The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-14 00:00:00

glje (-S,tourinige Obserint.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14th, 1885.

OUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL BILL.

NATURALLY in England the elementary edu-
cation of the young is accounted a matter
or necessity ; and happily, it has been pro-
vided for by measures which, if not perfect,
are at any rate highly efficient. The very
peorest lad has it well within his power to
"break his births invidious bar," and grasp-
ing the potent lever of knowledge, work
therewith his way into respectability and
comparative comfort. For from the begin-
nings of scholarshiP which, failing funds at
home, the State provides for him, it is easy
to advance, by the application of his leisure
after the due pei formance of daily duty to
farther study, along the only royal road to
higher. Laming. Facilities for the attain-
ment of useful knowledge, theoretical, prac-
tical, and even technical are virtually un-
bounded. The only requisite for the ac-
quisitiot of a sufficient education to carry a
lad comfortably and usefully through life
now- i-days, is an inclination on his own
Fart to learn. Given an aptitude for assimi-
lating the teaching which is thus ready to
band and an intelligence at all above the
ordinary—combined with an industrious
turn of mind—the possibilities which present
themselves to the favoured youth whose lot
is cast in Britain are far-reaching and almost
limitless. The groundwork of these ines-
timable advantages is our State-aided edu-
cational system, which is so comprehensive
as to include within its working every child
in the land not provided for by the home
purse. Of course, such a splendid and
satisfactory system is a costly one ; but, care-
fully carried out in every detail, the expendi-
ture is a wise way of laying out the national
money, and cannot fail to have its full
compensation in reducing the necessity for
outlay on other things of a far less pleasing;
character. The contention is one so univer-
sally admitted that it seems almost un-
necessary to repeat it ; still, when the time
comes round for the periodical payment of
the Nation's children's school bill, a good
deal of grumbling is generally heard. This
is especially the case with those who con-
sider they have a personal grievance against
the School Board, and all things thereto
•pertaining. We allude to the great section
of British society, who, moderately well-to-
do, can just afford to give a fairly good
education to their own children, and from
choice or conscientious conviction,- prefer to
obtain it at a voluntary or denominational
school. It is on this !class that the School
Board system presses closest, for they are
called upon to contribute in a direct way
to the cost of educating the children of
those of their neighbours who elect to avail
themselves of the advantages the Board is
enabled to hold out. The patrons of volun-
tary schools tell us that they do not object
to contribute their quota to the teaching of
the poor, but strongly resent having to be
taxed to support institutions from which
others as well circumstanced as they are
receive benefit. Beyond the maintenance
of Board Schools everyone is called upon
directly or indirectly in fair proportion, ac-
cording to station in life, to assist in furnish-
ing the fund from which those Education
grants which are made to all recognised
elementary schools by Government arises.
This latter item in the British school-bill
meets with little or no questioning challenge.
The Poard School Rate must continue to
touch with seeming unfairness the parents
whose children do not attend the Board
School, otherwise the efficiency of the
system would be seriously impaired. Any
unnecessary expenditure or tendency to
extravagance on the part of School Boards
mast be discountenanced and prevented
locally as well as nationally; andfree public
opinion will make great transgression in
this respect impossible, even supposing a
disposition on the part of the authorities to
recklessness probably, or their power to
squander public money anw is ely at all
considerable. But Act of Parliament says
to the School Board: "Thus far shalt thou
go, and no farther"; and upholders ef the
old voluntary schools, which manage to
maintain a vigorous existence in spite of
State-assisted competion, must bear in mind
that they are at liberty at at- moment to
avail themselves for their own children of
the Board's advantages, towards which
national considerations render it necessary
for them to pay a sm3ll share, and that they
are refusing to do so from free choice and
to their own cost. The educational fare
supplied at each establ:shment is about
equal on the whole. Thor,' :Is little differ
ence between the two, apt: t from denomi-
national religious teachino., us lot weer' a
well-appointed third-class rail ‘vay carriage
and an ordinary second class one. The fare
is higher for the latter, and is cheerfully
paid by those who wish for :; lect cempany.
Similarly, those parents win, worikl have a
more select companionship for their young
hopefuls than is presented at a lear,lcheol,
where the children of the ye- y paor are in
attendance, must be prepared ii pay for the
selectness and difference W.ieil the very
nature of the Board School system has
created. A watchful eye must, and un-
doubtedly will be, kept that the newer in-
stitution does not tread too heavily on the
heels of its older denominational rival; foi
voluntary schools are still doing a work of
incalculable value. Their efficiency is
pleasingly great ; and probably the savour
of selectness and the denomivati .nal pre-
judices of the people will serve to keep them
in the fore-front
.of educational progress,
School Board rates notwithstanding. It is
satisfactory to note, from the return just
issued by the Education Department, that
the voluntary schools are earning the grants
as well as ever, and maintaining their average
attendances, though there are now such
numbers of scholars daily acquiring in Board
Schools that knowledge which is indeed
power. The old National, or Church of
England, Schcols still stand ahead of the
Board Schools, and far and away before all
other s,imilar institutions, denominational or
not, Loth as regards attendance and earnings
or the Government grant. The grant this
year—a very important item in England's
Elementary School bill— amonnts to over
three million pounds. it is a disbursement
far which John Bull receives an ample re-
:smiling at the attain-
tarn ; and he onolits
nients in his ch,,iren white it points to, to
pay it without his character. .tic growl.

THROAT IRRITATION AND CoVOII.—S :reuess and dry
mess, tickling and initatioa, in,ludug coJgh Jwi,,ffecting
the voice. For the.e. Imo; t iii. n,•2 1. piis'a til •ct•rtne
Jujube.. In contact with th, g:Anla at the um"'nt
they are ezeited by the act of sut;ki,,g, I,:e CEye lie in
these agreeable coafectioias b ,co Us., t-CtiVel, Ii-
Sold only in boxes, 74d., tin, la lid , labal:ed -.l.+Nre;
XPPS it Co,, HOFtneOpathio CbOali•Ot,, Londo i
George Monte, in his vr.rk OLI •NUSC and thin
Diseases," says: "The Glycer'.no .Ittjuh•s p• epared b
James Epps and. Co., are ,-.1 ,in1.,,14;ed se vice ai a
euretivs or palliative tsp.,. ."
While Dr. Grin
Holmes. Senior Physioisn to the Mu leirit; '1%,-,)at an
Ear Infirmary, writes: •4 ft. .r an ex,,cf.. i tru. T 1.
, a ',ay'
hund your Glycerine Jurbea of coils citralde h,-sieft.
(4 iih or without nielin.i. tr-it, ,‘ ow.) n atrx.o4t all f .rula
of throat disease."—lu -t uirOrltlAu Ep;•a's Ntedicitaca
are 50.4 by liorr.m, 136. 'hg ' "tr. el .
For a swami it.g c 0 'n, ~:.;,
.‘,1,1*. urtidung beverage
(Atha: t. sibury's Vim' Coe'", a .d d 9 not b..: ptrimaded
u ae, epi. a bubsvitiv,,e.

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