THE PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF SWEDEN. 291 
anters in the fifth year into the curriculum, both on the modern and the 
classical side. The last four years, from the sixth to the ninth, the pupils 
of the modern and classical lines are taught quite separately. At the 
beginning of the sixth year, the first of the four-year period just men- 
tioned, a new division takes place on the classical side. Some of the 
boys thenceforth are taught Greek, others English. The classical line is 
thus divided into a full classical section and a half classical section. At 
the end of the curriculum of the intermediate schools a final examination 
takes place. This is called the maturity examination and is a rather serious 
ordeal. The boys who have belonged on the modern side—i.e., have not 
studied Latin—must give evidence at this examination of greater knowl- 
edge in mathematics, natural sciences, and modern languages than the 
boys on the classical side. 
The certificate or diploma of the maturity examination, successfully 
passed, confers the right of matriculation as a student of the university. 
[t admits persons to such special schools as the military and forestry schools, 
and it qualifies for appointment to some of the lower positions in the gov- 
ernment service. You will understand from this that the maturity exam- 
ination is naturally considered a very important one. 
I may add here that not all the secondary schools of Sweden are complete 
in their organization. Some of them have only the five lowest classes, or 
a still less number of classes. But the teaching in these classes agrees 
precisely with that of the corresponding classes of the complete secondary 
schools. 
I come now to the third link of the public educational system of Sweden 
—the universities. The public universities of Sweden are two—the Univer- 
sity of Upsala and the University of Lund. Besides these there is a faculty 
of medicine, or a ‘“ medical college,” in Stockholm. There are two other 
aniversities of Sweden, those of Stockholm and Goteborg. They are both 
only a few years old, and not yet public. They were founded and are 
maintained wholly by private means without aid from the State. But they 
will both, in all probability, soon be brought into the national system of 
education, in a way I shall shortly refer to. It is proper, therefore, that 
:hey be mentioned in this place. 
Each of the old state universities—the universities of Upsala and Lund 
—comprises four faculties or departments : the faculties of theology, law, 
medicine, and philosophy. The faculty or department of philosophy is 
divided into two sections: one for literature, history, philosophy, phi- 
iology, and allied branches of knowledge; the other for mathematics and 
the natural and physical sciences. 
The original object and the chief object of a university is the promotion 
of knowledge. The teachers have to disclose and elucidate to the students 
the treasures of literature and the results of scientific investigation, as 
well as to direct the student’s own study. It is also expected of professors