▁in ▁students ▁att ending ▁secondary ▁school ▁under ▁the ▁E y schen ▁government : ▁ 8 7 5 ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 - 1 8 8 0 ▁compared ▁to ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 - 1 9 2 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁also ▁tack led ▁primary ▁education ▁through ▁the ▁Education ▁law ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁This ▁abol ished ▁school ▁fe es ▁and ▁made ▁school ▁mand atory ▁for ▁ 7 ▁years . ▁Most ▁controvers ial ly , ▁it ▁rolled ▁back ▁the ▁Church ' s ▁position ▁in ▁schools : ▁teachers ▁no ▁longer ▁needed ▁a ▁certificate ▁of ▁mor ality ▁from ▁their ▁priest ▁to ▁be ▁employed ▁and ▁were ▁no ▁longer ▁obliged ▁to ▁teach ▁religious ▁education . ▁The ▁law ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁bitter ▁arguments ▁between ▁the ▁Left ▁B loc ▁( social ists ▁and ▁liber als ) ▁and ▁the ▁cler ical ▁Right . ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁and ▁social ▁policy ▁As ▁in ▁other ▁countries ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁social ▁question ▁was ▁being ▁raised ▁by ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁modern ▁industry . ▁The ▁neighbour ing ▁German ▁Empire ▁under ▁B ism ar ck ▁had , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁started ▁expand ing ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁through ▁the ▁en act ment ▁of ▁laws ▁introdu cing ▁health ▁ins urance , ▁accident ▁ins urance ▁and ▁old ▁age ▁and ▁invalid ity ▁ins urance . ▁E y schen ▁had ▁been ▁charg é ▁d ' aff aires ▁in ▁Berlin ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁friends