CHAPTER XVIII 



EDUCATION, LITERATURE, AND ART 



THE Australian States charge themselves with 

 the primary education of children, either 

 without expense to the parents or for a fee that 

 is purely nominal. There may be found a few 

 private elementary schools, but it is estimated 

 that quite eighty per cent, of Australian children 

 attend the State schools. The difficulties in the 

 way of supplying the more sparsely populated 

 bush districts with schools and teachers can be 

 readily imagined: and they are solved, in many 

 cases, by expedients that can only be justified by 

 urging that any sort of education is better than 

 none at all. It is no uncommon thing to find 

 a hardworked bush teacher in charge of two 

 schools, and holding classes in each on alternate 

 days of the week. Each school may be attended 

 by from twenty to thirty pupils, their ages 

 ranging from six to sixteen : and how the teacher 

 contrives to maintain order and discipline is a 

 question he alone can answer. Many of the bush 

 children live far away from the lonely little 

 schoolhouse, and have to walk or ride long dis- 



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