LETTER. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF EDUCATION, Washington, D. C., September 8, 1877. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following reports upon education in various foreign countries; some of them were prepared by their authors at my request, while I have had others translated from authentic sources. The account of the public schools of Finland is by Prof. Felix Heikel, of the University of Finland, at Helsingfors. The visit of Professor Heikel to this country, and his interest in studying American methods of instruction and the public school systems of the different States, will be pleasantly remembered by the many educators who were so fortunate as to make his acquaintance. This Office has been in constant receipt of communications from him since his return to Finland, and I take pleasure in this opportunity of publicly expressing my appreciation of his services in the cause of universal education and of his special courtesies to this Bureau. The papers herewith submitted include First. A detailed account of the public school system of Finland, by Professor Heikel. Second. An account of the history, progress, and present condition of education in the Netherlands, together with an abstract of the annual report on the condition of primary, middle class, and higher schools in the Netherlands, for 1875-276, issued by Dr. Heemskerk, minister of the interior, published at The Hague, 1877. This report has just been received and a summary of its contents prepared by Prof. C. H. Pluggé, of the Bureau of Education. Third. An abstract, showing the present condition of education in the kingdom of Denmark, compiled and translated from official reports and various Danish educational publications received at this Office. Fourth. An account of the public schools and other educational institutions of the kingdom of Würtemberg, recently prepared by Rev. J. Leonard Corning, at the request of the United States consul, J. S. Potter, esq. Fifth. A translation of official statements of the condition of public education in the kingdom of Portugal, transmitted through the State Department, for which I am especially indebted to Hon. Benjamin Moran, United States minister to Portugal. Sixth. A brief statement of the condition of the University of Leipzig in 1876, prepared by Hon. John H. Steuart, United States cónsul, for which I am indebted to the courtesy of the honorable Secretary of State. As containing matter of interest to educators, I request your approval of the publication of these documents as a Circular of Information. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF FINLAND. COUNTRY, PEOPLE, AND GOVERNMENT. The Grand Duchy of Finland is situated between the meridians of 20° and 32° 17′ east of Greenwich and between the parallels of 59° 48′ and 70° 6' of north latitude, its area being 144,258 English square miles. Bounded on the west by the Gulf of Bothnia and on the south by the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, it almost reaches on the north the Arctic Sea, thus embracing a part of Lapland. The climate is severe. At the capital of the country, Helsingfors, on the south coast, the average temperature of the year is only 39.4° F. In July it rises to 62.20, but it sinks in January and February to 18.9° F. The ground is covered with snow and all waters are frozen during five or six months of the year, and the soil is not very fertile. The chief natural features of the country being the myriad lakes, extensive pine forests, and granite hills which occupy the largest portion of its surface, "the country of the thousand lakes" has many beautiful aspects and views to please travellers and lovers of nature; but its cultivation is hard work. Only 5 or 6 per cent. of the area of the country is occupied by cultivated fields and meadows, and the agricultural production in rye, barley, oats, and wheat does not quite supply home consumption. Besides agriculture and cattle breeding, the chief occupations are working in the woods, (the products of the woods being the principal articles of export,) mining, (mostly iron,) navigation, manufactures and trades, and fishing and hunting. During the last fifteen years there were built railroads in the southern parts of the country and to St. Petersburg to the extent of 547 English miles. There is also a system of telegraphs reaching all parts of the country except Lapland; and during the summer months steamers run on all the larger lakes, many of which are connected with each other and with the sea by canals, keeping up a constant communication between the sev eral seaports and foreign countries. . Two elements make up the people of Finland, the Swedes and the Finns. The former are smaller in number, but Swedish is the language of most of the cultivated classes and has until a late time been the only official language. The genuine Finns are a Turanian people, the only European language to which the Finnish bears any relation being the Hungarian. On January 1, 1875, the population was 1,882,600; of these, 1,608,800 were Finns, 265,000 Swedes, 6,000 Russians, 2,800 Laplanders, Bohemians, Germans, &c. Finland was, from the twelfth century until 1809, a province of Swe |