No. 96.
Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.
Guatemala, October 10, 1874. (Received Nov. 17.
Sir: Inclosed herewith I have the honor to hand you an extract from the official paper of the government of Guatemala, purporting to give a correct statement of the number of public schools for males and females, and the amount of monthly government contribution to each, together with a translation of the same.
If this statement is correct, it is a favorable indication that the government is in earnest in its professed determination to afford the people opportunities of education independent of the priesthood.
It is not so stated in the table, but from good authority I learn that none of the teachers in the public schools are priests. The education is entirely secular, except, perhaps, in some localities where the religious feeling is so strong as yet that some concession is made to it by a sort of primary instruction in the catechism.
I have observed the public schools of this city with interest, and have attended an examination at the largest. The instruction appeared to be quite systematic and thorough; in geography particularly. I was much pleased to notice that at the public school a geographical knowledge of this hemisphere seemed to be preferred, while at a large private school under religious denomination I had occasion to observe at an examination that the students were well advanced in the geography of Europe, but seemed to have little acquaintance with that of their own country, or of the United States, or, in fact, of any part of the western hemisphere. Possibly the preference exhibited represents in some measure the difference between what are here called liberal and reactionary ideas. I beg leave to remark that the schools are about as thoroughly mixed as to the different races that attend them as they could possibly be. The different shades of color present quite a contrast.
Most of the pupils are young, not exceeding twelve or thirteen years of age. This, as well as their dress, indicates they are from the poorer classes. There are very few Indians among them; nearly all are mixed.
The great want in the public schools is competent teachers, and this is to be supplied by the establishment of a normal school, as the government of Salvador has quite recently done. An agent, Mr. Lainfiesta, several weeks ago was dispatched to the United States for the purpose, among other duties, of procuring teachers for the normal school. The minister of foreign affairs told me a day or so ago that Mr. Lainfiesta had already engaged two or three in New York.
I took pleasure in supplying Mr. Lainfiesta with letters, as I was naturally anxious that our countrymen and countrywomen should be selected to organize and conduct the school, which, if successful, is to furnish the future teachers of Guatemala, and perhaps of other parts of Central America.
I have, &c.,