The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-14 00:00:00

LORD GRANVILLE ON EDUCATION.

On Monday la.st Earl Granville, the Seeretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, and the Lord Warden of the
Cinque Port,, attended at the Royal Assembly
Rooms, Margate, for the purpose of presenting cer-
tificates and prizes to the successful candidates at the
recent Oxford Local Examination for the Margate
centre.

The Mayor lniefly opened the prneeedings by
making a few rerearkA tet the advantages derivable

f7r—n— ;duration, after whieh the hon. secretary (th 9.

I:ev. G. CoUhl) 'read the report of the committee of
thiA centre.

Earl firtinville then distributed the prizes and Vili-
versity certificates, after which hit lordship sahib—

hitter a.l sweet are much mixed in this well and, lifter
having hail the eseecdingly agreeable gratincation of dis-
tributing the priz., this .by. and seeing the very great in-
terest you all appeared to show in that distribution, I am
sorry that cwt.,,, sh,ill.l oblige me to inflict upon you a
certain amount of .l'-er,ations connected with the occupa-
tion we are about. I plause ) The subject of education—
of instruction—both ,•ular and retitill, aspects is
one which Is pole, tls i •,, ~ustible If treated by persons
who are competent to • ~h it. Many of the questions
telating to it will 4,1...1 • '.•• the subject of controversy—
many of the details , . to day have to he con-
sidered ; but I ambaon, • •• ni addressing SOlllllllerous
. . . .

. • - •
a. ,semblyas this I •I . • per,ori in this roon, re-
,-4 t In • slightest arei. " , , t hat •generatly educrdii ,n
14,4 the .i.atest Imp-rt. ••r was of zreater iinport-
ate, (bail ,lUring the art. ~• ins, hich we live. (Ai,
e.) f an. happy Otero has been whisk
has tv.frai t, rmed a in id the last half cen-
tury, tending to the dir of r hication—the dittusi i, of
he.wii-'ire—aniong all and grades of the ,ethi, eta
UI tiie Ii on. Cheers I late events have even added
t.oint to that wileh has been so often expressed be-
tide. *alio af the great International Exhibitions held
„„.„ anal elsewlacroi.,see powerfully directed the public
nand to the ailvantairea • I education in nearly all tile lair-
suits WM. beleng te. I.4e3ce. Unfortunately, last year, a
great and tciribbi war rai:Alriet o neiobbonrii and
fri.•ndly nations cf Ira of the mod powerful
nation.; In the world. Happily, at this tune peace has
been entirety reetored, thongh war has left many hitter
PUB behind It, we have derived fruit from the thorny tree,
MI we do recognise, even in war, the value of persevering
education as being of the greatest immittanee. losow
And Perhaps I may refer to what we used to say i.f the
uertaaha with regard to eilneatiom We all agreed that
they were a studious nation We all nerved that they ws or
very persevering hi their search after literary and scientific
truth, but we were apt to say that they were merely students
—that they could think, but coiiht not act. It is clear that
at.ti,•4 Is not Impaired by education, but Is aided by it.
Oldrbillse.j The feeling which has exi-ted in this country
." Saul b.en wittiont very great and very manifest results,
lii which coneuirent efforts have been made to improve
the education of all classes. We have hail the re-
form of et r public sehoolir—our great public schools
—telorm of the Universities, we have hail the Govern-
Ment clna Parliament doing their best to provide not
01,17 midely-ipn-iet but eiticlent education—elementary
education—tor the labouring classes and the subject
of middle sehools has not been neglected either by the
Etat° or by three of the greatest Universities which are ex-
tant at present in England. I honey° one of the most wieful
re.ults id this movement Las keen them, examinations eon.
Shaded by Qatar.! awl hanslaridge, alai which have had ouch

a great effect In not only stimulating education of the class
which has been given 1,, onr voting friends who are here
present, but which hos also had the manliest and important
residt of opzning cut the defects of that i.duntion. I think
it is now nearly so years since Dr. Arnold pointed eat, in two
powerful letters, the disadvantages which schoolmasters of
a certain class, not the highest grammar schools, hut rather
commercial schools, 10,011441 under, whose reputations
rested entirely upon the opinion o I their immediate neigh.
hourioruit, VOlllpoSeti of pets as who very often could not
take that sound judgment which more practical persons
could du with regard to the merits of masters and of the
schools they presided over. I:xlmin:ilium, which hail been
going on for sonic ye:ire with 51.2.11 at niece., nave in a very
wrest degree tiuntdied that aunt awl I aill glad to use. in
various ways, how really welcome and how much :quire-
aided they are m this part of the country, ugh which
I have the honour to be ollidally coml.:tel. Avers.)

After a few ',marks encourneing those who leol nt been
quite so fortumite tpi sonic of the competitors who mid ohs
tained ~; lordship cr,dinued would ask you to
consider As diff..rent nre Li&o requircuicids for 9,br0.1s in
Which these our y,aftvg friemis have 11,11 VIOOIZO.I foist weal
they were some half f runic; how touch more It ex-
pected from tlwin : and I u 5:4.1 :irkk y.m also to consider,
even w ith regard to sone of these “11,1.7.11e0111 candidates,
whether it has not been a great advantage Pi them, the ad.
11:ti mai stimolus to prepare tor these e‘aminations, and
w Minor It has hccn other,s im than It us 'Mi, illtnacallai
net die the pro,a of ansucling or endeavouring to answer
the lIIICSUUrIS fait to them by the examiners. I believe
that there is unmixed good in the attempt, and that it is
also useful in making masters scan-it out what points
they have been defirient it, teitehing—in stimulath, the
children to he more industrious and energetic in "their
study of the subject : and most especially useful for the
parents, not ti allow theta to be deluded as to the quality
of the education their children receive. and not theta.
triers to he too wayward in the opinions they form as to the
character of the education their children should receive.

After alluding to that portion of his speech delivered at
Dover last week in which reference Was made to the con.
fide:ice parents should have in the masters of the schools to
which they scud their ehildren, the noble Lord Urged upon
those scholars who had now been unsuccessful to persevere,
and to deten ii ~,,, If possible, to carry off prizes nonillion
year. Ile next spoke of the great pleasure afforded him to
baud a certificate to a young lady who, he said, so well
deserved it, and referred to the important, of giving to both
sexes a liberal and auitable education. Ile added that if
they encouraged a larger number of candidates among the
fair sex they would find that knowinslge wag not unity
power, but afforded gm-at eejoyment. It an.. 9 Very import-
ant that they should have the best possible education for
the purpose of directing the education of their own children.
In conclusion, Earl Granville said :—With regard to the
successful competitors, I think thane not one ward to say. I
think you must have observed by their countenances that
they were conscious that they had done their duty to them-
selves, and to those wino are dear to thein. They have al-
ready been congratulated by their mmters and their relations
and friends, and a tribute, I am sorry to say, from a mere
stranger would add very little to the satisfaetion they must
feel. I will only venture to entreat them to go on with the
wick they have so well begun. It is a fine thing to mount a
ladder, it Is a magnitieeot thing to be at the top of a ladder;
but it is something almost like a ridiculous position for a
person to get up two or three steps and there remain, not
knowing whether he is going up or coming down. I trust
they will remember that Ms day has thrown a great re-
sponsibility upon them, and their duty will be to remember,
Am the rest of their lives, the good beginning they have made,
and to determine to end, as I tnist the great majority will
do, weful in their own sphere. and useful in a different
direction to the country to which, I am sure, they are proud
to belong. I hope they will find the learning they have
aequired a comfort and a pleasure as well as an instrument
of power inn their after life.