Papers for the Schoolmaster.

No. XXXVII.-NEW SERIES.

THE MONTH.

JANUARY 1ST, 1868.

After he had

Earl Russell took advantage of the short session of Parliament in November, to introduce certain resolutions regarding Education. The Earl was very feebly supported, even by his own party. concluded his speech, he was followed by the Lord President, the Duke of Marlborough, who made a very successful defence, and there the debate closed. Seeing that Reform is now removed from the arena of party conflict, the leader of the Whigs is anxious to find something else, and Education has been fixed upon. The zeal, however, of the Whigs for Education, is new-born, and they cannot declaim against the present system with any assurance, as they themselves are its authors.

Earl Russell took the occasion, however, of speaking against the Church of England, and stated it as his opinion that a child would learn more about the Christian Religion by hearing the Bible read daily in the Authorized version, than by learning by rote creeds and catechisms. As well might he say, that a child would know accurately the laws of England by hearing Blackstone's Commentaries, or become acquainted with the History of England, by listening to the narrative of Hume. The text of the Scripture without explanation, is almost a dead language to a child, and not a word of explanation is allowed to be given in the secular schools.

The system of Education dwelt upon by the noble Earl, if it can be at all accurately defined, is the compulsory method. It only needed the condemnation that Mr. Disraeli gave it, at Edinburgh, to recommend it to the notice and approval of the Whig leader. But it will be a very sorry thing to fight about; and does not promise any brilliant success.

This month, the Hours of Labour Regulation Bill, and the Extension of the Factory Act will come into force. No immediate result of any magnitude is to be expected from it, as at present it only compels lads under

Eleven, who go to work, to receive Education. When in full operation, all lads under Thirteen, who go to work, will be required to receive ten hours' schooling a week. There is no doubt that this is a step in the right direction, and we believe that it is the only kind of Compulsory Education that will be adopted in this country.

More attention is now being paid to what is called Technical Education. The Associated Chambers of Commerce sent a deputation to confer on this subject with the Vice-President of the Committee of Council. His reply was encouraging, and fully appreciative of the importance of this subject. It is intimately connected with our success in the arts and manufactures, especially as foreign countries have taken the initiative in this respect.

THE EDUCATION CONGRESS AND ITS RESOLUTIONS.

The teachers of Middle Class Schools have been holding a conference in Birmingham, for the discussion of important matters. Undoubtedly their position at present is unsatisfactory. Any man, however shallow his attainments, who is possessed of a more than average amount of assurance, and a little disposable capital, can open an Academy for Young Gentlemen, and for a time find his project as successful as he could have anticipated. Small prizes are distributed at the end of the quarter, testifying to Master Jones's proficiency in Latin or Mathematics, and the parents, in blissful ignorance of the real state of the case, exhibit these certificates of attainments to their friends, and bless the kind preceptor, who has taken so much trouble with their offspring. Meanwhile Master Jones is gratified by being allowed to do pretty much as he likes. But by and by, this sham becomes exposed. The scholar becomes examined by some impartial person, and his disgraceful ignorance made known. The highest resentment is felt against the teacher of the Academy, who is regarded as an impostor. Instances like these bring private and middle class teachers into disrepute. They naturally wish to make them of as rare occurrence as possible, by giving the public a test by which they can distinguish the qualified teacher from the charlatan. And so far, we doubt not, the sympathies of all will be with them.

At this first meettng three resolutions were carried, which are, however, of unequal importance.-The first opens two abstract questions, capable of very nice treatment, but in the discussion of which we are not going

to be prolix on the present occasion. "Education," says the resolution, "is entitled, as much as medicine, divinity, or law, to be regarded as a distinct profession." Taken literally, no one, we suppose, will doubt this. What most likely the resolution means is, that education is a profession of equal dignity and importance with medicine, law, or divinity, and that schoolmasters ought to be regarded with the same respect as doctors, lawyers, or clergymen. Speaking theoretically, we are decidedly of opinion that this position is just. Several things however are obstacles in the way of its universal acknowledgement. Many schoolmasters are also clergymen, and they prefer to be chiefly regarded as such. Again, private schoolmasters, as a class, are not sufficiently numerous to compel society at large to acknowledge their claims. The greatest difficulty, however, is the presence of so many adventurers, of shallow learning, who regard a private school merely as a profitable pecuniary investment.

The resolution goes on to say that the educator requires special training as much as the physician, the lawyer, or the divine. That he does require special training we readily admit. But we are unable to subscribe to the sweeping assertion, that he requires it in the same degree, as the physician, or the lawyer. This is a species of exaggeration peculiarly apt to creep into resolutions.

