The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-03 00:00:00

CORRESPONDEN CE.

We visit it to be distinctly und,erstood that by inserting
letters in this column, iredo not thereby identify ourselves
mith the opinions of our Correspondents.

To the Ef lit or of the " Obserz%r."

Ste,—lf your correspondent, " A Friend of Ethics-
tion," whose letter appeared in your last week's issue,
had placed the little word not before his noes de plume,
it would have been more consistent with the views and
statements advanced by him therein.
In the former part of his letter he would have us be-
lieve that he is desirous of seeing "every child in the
town well taught in the elementary branches of a sound
education," but as he draws towards the end of his pro-
duction his true colours become very transparent, and
with a simplicity almost touching in its confiding sin-
cerity, he thinks taking all things into account," "it
would be far better, and far more for the peace of the
inhabitants (and the older I get, Mr. Editor, the more I
long for peace) that we should go on as we are," dm
This, then, is what this champion of education desires,
"to go on as we are'. forsooth ! and allow those for
whom the Elementary Education Act was specially in-
tended, to remain in their ignorance and rags, uncured
for, to run about our streets, and ultimately to swell the
already terrible number of paupers and criminals
.at an
increasing cost to the community commensurate with
them degradation. Truly, charity like this should meet
its reward, as doubtless it will ! I must confess that I
cannot understand how any nian—selfishness apart—Mt
per.:ua.le himself into the belief that this Act wo, pro-
vided for any other purpose than the education of every
child in England and Wales. It is true that in towns
and parishes where it mu be ehown 4r) the satisfaction of
the Education Department that sufficient school accom-
modation exists, the legislature has left it optional with
the ratepayers either to appoint a School Board or not;
but because it is so, it by no means follows that it was
"never the intention of the Act to interfere with the
preseut status of denominational schools," or "that the
functi,n of the School Board was simply to supply any
deficiency which might exist beyond the limits of their
operation," as stated by your correspondent. On the
contrary, if the intention had been to dispense with
School Boards entirely where it could be shown that
sufficient accommodation already existed, the Act would
not have left their formation optional ; therefore it is
plain that the Act is intended to be taken in its entirety,
and seeing that the denominational schools have hitherto
failed to reach the lowest stratum of society, it is in any
case absolutely necessary that School Boards should be
formed to carry out the whole of the provisions of the
Act.

With reference to the religious "difficulty," as it is
termed, I think it is easily to be got over. A little more
exertion on the part of the clergy and ministers to
whom, and not to the schoolmaster, it belongs, as I take
it, to teach religion—and who, at all events, are paid to
do so—will meet the case ; and that they may have ample
time at their disposal for the performance of this import-
ant duty, it la highiy desirable that they should be ex-
culled from serving upon the School Board, the functions
of which would, in m).opiniou, be efficiently discharged
by men ef good business ability, representing as equally
as possible every Set and class. in such hands only may
we expect all the teriairementa of the Act to be fairly
carried out.

I remain, Sir,
Yonra faithfully,
DIOGENES.
Stourbridge, December lit, 1870.