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[ Ibid., 476. ("Statistiques des préfets," Sarthe, year X.) "Prejudices which it is difficult to overcome, as well on the stability of this school as on the morality of some of the teachers, prevented its being frequented for a time."—483. (Procès-verbaux des conseils-généraux," Bas-Rhin.) "The overthrow of religion has excited prejudices against the central schools."—482. (Ibid., Lot.) "Most of the teachers in the central school took part in the revolution in a not very honorable way. Their reputation affects the success of their teaching. Their schools are deserted.">[
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[ Albert Duruy, ibid., '94. (According to the reports of 15 central schools, from the year VI. to the year VIII.) The average for each central school is for drawing, 89 pupils; for mathematics, 28; for the classics, 24; for physics, chemistry and natural history, 19; for general grammar, 5; for history, 10; for legislation, 8: for belles-lettres, 6.—Rocquam, ibid., P.29. (Reports of Français de Nantes, on the departments of the South-east.) "There, as elsewhere, the courses on general grammar, on belles-lettres, history and legislation, are unfrequented. Those on mathematics, chemistry, Latin and drawing are better attended, because these sciences open up lucrative careers.—Ibid., p. 108. (Report by Barbé-Marboi on the Brittany departments.)]
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[ "Statistiques des préfets," Meurthe, by Marquis, year XIII, p.120. "In the communal schools of the rural districts, the fee was so small that the poorest families could contribute to the (teacher's) salary. Assessments on the communal property, besides, helped almost everywhere in providing the teacher with a satisfactory salary, so that these functions were sought after and commonly well fulfilled.. .. Most of the villages had Sisters of Saint-Vincent de Paul for instructors, or others well known under the name of Vatelottes."—"The partition of communal property, and the sale of that assigned to old endowments, had deprived the communes of resources which afforded a fair compensation to schoolmasters and schoolmistresses. The product of the additional centimes scarcely sufficed for administrative expenses.—Thus, there is but little else now than people without means, who take poorly compensated places; again, they neglect their, schools just as soon as they see an opportunity to earn something elsewhere."—Archives nationales, No. 1004, cartons 3044 and 3145. (Report of the councillors of state on mission in the year IX.—First military division, Report of Lacuée.) Aisne: "There is now no primary school according to legal institution."—The situation is the same in Oise, also in Seine for the districts of Sceaux and Saint Denis.]
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[ Albert Duruy, 178. (Report drawn up in the bureaux of the ministry of the interior, year VIII.) "A detestable selection of those called instructors; almost everywhere, they are men without morals or education, who owe their nomination solely to a pretended civism, consisting of nothing but an insensibility to morality and propriety. ... They affect an insolent contempt for the (old) religious opinions."—Ibid., p.497. (Procès-verbaux des conseils-généraux.) On primary school-teachers, Hérault: "Most are blockheads and vagabonds."—Pas-de-Calais:" Most are blockheads or ignoramuses.">[
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[ Rocquam, '94. (Report by Fourcroy on the 14th military division, Manche, Orne, Calvados.) "Besides bad conduct, drunkenness, and the immorality of many of these teachers, it seems certain that the lack of instruction in religion is the principal motive which prevents parents from sending their children to these schools."—Archives nationales, ibid. (Report by Lacuée on the 1st military division.) "The teachers, male and female, who desired to conform to the law of Brumaire 3 and to the different rules prescribed by the central administration, on placing the constitution and the rights of man in the hands of their pupils, found their schools abandoned one after the other. The schools the best attended are those where the Testament, the catechism, and the life of Christ are used.... The instructors, obliged to pursue the line marked out by the government, could not do otherwise than carry out the principles which opposed the prejudices and habits of the parents; hence their loss of credit, and the almost total desertion of the pupils.">[