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

THE EDUCATION BILL.

' A town's meeting was held in Birmingham, on
Monday, to consider this bill. The mayor presided,
and the att.ndance included a large number id Non-
conformist ministers and members of the Education
League. A letter was read fro n Mr. Dixon, in which
be stated his approval of the objects of the meeting.
A resolution expressing regret at the delay in the
establishment of schools, at the partial formation of
school boards, the requirement of school fees, the
absence of compulsion, and payment for theological
teaching, and insisting on the necessity of free moos,
tarian and compulsory education, was moved by Mr.
Chamberlain, chairman 4 the executive commi•tee of
the League, seconded by Mr. Dale, a Nonconformist
minister, and carried unanimously. On the motion of
Mr. Collings, seconded by Mr. Radford, a working
111101, a petition was adopted embodying the views of
the meeting, arid the mayor was requested to ac-
company the deputation.

A conference was held at Sunderland on Monday
night, for the purpose of considering Mr. Forster's
bill, and was largely attended by Churchmen, Dis-
senters, and Catholics representing different views of
the question. The report presented by a committee
appointed for the purpose stated that the bill contained
principles on which a satisfactory solution of the toes.
tion might be based, but suggested a variety of amend.
meets, among which were that educational boards
should be chosen partly by boards of guardians, and
that, if direct compulsion is to be sanctioned, it ought
to be made imperative on all boards to carry it out.
The most important questions discussed were these :
Shall clause The so modified as to do away with the
noTest-Py of a conscience clause? Shall the principle
of crmtpultdon ins direct form remain part of the bill;
and, if so, shall its application be defined by the Act,
or left to the discretion of the local boards?

Several meetings were held on Monday night at
Manchester. A resolution was adopted at a gathering
composed of Non-conformist ministers and others, pro-
testing against religious teaching in day schools
supported by public taxation.
A meeting of the Northampton Diocesan Church
Association was held at Peterborough on Monday.
The bishop of Peterborough presided. The object of
the meeting was to consider the Government Educa-
tion Bill. The feeling of the clergy in the eastern
district seems to tend towards an acceptance of the
bill, with some modifications of detail.

The Canterbury Branch E•lucation League held a
meeting on Monday, and approved of the amendment
made by the executive committee to the Government
Bills. The mayor and others will join the deputation
to Mr. Gladstone.

On S'lturday, at Newcastle, a conference was held
of the North Staffordshire Certificated Teachers' Asso-
ciation, which embraces most of the certificated
teachers of all denominations in the division of the
county. The details of the Government Education
Bill were discussed at length. The following resolution
was unanimously adopted :

That this association, while generally arproving the Edu-
cation Bill introduced by the Government, is of npidon that
direct compulsory education, enforced by the Central Govern-
ment, Is far more suited to the wants of the country than Is
'permissive' compulsory education by local school boards."
Another proposition was,

That the adoption of undenominational education, as
carried out by the British and Foreign School Society, will
meet the religious difficulty far better than will a con-
science "

clause

This was
_met by the amendment,

" That it is desirable to maintain the system of deno-
minational teaching, with a conscience clause introduced."

The amendment was carried by a large majority.
At a conference of clergy and laity held at Bedford,
under the presidency of the Lord Bishop of Ely, the
provisions of the Government bill were brought under
dismseion. His lordship expressed strongly his con.
viction that education, in order to be a blessing to the
country, must be founded upon religion. If he had to
choose between bringing up his own children under
mere secular influences or having them instructed by a
Dissenting minister, he would incomparably sooner
adopt the latter alternative. (Cheers.) The poor had
for the last fifty years come to rely so much upon
schools for all kinds of instruction that they scarcely
attempted to supply any deficiencies themselves ; and
were religious principles now witharawn from the
school training the great probability was that the
children of the poor would be likely to get religious
education nowhere. On the whole the bill seemed to
be sa.isfactory, although there were details which
it would be desirable to have modified. Hislordship re.
ferret briefly to three points—the conscience clause, the
rating, and the compulsory provisions- as subjects
for discussion, and expressed a fear lest rating may
injure voluntary efforts. He trusted the bill would
meet the demands of the nation, although it might
undergo some modifications in matters of detail. The
following resolutions were carried unanimously
That this conference of clergy and laity of Bedford and the
neighbourhood desire to express their general satisfaction
with the proposals made in the Government hill for providing
sound primary education for the children of the poor, with-
out pledging themselves to every detail; and consider that
seek proposals on the whole fairly and honourably meet the
general differences of public opinion on this important sub-
ject, end are fitted practically to meet the education wants
which are unanimously acknowledged to exist"

'This meeting, considering it would be impossible to
carry out satisfactorily a compulsory system, direct or in-
ditect, through the aid of local boards, express a wish that
sotuo external power, additional Or otherwise, should be
created for the purpose."

Mr. Chadwick, C. 8., read a paper on Monday even-
ing to the Social Science Awociation, at their roome in
the Adelphi, London, on the Government Education
Ball.

Ile argued that before compulsion was adopted, we must
have a general system of education established, based upon
good schools—an end which could not be attained by the
machinery of the Government Bill. The thing to be first
done was to investigate the school condition of the country,
so as to ensure a better standard of education to be serried
out upon the 2,000,000 or more of non-attendant children,
after a plan that should make the school in harmony with the
place of work. Under the British and Foreign School system
the work of imparting the three It's at village schools occupied
els or seven years. and incurred a total expense of Eta per
head, whereas by the half-time principle, and • division of
educational labour, as advocated by himself, there would be
a considerable saving of time and expense In the imparting
both of primary and secondary education, but such a
national system could not be organised or worked by the
elective bodies proposed by the Bill, and he preferred that
the matter should be entrusted to • new body—One third to
be nominated by the Department of Education, on the
principle of the metropolitan district boards; one third to be
elected representatives of ratepayers, with • fair property
qualification, like special jurors ; and &third nominated by the
supporters of the existing school. ; the religious difficulty to
be left for adjustment by the Government, as ills in Holland
and in Germany. The whole should be placed in charge of •
properly organised educational department, which should
not he crippled in Its action by the engagements or the hur-
ried attention of changing political chiefs, whose average
duration of office hitherto had been little more than two
years.

A discussion followed, in which several gentlemen
took part, the general feeling appealing to coincide
with the views of Mr. Chadwick, more especially that
nothing should he done to endanger the passing of Mr.
Forster's Bill.