10. EDUCATION. The early history c education in Mexico is particularly interest* In 1529, the College of San Juan de Lena was established in the capital and threw is doors opea to Spaniards and Indians alike The first university was opened in 1553 special permission of the King of Spain. 1! 1573 two colleges, San Gregorio and San Ike fond, were opened; and two others and a divinity school were established a few ran later. Thus seven institutions of higher edao tion were in operation, in Mexico before thr close of the 16th century. It was not, however. until 1578 that the science of medicine irb recognized as meriting a place among die branches of higher education, the first char of medicine being established in that year Twenty-one years later another medical pro fessorship was founded, and in 1681 anatour and surgery were added. The Royal CoDm of Surgeons, established in the city of in 1768, still exists as the National School e• Medicine, a name adopted in 1845. Its !vex is the building made famous as the residence d* the Spanish Inquisition. The Mining Confer or School of Engineering, established in 1* occupies an edifice built by the famous Spanv-' architect Manuel Tolsa, at a cost of $3,00051T and is in a most flourishing condition though the Spanish conquerors of the .kre's were largely Inspired by avarice, cupidity •s: brutality in their treatment of them, they devoted to the cause of tion and contributed liberally from public rece nuts and private fortunes to its In the city of Mexico there was founded. Tr 1551 by the Spanish Crown, the first univers in North America, 200 years before the inr pendency of the United States. The Natiera Academy of Art occupies a building on the site of which was the home of the first Euro pean school of the new world, a school for Indians. The first normal school for males and its companion school for females occupied his toric buildings completed respectively in 1678 and 1648; the Jesuit College of San Ildefonso, erected in 1749 at a cost of $400,000, is now the home of the National Preparatory School (a part of the National University of Mexico). The National Library, with its more than 400,000 volume was formerly the Convent of San Augustin The building in which is now located the National Museum dates back to 1731 and cost $1,000,000 and The College for Young Women now occupies a roomy struc ture completed in 1734 at a cost of $2,000,000. Thus are education and history closely inter twined in Mexico City. In 1824 Humboldt wrote: No other city of the new continent, not excepting those of the United States, pos sesses scientific establishments sogreat and so solid as those of the capital of Mexico. In most of the states, schools for the care and instruction of orphans are maintained at the public expense; in these both sexes are given the advantage of a primary education. Boys
are taught the ordinary trades, and girls are instructed in the various occupations pertain ing to the sex. In these, as well as throughout the entire educational machinery of the repub lic, modern methods have been adopted, and system, progress, and thoroughness prevail. Everywhere there is manifested the deepest in terest in the uplifting of the masses through the most effective of all agencies — education. When Gen. Porfirio Diaz was first elected Presi dent in 1876 there were only about 4,000 public schools in the entire republic. From the com ing of the Spaniards the chief interest in edu cation had been confined to the higher branches, to the establishment of seminaries, colleges and universities, at, the prima; or fundamental branches were neglected. Under Diaz there resulted a noteworthy increase of schools and attendance. In the period between 1876 and 1891 schools of all classes had increased from 4,250 to more than 10,000 and the total attend ance from 160,000 to 649,771. The attend ance of mesticos (half-breeds), from 16,000 to 235,000, and of Indians from about 8,000 to 170,000. In 1891 the entire cost of mainte nance of the educational system was $4,068,200, which sum was paid by the federal and state governments, the average cost per capita being $5.63. In 1907, the number of primary schools supported by the federal or state governments was 9,710 and by municipalities, 2,230; total, 11,940; and the attendance was 776,622. There were 34 secondary and preparatory schools sup ported by the federal and state governments, with an attendance of 4,231; of which 3,793 were males and 438 females. The number of private schools during the sameyear was 2,499 with 152,917 pupils. In 1913-14, was spent in education. In 1917 the total school population of the state was 972,600 with a total enrolment of over 700,000, for the teaching of which there were over 22,000 teachers. The number of public libraries in 1913 was 151; number of museums 45, of which 11 were archaeological, seven scientific, eight natural his tory, one geological and metallurgical, five agri cultural, one medical and anatomical, one in dustrial, two commercial and nine miscellane ous. There were 164 scientific and literary societies. A law was enacted in 1888, but not put into force until 1896, making elementary education compulsory and compelling the es tablishment and maintenance of at least one public school for every 4,000 inhabitants. Under the provisions of this law the advance in edu cation and educational methods throughout the republic was rapid.