ABSTRACT
Policy in relation to elementary schooling is governed by the determination to give elementary schooling to every child at the first possible moment. Some mention has been made of the great drive for the repair of school buildings and for the building of new schools. This drive still continues. Between 1941 and 1950, over 3000 new elementary schools have been built. 1 Thus by the end of 1949 the total of elementary pupils had considerably surpassed the pre-war figures. This, however, was only a part of the plan for elementary schooling. The Seven Year School was to be the universal minimum. ‘In Article 2 of the Federal Law concerning Elementary Schools of 26th October 1945, the duty is given to the national parliament of the Republics to enact their own laws for carrying out the provisions of the Law.’ 2 Separate laws were necessary, not only from the point of view of decentralization of education, but also because of the very different conditions in the various areas.
