We do not wish it to be understood that Italy of to-day has done nothing for the edu cation of the masses. She has done something, but ought to do a great deal more. It is true that Italy had to face an enormous task, com plex and arduous. She had to found the nation and reconstruct every part of her administra tion. She had to give an impulse to the puny economic life of the country. She had to sup ply all the urgent needs of defense. She had to modernize an entire people; to reorganize the culture of the higher and middle grade in stitutes, and with all this to reconstruct the scholastic and educational life of the masses, without any precedents in liberal thought, or educational institutions. Thus the task of the United Kingdom was more and more arduous, and necessarily so on account. of the prepon derance in every society of the material over the moral life; on account of the traditional custom that the ruling classes should first pro Vide for their own welfare, instead of providing for the culture of the masses. For these and other reasons, the reform in the education of the masses could not be radical, complete, effective; and therefore it could not have the impetus, the coherence that it has elsewhere.
But if Italy has not done all that she should do, the example of other nations who have al ready achieved will incite the nation to do better. But satisfactory progress is impossible unless the government take charge of the com mon school education, instead of leaving it to communal and local authorities.
In the last statistics, out of every 100 re cruits an average of 40 were found to be illiterate. Nevertheless there is progress and even to-day there is a rich field of primary moral instruction in the various regions. In the social order the importance acquired by higher culture and common school necessitates a better education of infants and younger chil dren. The deep moral crises which perturb the conscience of the masses make an early culti vation of the heart indispensable; and demo cratic life renders necessary the provision at an early age of an education of equality and of reciprocal respect. But these elementary institutions are not in proportion to the social needs.
And progress has also been made in the education of the people for professions. There is a form of professional instruction which makes part of popular education, for without it popular culture would not be effective, such as the learned professions, the arts or the trades necessary to all. Modern Italy in this respect has a legacy of institutions. There are indus trial schools, art and trade schools, schools of applied art for industry and industrial design, professional and commercial schools for women, schools for viticulture and field courses in agri culture. But although there is progress even
hare, these schools are not adequate to the needs of the people. The alumni of these schools number only about 60,000.
When we think of the great popular educa tional, revolution, which required the political revolution of 1860, we must acknowledge that what has already been done is insufficient for the needs of the masses. Italy as regards pop ular pedagogy is a nation without harmony and equilibrium between its political institutions, its obligations and the education of the masses. The agitation by the best element in the king dom and by the Democratic party in Parlia ment shows that the nation feels the needs of a more intense and more comprehensive popular culture.
The progress of modern Italy in the so called ((middle schools') and in the universities and in the higher colleges has been very marked. After the beneficent law of Gianturco in the normal schools, these seminaries of the nation have acquired a great importance, both on ac count of the culture which they impart and also on account of the attention given to the preparation of future teachers. The lyceums and the technical institutes continue to improve their teaching force; the universities also grow from year to year in the number of students and improve in scholarship and science.
And here we must turn our attention to pedagogics.
Italian thought, philosophical, sociological and pedagogical, in the second half of the 18th century, 'owing to the political effects of the revolution, approximated more and more to this French thought. At the dawn of the cen-. wry Realism (Sensismo) prevailed with Bo relli, Soave, Gioia; and even our pedagogical learning under Cuoco, Delfico, Capecelatro and others felt the.inflnence of French thought.
As the century advanced new life came into the thought and a new turn was given to peda gogy, and, as in Germany, France and England, so in Italy we find pedagogics and philosophy allied.
It was Pasquale Galluppi who showed Europe that there existed in Italy a new move ment in philosophic thought; but it was the Romagnosi, the Rosmini and the Gioberti who made it evident to Italians through their re searches in philosophy and pedagogy.
Romagnosi (1761-1835) represents the great est and most extensive results in civic phi losophy and civic education. In his work (Dell' indole e dei fattori dell' Incivilimento) he gives a sociologic significance to education,. consider ing it as one of the prime factors of civilization.