The second and third resolutions are the logical development of the two parts of the first. A Registration Act is required, in order to exclude unqualified persons from the office of teacher; and Colleges to train candidates for their future work. As to these matters, middle class teachers could not do better than adopt the policy of those professions with which they compare themselves. There is no reason why the Royal College of Preceptors should not do the same work as the Royal College of Surgeons. Candidates for the Fellowship of the latter College have to pass the Matriculation Examination of the London University, or one equivalent to it. If no one were admitted a member of the Royal College of Preceptors, till he had either graduated at one of the Universities, or passed the Matriculation Examination of the London University, the membership of that institution would be more valued than it is, If all Middle Class Schoolmasters were expected to be members of the College of Preceptors, and the great majority of them were so, this would furnish a test which could be readily employed. The publication of the list of members of this college would then serve the same purpose as the proposed Registration. From the excessive caution with which the House of Commons deals with matters of this kind, we are not sanguine of its success. As to the necessity for special training for Middle Class Schoolmasters, no one would think of disputing it. Universities exist principally for this

But in the opinion of many the very purpose, and if they are not

available they ought to be made so. We are glad to find a Congress of Teachers taking these matters boldly in hand, and we congratulate them that they have been able to agree upon a basis for the further advancement of the question.

EDUCATION IN 1868.

The year, on which we are just entering, promises to be an important one in an educational point of view. A Government Education Bill ls confidently expected; one which shall do for the education of the people, what the Reform Bill of 1867 is said, by its authors, to have done for their representation-settled it for a generation, at least. The ex-President of the Council has publicly admitted that the present Government have great and peculiar advantages in dealing with the question. The Government has almost promised to lay a Bill before Parliament. We may be allowed then to hope that something will be done, especially as leading statesmen of all parties admit the necessity of action, and the rank and file have had their little say upon the subject at every convenient opportunity. What that something will be, it would be premature to attempt to conjecture; but we trust the new Act, whenever it is passed, will retain all that is good in the present system, and provide for such an extension of Government aid and Government Inspection, and compulsory attendance, as shall put a well-conducted school within the reach of every child in Her Majesty's dominions, and compel all parents who profit by their children's labour to mingle with their work such an amount of schooling as will fit them for the due discharge of their duties in after

life.

But, even if these expectations are not realized, if no Education Bill is passed, or even introduced, the year 1868 will undoubtedly be marked in future history as the commencement of a new era in educational improvement. To-day, an Act, passed very quietly during the last Session, after the turmoil and agitation of the Reform conflict had partially subsided, comes into operation, which is destined, we firmly believe, to have a greater and more beneficial effect upon the education of the poor in this country, than any measure regulating the terms upon which grants may be administered, rates levied, or schools provided. We are fully alive to the importance of making due educational provision, and of doing this in the best manner that the wisdom of Parliament can devise; but every practical educationist knows full well that the difficulty to be conquered,

the one greatest and most insuperable obstacle to the spread of education, has been the inadequate use made of the means provided. Capricious and irregular attendance, or an absolute non-attendance at school, partly pro duced by the apathy and indifference of parents, partly arising from the demand for juvenile labour, has left so many of the children now growing up to man's estate, in the profound ignorance which educational enquirers have brought to light, and at which educational reformers stand aghast. The employer has too often been a successful competitor with the schoolmaster; and the latter has found his work marred and rendered almost nugatory thereby. What was the use of his daily providing the educational banquet, if the guests summoned would not come and partake of it ?

The Act to which we refer- The Workshops' Regulation Act, 1867' -gives the teacher very considerable assistance towards removing this serious obstacle from his path. It applies to the great majority of trades and manufactures, the principle which has been so markedly successful in the case of Factory Workers, that in the case of all children employed in them, education and labour shall henceforth go hand in hand; that the juvenile worker shall also be the scholar, and thus makes the school and workshop auxiliaries to each other. With some temporary exceptions, postponing the full operation of the Act to the 1st July, 1870, it provides that henceforth 'no child under eight years of age shall be employed in any handicraft,' that is, in any manual labour, exercised by way of trade, or for purposes of gain, in or incidental to the making any article, or part of an article, or in or incidental to the altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, or otherwise adapting for sale any article'; that that no child under the age of thirteen years shall be employed in any workshop, that is-in any room or place whatever, whether in the open air or under cover, in which any handicraft is carried on by any child, young person, or woman, to which and over which the person, by whom such child, young person, or woman is employed, has the right of access or control,'-for more than six-and-a-half hours on any one day; and 'the occupier of a workshop who has employed a child for any time amounting in the whole to not less than fourteen days, shall, on Monday in every week during the employment of such child, obtain from the principal teacher (not disqualified for teaching by an Inspector of Factories), of some school, a certificate of attendance at such school, of not less than ten hours in the previous week'; such certificate to be kept one month, and produced to any Inspector, or Sub-Inspector of Factories, whenever required by him during that period. The penalty on a parent for failing to cause a child so employed to attend school is twenty shillings for each offence, and on an employer, three pounds.