Chapter 1161: The Education Industry
Joseph looked at the smooth, finely machined surface of the bracket, knowing immediately that its precision was anything but low.
Soon, an expert from the French Academy of Sciences, responsible for testing, looked over the blueprints and announced the results. "The maximum tolerance is 0.19 millimeters."
Joseph smiled and clapped, offering his congratulations to Lenoir. The others immediately followed suit, their applause filling the room.
This was undoubtedly a momentous occasion, not only for France but for the entire world's industrial and technological landscape.
Joseph turned his head and asked the general manager of the Royal Precision Equipment Company, "How are the preparations for mass-producing the new milling machine coming along? I want to purchase one for the Royal Workshop. His Majesty will surely be delighted with it."
Louis XVI's birthday was approaching, and a turret milling machine was the finest gift anyone could offer him.
The manager bowed quickly. "Your Highness, the production equipment and workers are all in place. We can begin production at any time."
"In the initial phase, we plan to produce one machine every two to three months. A year from now, we expect to reach a capacity of two per month."
Joseph sighed with a hint of regret. "In that case, let the first milling machine be delivered to the United Steam Engine Company instead."
Whitney interjected from the side, "Your Highness, the United Steam Engine Company has already reserved this prototype."
Joseph's interest piqued instantly. "Excellent. Then I shall order a new milling machine. Tell me, how much will it cost?"
"It is our honor to supply the Royal Workshop..."
"The price."
"Well, it is 67,000 francs per unit, Your Highness."
Joseph took a sharp breath.
It was truly the pinnacle of equipment for this era, and its price was equally peak, though it was certainly worth every sou.
Consider the Hadfield steel milling cutters on the machine; if taken to England, a single one could be sold for 3,000 francs.
After the demonstration of the new equipment concluded, Joseph attended a ceremony at the French Academy of Sciences to award special bonuses to Whitney and the others, delivering a brief speech.
It was past two in the afternoon when he left the French Academy of Sciences to return to Versailles.
His mind was currently crowded with plans, including the construction of canning factories, the development of rolling equipment, and applying the new milling machines to weapons production. He urgently needed to discuss the implementation details with Mirabeau and the others.
As his carriage passed through a bustling street on the west side of the Louvre District, Joseph's peripheral vision caught a familiar-looking sign hanging on a three-story building currently under renovation.
He gestured for Eman to have the driver slow down. Looking up to inspect it closely, he immediately noticed the small letters beneath the pale yellow logo: New Primary School, Rue Saint-Honoré Campus.
'Why did Viscount Dubuisson open a campus here?'
This was a prime commercial district. For such a large school building, even the rent would be astronomical.
For the New Primary School, which aimed for universal compulsory education, such an expense was completely unnecessary.
Just then, two men emerged from the building that had yet to be put into use. One of them, seeing Joseph's carriage from a distance, looked startled and hurried forward to pay his respects.
It was none other than Dubuisson, the head of the New Primary School.
"Respected Crown Prince, what brings you here?"
"I was merely passing by," Joseph nodded to him, then pointed toward the building. "It seems you have secured new investment, but perhaps building a school in such a location is unwise. As you know, we should keep costs as low as possible to enroll more children."
Viscount Dubuisson immediately bowed and explained, "Your Highness, this building was lent to the school by the Marquis de Belmondo. He is not charging any rent."
Joseph was surprised. "Is he a donor you found?"
"Uh, not exactly," Dubuisson admitted. "He only requested that his two children and his two nephews be allowed to study here. And this location is quite close to his sister's home."
Joseph blinked. "Are you saying a nobleman lent you such a large building just so his children could attend the New Primary School?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Ah, you probably don't know yet, but the school is currently enrolling many children of the Parisian nobility, especially the minor nobles among the Liberals..."
He glanced cautiously at the Crown Prince, and after confirming that the prince harbored no resentment toward the "Liberals," he continued. "In fact, many people arrived too late to secure a spot and are now demanding to pay tuition just to get in."
Joseph was stunned. This was a school for compulsory education where he had even donated the desks and chairs himself. Why were the nobles rushing to join in?
Sensing the Crown Prince's confusion, Dubuisson hurried to explain, "Your Highness, it is all thanks to the textbooks you compiled and the Teaching Guide."
"Specifically, the standardized phonetic symbols and the dictionary allow children to begin spelling and reading several times faster than traditional methods."
"The spelling proficiency of our first batch of children is already better than that of many students in private noble schools. Consequently, those nobles sought us out, wanting to enroll."
"There are also many nobles who see that studying at the New Primary School can save them a fortune. They are willing to pay higher tuition, provided they are not placed in the same classes as common children."
In many noble families, children began learning to read with their parents or tutors before ever entering a school. To see them easily surpassed by commoner children who had only been at the New Primary School for a few months was a massive shock.
Once the nobles saw the results of the New Primary School, they quickly decided to send their children there. While it was a bit embarrassing to share a school with commoners, the quality of instruction was undeniably superior.
And it was incredibly cost-effective.
In reality, the vast majority of minor nobles were very sensitive about paying a dozen or more francs a month for private school tuition. As for private tutors, they were even more expensive.
Joseph thought about it and felt a sense of relief. The teaching materials he had commissioned were so effective that children could practically teach themselves and still outperform half the noble tutors of this era.
Take the standardized phonetic symbols, for instance. After spending a month mastering them and using a dictionary, a child could manage to read a novel on their own. Compared to those private noble schools, it was an overwhelming advantage.
Viscount Dubuisson continued, "Your Highness, the school's profits over the past few months have already exceeded 4,000 francs. Some parents have even repainted the classrooms and donated brand-new teaching equipment."
"That was until the Marquis de Belmondo donated a school building."
He looked at Joseph and said cautiously, "I plan to group the noble children together in this building and charge a reasonable tuition fee. This income can be used to subsidize our other low-cost campuses."
"Based on current trends, the tuition we collect each year will be enough to open another new campus."
Joseph hadn't expected compulsory education to advance so rapidly in this particular manner.
He glanced at the luxurious building beside them and asked, "How much tuition were you planning to charge here per year?"
"Two hundred francs, Your Highness."
"Increase it to six hundred francs a year," Joseph declared.
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