Chapter 1162: Normal Schools and Mathematics Competitions
Viscount Dubuisson's eyes widened in shock. "Six hundred francs?! Your Highness, isn't that... isn't that a bit too high?"
At present, even the most prestigious tutors in Paris only earned around five or six hundred francs a year. For a governess, the rate was as low as 180 francs annually.
And that was for one-on-one instruction.
Typical private schools for the nobility generally charged between 90 and 150 francs a year. The Crown Prince was demanding four times the average tuition!
Joseph gestured for the headmaster to board the carriage and smiled. "Since the nobility cares so much about prestige, they won't mind the price. In fact, the higher the fee, the more it highlights their status."
He understood perfectly well that it was unrealistic to expect the children of the elite to share a classroom with commoners. The nobles would find it beneath them.
It was better to let them pay for a sense of exclusivity, then use those funds to subsidize the free primary schools.
If this elite campus enrolled a hundred students, it would generate 60,000 francs—enough to cover the operating costs of eight or nine free schools.
By using this model to promote compulsory education, the government might barely have to spend a cent from the treasury.
"Later, we will open more fee-charging campuses in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Le Marais. The fees there can be slightly lower to accommodate nobles of different income levels.
"Oh, and these campuses will need a different name to distinguish them from the New Elementary School."
Viscount Dubuisson had never expected his foray into public service to land him a government post. He bowed repeatedly in excitement. "Ah! Thank you for your trust, Your Highness! I swear I will make Paris's basic education the best in the world!"
A thought then occurred to him. "Your Highness, should we design specialized textbooks for these fee-charging campuses? I mean, since the nobles are paying such high fees, we must make them feel they are getting their money's worth."
"Use the same textbooks from the New Elementary School; they are already the best materials available," Joseph replied. "However, the elite campuses will use deluxe editions—with gold-leaf covers and premium binding.
"We can also add more courses like Latin and horsemanship, and provide them with elegant, imposing school uniforms."
Schools could be categorized by status, but the content of the education must not widen the gap between classes. Allowing commoners and nobles to study the same material was a way to preserve a path for upward mobility.
Throughout the journey, Joseph discussed the details of the elite campuses with the newly appointed Commissioner of Compulsory Education. When the carriage finally stopped at the square of the Palace of Versailles, the latter took his leave.
Joseph signaled Eman to summon Mirabeau and Vergniaud. His mind was still spinning with plans for educational reform.
Given how popular the elementary textbooks were, he could use them as a lever. By controlling the curriculum and teaching methods, he could extend his influence to ordinary schools and even universities.
Therefore, the drafting of textbooks for ordinary schools—the equivalent of modern secondary schools—needed to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.
On top of that, he had to find ways to dilute the Church's influence over the educational system, encouraging more people to send their children to the New Elementary Schools.
For example, he could organize mathematics competitions, essay contests, and shorthand trials, while ramping up publicity. These events could be held right within the Palace of Versailles.
Students from Church schools would be no match for those trained under a modern educational model. Once the Church schools consistently ranked at the bottom of every competition, the public would soon vote with their feet.
'Yes, I must make participation mandatory for all schools. None shall escape.'
Joseph then considered the fact that once the New Elementary Schools proliferated, the demand for teachers would skyrocket.
Given the current number of educators in France, a shortage of qualified staff was inevitable.
Furthermore, the quality of teachers was inconsistent. Currently, anyone with a bit of knowledge could become a teacher; there was no professional certification.
Therefore, he needed to establish Normal Schools and introduce a teacher certification exam.
Eventually, even the priests who taught in Church schools would be required to pass these certification exams.
This would certainly meet resistance from the Church, but once their schools' performance bottomed out in the math and essay competitions, the government could use "misleading the youth" as a pretext to force the clergy into remedial training at Normal Schools.
Once those priests invested time and effort into their studies, most would likely choose to teach at secular schools where the pay was higher.
Even if they returned to Church schools, the quality of instruction there would be improved.
Joseph wasn't inherently opposed to Church schools. If they could produce capable talent, they were more than welcome to coexist with the New Elementary Schools.
Before long, Mirabeau and Vergniaud arrived at the Crown Prince's drawing room and bowed in unison.
Joseph gestured for them to sit and got straight to the point. "I have a method for preserving food for long periods, and I need to build a processing factory."
Realizing the Crown Prince had another invention, Mirabeau immediately pulled out a notebook to take notes.
Joseph began describing the canning process. "The core of this method involves placing food into small iron boxes and steaming them for... about half an hour to an hour. The exact time will need to be determined through testing.
"Then, the iron boxes must be sealed immediately.
"Food treated this way can remain fresh for over a year without spoiling."
The Minister of Industry and the Minister of Agriculture exchanged bewildered looks. The method sounded so simple that it seemed almost unreliable.
Mirabeau paused his pen and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, do we need to add any chemicals or reagents?"
"No," Joseph said, noting their skepticism. He offered a brief explanation. "The cause of food spoilage is microorganisms attached to the food, such as bacteria. We only need high temperatures to kill them, and the food will keep for a long time.
"Oh, and you must keep this information strictly confidential."
Vergniaud hesitated. "Your Highness, but this method seems a bit more troublesome than salting..."
Salting and curing were the standard methods of the day—using high concentrations of salt to dehydrate and kill bacteria.
"My method keeps meat, vegetables, and fruit fresh without needing salt. When eaten, it tastes almost the same as if it were just cooked," Joseph explained. "Furthermore, the production time is extremely short. In mass production, the cost will be even lower than cured meat."
"That's unimaginable!"
Had anyone else said this, Mirabeau and Vergniaud would have likely dismissed it. But since it came from the Crown Prince, they knew it had to be true.
Cured meat was incredibly salty; one could only eat small amounts at a time. Moreover, it was hard and unpalatable. After eating it for two weeks straight, even the smell of it would make one nauseous.
Thus, during military campaigns or long sea voyages, fresh vegetables and meat were practically treasures.
This was especially true on warships. Sometimes, to have a bit of fresh food, they would raise chickens and pigs in the hold, or even attempt to grow vegetables.
Consequently, fresh meat and vegetables were typically luxuries reserved for high-ranking officers.
"If the men from the Navy were here, they would certainly be driven wild with joy," remarked Mirabeau, who had once participated in the expedition to Corsica.
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