The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-25 00:00:00

HIUIiER EDUCATION FOE ADULTS.

MEETING IN THE CORN EXCHANGE.

The fourteenth annual meeting and conference
of the South htaffordshire Association for the
Promotion of Adult Education and Evening
Schools, was held at Stourbridge on Monday
afternoon and evening. The annual business
meeting was held in the committee room of the
Associated Institute.—Lord Lyttelton was in tlr.:

chair.
iiThe annual report of the association, drawn up
by Mr. F. Talbot, the secretary, was laid before
the meeting. It stated that the history of the
association fur the year had nothing to record of
improvement in the condition either of mechanic's
and other institutes for the promotion of the
education of adults, or of evening schools for the
promotion of the education of young persons of
both stiles. The great multiplication of daily
papers, and the ease with which they could be ob-
tained at the earliest hours tLroughout the district,
had thrown the ordinary newsrooms of the
Mechanics 'lnstitute and the working men's clubs

into the back ground; and it was only where, as
in the case of Dudley Mechanics' Institute, the
Stottrbridge Associated Institute, the Willenhall
Literary institute, and the Oldbury Working
Men's Club, and one or two others, where the
committee made a somewhat extensive provision

of newspapers and periodicals, that the newsrooms •
attracted rea ters in numl.ers corresponding to the
amebas which were found in the thirteen yr ars
since this institution started in its course. The
libraries of the destitute, with a few exceptions,
sueh as Dudley and Stourbridgo, were not so well
resorted to as they were a few years ago, partly
from the same cause. The opening of the free
reading-rooms and libraries at Walsall, Wolver-
hampton, and Bilston, and the striking daily
results to be seen in the magnificent reading-room
and libraries, especially of the noble reference
library in the neighbouring town of Birmingham,
altogether disproved the notion of a want of
literary taste among the artisan class; and rather
suggested that it was poverty of resources in the
institutes themselves, and want of adaptation to
the altered circumstances of the people and the
I times, which led to the desertion of so many of
the mechanics institutes. Of the above-named
I towns, Bilston is the last which has opened a free
I library, and the reading-room is even now too
, small for the members using it. Readings and
entertainments which, eight years ago, were in
full exercise almost everywhere in this district,
I had gone almost entirely out of fashion. Com-
menced with excellent effect as readings from the
works of the best authors, and interspersed with
pleasant songs, recitations, and occasionally very
good concerted music, they were deservedly
popular; but, by degrees, the sensdMnal and
comic element prevailed, and they fell into dis-
repute, and were now, for the most part, numbered
with the things that were. Seeing the success
still attending such entertainments in other parts
of the country, it was to be regretted that means
were not adopted to secure their recurrence every
winter. Lectures were seldom given in connec-
tion with any institute, Dudley only containing
a course of lectures, rather of an amusing
character, however, than of a character suggestive
of research into any particular department of
literature or science. The committee would sug-
gest that it would be desirable for institutes to
have courses of lectures on literature or science,
and they might instance the town of Reading,
where a combination of institutee had brought
some well known men to deliver lectures. In
class work for instruction in languages, Dudley
and Stourbridge seemed to be the only institutions
in which they had been attempted, and the
attempt at Dudley fell partly through in conse-
quence of the teacher not fulfilling his engage-
ments. Young men's associations seemed to bees
numerous in the district as ever they were, and to
be engaged in certain denominations in meetings,
essays, Ac., with occasional efforts at the establish-
ment of classes. The efforts which the association
had made 1871 to organise classes for the higher
education of adults in language, mathematics,
and other subjects, in Walsall, Wolverhampton,
and Stourbridge, by a union of those towns. The
examinations in April were carried on by papers
by the Rev. H. Williams, of Wolverhampton, who
reported that the papers he received from Stour-
bridge were nearly all very satisfactory. A grant
of .filir lOs had been made towards the expenses
of the classes. In June last the class. of the

-.--
Dudley Mechanics' Institute applied to the com-
mittee to examine the classes that had been in-

structed in Latin, GerilllLll, French, and Mathe-
matics. The classes had not been carried on

quite in accordance with the scheme of the assMia-
tion, and the secretary, in the absence of any
order, could only undertake to examine the classes,
and to refer the award for the examiner to a
future meeting of the committee. The secretary
accordingly attended at the Institute on the 25th
June, and superint ended the examination of candi-
dates in arithmetic, algebra, Latin, French, and
German from questions prepared by the Rev. H.
Williams, and other evening schools, through the
operation of the revised code of 1871,decreased in
number. The committee having reference to the
increased requirements of the code of the Educa-
tion Department, and being anxious to assist as
far as possible in the support of the schools likely
to continue open, issued a broad-sheet offering aid
, in the purchase of text books, grants of tracts for '
the lower classes in schools, grants to teachers on
account of certificates obtaihed by their scholars
in o:lamination on certain subjects presented by
toe committee ;and by circular issued in December
they offered a course of lectures on physiology as
applied to health. The schools which took advan-
tage of the revised code at a reduced rate were,
St. John's and St. James's (Wolverhampton);
Wordsloy and Wynne, Holly Hall, Amblecote, •
and Messrs. Lloyd's (Wed nesbu ry). The total
expenditure in both was .221 17s 9,1, and the total
receipts from schools had been £7. The report
from the examiner of night schools (Rev. H.
Williams) was by far the most satisfactory docu-
ment of the Had that the committee had yet re-
ceived. The payments earned by leathers
amounted to £2l 10s. The lectures on physiology
as applied to health were given by Mi. Hamilton
to the following schools :—.tmblecote, The Lye;
&amber Mill, St. James's, St. Georges (Wolver-
hampton), from Messrs. Chance's (Oldbury).
There could hardly be a doubt that these had
been much appreciated by the scholars of these
evening schools. The cost of the lectures, inclu-
ding travelling expenses, was £2O 13s sd. The
treasurer's report, made up to the 31st March,
showed a balance at that time in favour of the
association of £252 3s 3d. Having paid special
sums mentioned in this report since then, the
balance now stood at £197 17s 11d. The annual
subscriptions were considerably reduced by with-
drawals and deaths. The committee had reason
to suppose that the withdrawals were partly caused
by the apparent pecuniary prosperity of the as-
sociation, as shown by the large balance in hand.
This was due to the temporary possession of a
la^ge temporary fund, which in no long time woult:
be exhausted, and the association would then have
to rely on its ordinary resources, which were
quite inadeqnste to its needs. The committee,
therefore, earnestly pressed on their friends the
necessity of the annual income being kept up and
increased. The report having been received and
adopted, the other business was transacted, and
officers were elected for the ensuing year. Lord
Lyttelton was re-elected president, and the vice-
presidents were reappoiuted, with the addition of
the Rev. H. R. Sandford's name. The Executive
Committee were re-elected, with the adaition of
the Rev. H. Sherrard and the Rev. G. Hodson.
Mr. J. H. Chance was reappointed treasurer, the
Rev. H. Williams examiner, and Mr. F. Talbot
secretary.
THE AFTERNOON CONFERENCE.

Tne Conference was held at three o'clock, Lord
Lyitolton again presiding.
A. discussion followed on the present state of
adult education in the district, and on the means
which alined for its improvement.