The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-28 00:00:00

Ely „3tontbrib'gt &sailer

SA.TURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1888.

NATIONAL EDUCATION.

TILYI Right Hon. G. J. Shaw-Lefevre
speaking at Bradford the other day, made a
plaint which any reflective person will
readily recognise the justice of. The speaker
waa addressing himself to the consideration
of a great national question, and he was
speaking at a purely non-political gathering
that of the members of the Chamber of. ,
Commerce of the bustling West-Xdings -
town. Reviewing our educational methods
from a national standpoint, hodep!ozed thei
the bulk of our endeavour was after ores-
mental culture instead of for the attainmah.-
of sound, useful knowledge of the practictil
sort, such as should equip the risMg geeem-
tion for making headway in thehotcornpeti
tion of life. We do not school our bie-,e
half enough in that wide keowledge e•
nature'sseconertiy which is such a source cf
power to its possessors ;w, do not teash
them as we should what wonders o-2 scienee
and art mighty minds have in ages pest dis-
covered and applied to man's service ;we
waste the golden yeare of youth in the pain-
ful processes Of memorisine deal langeacses
and mastering a classiral literature essiei,
very heasetifnl and very delightful to people
of leasned leisure, but of littleuss asa mein
of steabl'aie those ssclitainted with ite poetic'
ideal to achieve success in the latter-day!
struggle for ex istence. The great Universities
of Oxford and Cambridge set the fashion efi
givint te their student• this higher oduea-1
Gots,. this breed ground work of antiquelorc,
cambrons hit cry. abstrase mathemetics,
and obsolete :Inge:tees ; scattering the
teati%ilw• o.vel--oo ,Lt arca that *he,
learner's wl:ole, after life 13 of iesuiTicient
duration to enable him to so complete his
education as to make it available in emerg-
encies and adaptable to the necessities of
eles.encts. The controllers of other centres
of the nation's schooling follow in the foot-
steps of those responsible for the systercs
observed at the seats of learning on the Isis
And on the Cam ; and so we have the youth
of all Britain developing into dull lads
familiar with the intricacies of Greek gram-
mar and Latin verse, but innocent of. any '
useful knowledge, and blue - stockinged
ignoramuses quite incapable of supporting
themselves in lire. Acquaintance with
f[orace and other intellectual princes of the
_ nforgotten past is a fine thing for the man
sho has to make many platform speeches,
e. write papers for publication ; bat those
,vhose lot in life it is to do this are corn
saratively few, and even the total of tlds
•imall section of society is much diminished
•vhen one strikes off those who do theii
writing or speakine more for pleasure tha!,,
erofessionelly. What is wanted ieareverss.,
.3f training. -'tsrt the :Tonne with th •
tmpartatien of ae•- useful knowledga, an
that in the re:-: ri •nost pleasin;
School then t: : mselvesulderston.:
seedily e? shsle s '• et in 'i • 7
Progress ssve -theses sr- •thematical instrue-
i:7on one-- t±,
sequire seeed aits. :Le/matey ; essiessui.
hem with the werla Ofes-day so ::rely that
they may know its extest. its rssoe-eas, and
the distsibntioe of its people ; a I let them
be made aware of 113 much of recent -history
es shall enable them to grasp the existent
§ituation. So much for a foundation of
general knowledets. To that let there be
added a comprehensive aequaintance with
the laws of natural philosephy, with the
Ichievements of the scientists, and with the
eiscoveries of the explorers into the wonders
if nature; an understanding of human and
animal anatomy; ia a word, an education
'n all that is really useful which intellect,
intiring research, and hopeful experiment
Save laid bare in the past. This potent
snowledge men and women could turn to
'ife'a uses; they could take it out with them
,lay by day, and do everything to vrhichthey
et their hands in accordance with its vast
away. Then all would be efficient
trtificers in the great many-branched trade
existence. Intellectually-inclined persons
ender such a newer and better econemv
vould app4y themselves, when pot enga,gea
in the serions business of life, to the study
of the literature, poetry, and history of
.lassie times, and to the gaining of a know-
:dge of:the dead graces of tongues which
it ae'ssa have been spoken only by the
.cholar. The beauties of the antique world
ssetild not one of them be lost ;they would
st a greater delight to the many who in the
'eisare of life's afternoon, lingeredcseer their
imaginative glories. But let the practical
• saclike in the manner of making the best
: the world by the fall utilisation of man-
;ad's store of living knowledge be con-
- adored as am anterior and ,paramount duty
enlightentel seeiety to its children. Oleos-
, •teatal education might he lefl to other
than the nation's whenever such a
;..formed system of schooling is instituted ;
ir it would assuredly nurture us up a race
resourceful and vertebrate children,
igurous enough to attend to all thsh. own
raus ti;rough life. Professors may shriek
R inst. Any such innovation, but common
would adjudge a revolution on the
.1 flee suggested to be a movement towards
•a infinitely better state than the bad old
s.-stem which condemns the youth of to-day
t spend seveneights of their tuition-time
1 learning intellectual lumber of little use
! • tlaeni is latc,r life.

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