The public schools are at the expense of the State, that gives the books and all the necessary materials.
Since the year 1877, in which was issued the law on public education, the primary education has improved a great deal.
The reform of the primary schools was initiated in the year 1868 by a private society, founded by the great reformer, Jose Pedro Varela, the Horace Mann of Uruguay, under the name of "Friends of Popular Education Society," which created an application school, called "Elbio Fernandez," in honor of one of the founders of the society. Various North American books and manuals were then translated for the use of the schools and masters. Varela's ideas soon were diffused among the people, and the reformer was appointed to a high situation in the Public Instruction Board, in the year 1876. Immediately he reformed all the official schools, and organized the scholar administration, being himself appointed principal director of it, with the title of "National Primary Instruction Inspector."
University.
The number of the students in the University of Montevideo during the year 1891 was 668, distributed thus:
| For law, | 377 |
| For social sciences, | 176 |
| For medicine, | 85 |
| For mathematics, | 30 |
| —— | |
| 668 |
Out of those 668 students, 631 were natives and 37 foreigners.
The professors were 75: 14 for law and social sciences, 23 for medicine, 19 for mathematics and 19 for the preparatory studies; being 58 of them natives, 12 Spaniards, 3 Italians, 1 German and 1 Frenchman.
Public Schools.
In the year 1891 there were in the Republic 483 public schools; that is to say, 143 more than in the year 1886.