the government contented itself with bestow- 

 ing aid upon such schools as could prove their 

 need and their worthiness. What many of the 

 private schools were like, Dickens showed in 

 his description of Dotheboys' Hall, Mr. 

 Creakle's school, Dr. Blimber's select establish- 

 ment, and others, and there is no doubt that 

 his writings had a large influence in bringing 

 about a different state of affairs. The schools 

 he described might not be typical, but it was 

 inexcusable that any such places should exist, 

 and a movement for the nationalizing of ele- 

 mentary education was speedily set on foot. 

 See DICKENS, CHARLES, subhead Influence on 

 Education. 



Since 1870 providing elementary instruction 

 has been a duty of the government, but the 

 whole system was reorganized by an act of Par- 

 liament which received the signature of the king 

 in August, 1918. The act is operative in Eng- 

 land and Wales. Throughout the country local 

 educational units must maintain elementary 

 and continuation schools, but the government 

 meets half the expense of these schools. Chil- 

 dren between the ages of five and fourteen are 

 compelled to attend the elementary schools, 

 and those who have not received full time ele- 

 mentary instruction must attend the continua- 



tion schools until they are sixteen. This age 

 limit will be raised to eighteen years in 1925. 

 School exemptions for pupils under the age of 

 fourteen are abolished, and child labor of school 

 children under twelve is forbidden. The act 

 was designed to extend popular education, to 

 check the exploitation of boys and girls by 

 employers or negligent parents, and to make the 

 English school system more democratic and 

 more modern. 



At the summit of education in England, 

 though not in any way a part of the national 

 system, stand the great universities. In addi- 

 tion to the two oldest ones, Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge, there are to-day eight others; these 

 are London University, Durham University, 

 Victoria University of Manchester, Birmingham 

 University, Liverpool University, Leeds Uni- 

 versity, Sheffield University and Bristol Uni- 

 versity, the last-named founded no longer ago 

 than 1909. 



Interesting Measurements. This great coun- 

 try of England, with a history which all the 

 world looks to as the very basis of constitu- 

 tional government, with a literature which is 

 second to none, with industries which are 



ALABAMA 

 51,998 5q.Mi. 



COMPARATIVE AREAS 



The text states that England is slightly larger 

 than the state of New York. The pictorial com- 

 parison above emphasizes more strikingly the 

 greatness of this very small country. 



world-wide in their importance, is but little 

 larger than the state of New York, for it has 

 an area, exclusive of Wales, of only 50,933 

 square miles. Its population of 34,045,290, how- 

 ever, is almost four times that of New York 

 state. The greatest breadth of the country, 

 from Land's End on the extreme west to North 

 Foreland on the east, is about 320 miles, while 

 its greatest north-and-south length, from 



