105 



parents of some means did not send their children to them, but to 

 private schools where they were better attended to. The fact that the 

 elevation of the people depends on their primary education has caused 

 common schools to be established in the country, and now the States 

 vie with each other for the purpose of establishing the best system of 

 common schools and increasing their number. 



The Mexican Government has been too much disturbed since its 

 independence to earnestly promote the education of the Indians. I 

 consider that one of the first duties of Mexico is to educate the large 

 number of Indians which we have, and when that is accomplished the 

 whole condition of the country will change, as it will be able in a few 

 years to increase by several millions its productive and consuming 

 population. 



In 1896 the Federal Congress of Mexico passed a law which was 

 promulgated on June 3d of that year, making primary education obliga- 

 tory on all the inhabitants of the Federal District and Territories, and 

 placing public education under the control of the Federal Government, 

 having been before under the respective municipalities. 



In almost all the States education is free and compulsory, but the law 

 has not been strictly enforced. Primary instruction is mostly at the ex- 

 pense of the municipalities, but the Federal Government makes frequent 

 grants, and many schools are under the care of the beneficent societies. 



School Statistics. Statistical reports on public instruction for 1876 

 showed an aggregate of 8165 primary schools, with an attendance of 

 368,754 children of both sexes throughout the Republic. Reports for 

 1895 show a total number of public schools for both sexes through- 

 out the Republic amounting to 10,915, in which are instructed 722,435 

 scholars, at an aggregate cost of $5,455,549-6o. The proportion of 

 children of both sexes attending the school is, with respect to the 

 general population, nearly five per cent., and that of the children of 

 school age, actually attending school about 27 per cent, with an aver- 

 age yearly outlay per capita of $7.55. The entire number of private 

 schools for both sexes, including those supported by religious and civil 

 associations, is 2585, with a total attendance of 81,221. Adding these 

 to the preceding figures we have an aggregate of 13,500 schools with 

 an attendance of 803,656 scholars. The number of schools in the 

 country for professional technical education is 136, attended by 16,809 

 pupils of both sexes. 



In the Federal District there are 454 public primary schools with 

 an attendance of 44,776 pupils, and 247 private schools with an attend- 

 ance of 19,334 pupils. In the matter of education Mexico now stands 

 upon a plane as high, if not higher, than any of the Spanish American 

 Republics, out-ranking even Chili and the Argentine Republic, both 

 of which greatly surpassed her in former years. 



