After reviewing Austria's foreign policy, Franz decisively decided to focus on agriculture in the coming days.
Austria had recently been in the spotlight. In a short time, they had brought down the Kingdom of Sardinia, extorted war reparations, and then intervened in the Papal States, consolidating their dominance in the Italian region.
Now they've established the Holy Roman Alliance. Everyone knows this alliance isn't as straightforward as it seems. One can gauge the reaction from the Germanic regions.
The difference between the Holy Roman Alliance and the Holy Roman Empire is just two words, which can easily lead to speculation.
If they hadn't included Italian states in their fold and established their headquarters in Rome, many would probably be losing sleep.
Even so, many German nationalists view this as Austria's preamble to unifying the Germanic regions.
The seeds have been sown; now they just have to take root and sprout. Reaping the rewards will come when the time is right.
On June 1, 1849, compulsory education in Austria officially began. Children aged 6-13 could enroll in any compulsory education school.
Austria's compulsory education borrowed from some of Prussia's successes. Both had the same core aim, so management methods could be referenced.
Prussia's purpose: "To resist the spread of revolutionary ideas through schools strictly controlled by the government and to train loyal and brave citizens."
Austria's goal was similar, emphasizing "loyalty to the monarch and patriotism" and adopting a semi-militarized management.
Franz naturally wouldn't oppose this common belief. Different national conditions and eras mean that many modern methods don't apply.
For instance, Franz was initially concerned that the introduction of compulsory education might lead to overcrowding, as they only increased the number of schools slightly.
However, he overthought. Many lower-class citizens weren't interested in compulsory education. Those living in cities understood the value of education, but in remote mountainous regions, many had never traveled far and didn't see the value in learning.
Thankfully, Austrian compulsory education was tuition-free. A mere government order would ensure compliance.
While they lost half a labor force, they also fed one less mouth. The community could do the math. Boarding schools meant parents only bore their child's expenses during holidays.
"Have the enrollment statistics come in?" Franz inquired.
"Your Majesty, preliminary statistics show that we've enrolled about 1.246 million students, about a fifth less than we expected," replied the Minister of Education Count Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein.
In this era, Austria's education rate wasn't as low as Franz initially thought. In 1848, primary school enrollment surpassed 2.3 million, and middle school enrollment exceeded 50,000.
However, the distribution of educated individuals was uneven. In economically developed areas of Austria and Bohemia, the enrollment rate had reached 94% by 1842. In contrast, Galicia had only a 27% rate, and Dalmatia was below 5%.
These numbers weren't complete. They only accounted for free citizens, excluding serfs. Moreover, enrollment didn't necessarily equate to receiving a proper education. Many free church schools claimed to provide education but were essentially schemes to solicit donations.
Due to local government corruption, many public schools didn't receive their funds on time, leading to unpaid teacher salaries and, in some cases, phantom students and teachers.
Not long ago, during a strict inspection of the local education system, there was a school that was supposed to have 15 teachers on staff, but in reality, there was only one teacher. This one teacher was responsible for teaching all grades in the school.
What's even more bizarre is that there were cases where the school existed, the teachers and students were present, but the inspection officers couldn't find where the school was located.
These incidents of defrauding the government's education funds are not isolated cases. The more remote the area, the more severe this issue becomes.
This has been confirmed in many records from later generations. In 1865, among the soldiers recruited by Austria in Galicia, only 4.5% could perform simple writing, a far cry from the initial enrollment rate.
Franz had not yet had the chance to seriously rectify these issues within the education system. He had just taken the throne, and domestic stability was paramount. However, this didn't mean the issues were over.
The current promotion of compulsory education is a test. Those who are inefficient or dare to be corrupt will be dealt with accordingly.
Anti-corruption efforts must start now. If past accounts are considered, a thorough investigation of the Austrian government would lead to the conclusion that out of ten officials, nine should be executed, and there would still be some who escape punishment.
This is a common feature of all long-standing empires. Faced with this situation, Franz felt helpless. After all, he couldn't just arrest everyone, could he?
Unlike Emperor Chongzhen, who couldn't tolerate any shortcomings, Franz believed that as long as one could get the job done, personal integrity could be overlooked temporarily. Issues would be noted and dealt with when the time is right.
"How did the numbers fall so short?" Franz inquired with concern.
"Your Majesty, the schools for compulsory education are mainly located in the cities, and our recruitment targets are just the cities or their surrounding areas. These areas happen to be the best-educated regions. At this time, the enrollment has missed its peak season, and those who are able to attend school have already done so. The Ministry of Education had counted all students eligible for admission this year. But families that are well-off would not choose to send their children to compulsory education schools," Count Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein explained.
There was no way around it, since Austria's compulsory education was considered education for the poor. To save expenses, all unnecessary facilities were cut, and even the teachers were just novices. The quality of education was merely better than having none.
Considering Austria's population, the number of elementary school students during this era should be around 6 million for the nation to achieve universal compulsory education.
"In that case, both the Ministry of Education and local governments should work together to fill the enrollment gap. We shouldn't waste our resources. At the same time, we need to standardize the teaching and management systems of church schools. If they want to defraud educational funds under the guise of being a school, let them face prison," Franz suggested after some thought.
If it wouldn't lead to negative repercussions, Franz would have taken the Prussian approach and directly seized control of education from the church.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. From now on, all students in Austria will have to participate in a unified exam organized by the Ministry of Education every year. If a large number of students fail, those inadequate schools will be shut down. In addition, we will send people to inspect schools periodically. If the textbooks are not those uniformly issued by the Ministry of Education, the teachers and school management will be held accountable," Count Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein replied.
The Austrian government, with its limited finances and teaching resources, couldn't fully implement compulsory education at once. In the future, these church schools would be targets for closure. Austria only needed the emperor's voice to be heard. The church should serve God. If they have extra energy, they can expend it in the colonies. The next generation's problems weren't their concern.
Once the emperor had set the direction, the Ministry of Education naturally worked towards it. A typical example was that from 1850 onwards, the Austrian government would cease its funding for church schools.
If they could run education on church funds without relying on government aid and still meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education, Franz had no objections. Such enthusiastic individuals should be commended. He didn't mind awarding them an education medal.
In any country, there are always a group of people who dedicate themselves silently. Austria was no exception. It's not always good to make broad, sweeping changes.