The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

MOH RAT= AT WIDOW WM&

1 It 4.7. 77. ajorg74:: Rh. 4:4n.
TO-11411MOW .4*a111.11, 7k. Ise.-- Aftsiwo, 7. Wm.

LONDON, FRIDAY, FEB. 21,

Tii E Oxford Middle Class Examinations may now
bo considered an important means of promoting
sound education. At a time when so much is
said of the failure of the Privy Council system to
secure a knowledge of reading, writing, and arith-
metic, it is well to remember that the middle class
education in private schools was charged with
precisely the same defects, and probably with
equal reason. The discovery of this defect sug-
gested to Dr. Triiru, of Rugby, the plan which
has for wine years been adopted both by Oxford
and Cambridge, of examining those who arc not
members of the University, in order to test their
knowledge. And the success of the scheme
is due not only to the fact that parents
have thus an e.tsy mode of testing the
value of the teaching by its results, but to the
fact that the candidates who succeed in satisfying
the examiners establish for themselves an honour.
able connexion with the oldest and most famous
seats of learning in the country. It is of the
utmost importance that a system which has hitherto
proved so successful, and his conferred upon the
middle classes benefits so considerable, should
continue to prosper, and therefore it is very tit to
remove any misapprehensions which may from

time to time prevail as to the regulations to which
those who submit to be examined must conform.
According to a letter signed " A Dissenter,"
which appears in another column, there is some
danger lest persons may withdraw their sons from
this ordeal through misapprehension, and there-
fore it may be convenient to explain briefly the
precise position which Nonconformists occupy in
these examinations.

The examination, which is held at • pre-ap-
pointed place, and is conducted by members of
the University, consists of various sections. The
wood nation relate, to " the Rudiments of
" Faith and Religion," and contains two parts. The
first part in thu present year consist* of the First
Book of Kings and the t;ospel according to St.
Matthew. The second part consists of the Cate-
chises, the Morning and Evening Service, and the
Litany. Moreover, it is laid down that every can-
didate will be required to answer questions in
both parts of this second section, unless his
parents or guardians object on conscientious
grounds. And it is also laid clown, that,
although • candidate who objects upon consci-
entious grounds may, if he chooses, answer
questions ant gain marks in the first portion
only, no one can be held to have satisfied the Ex-
aminers in the section without satisfyiug them
both portion*. To the first regulation our Cor-
respondent seems to entertain no objection. No
doubt it would have been more liberal and more
prudent in eie Cuiversity of Oxford to dispense
with uny statement of objection on conscientious
grounds. Rut the deep-seated vein of bigotry
and intolerance among the members of that
University is too well known to render the
existence of such an obnoxious regulation at
all surprising. Nor, unfortunately, have the
clerical members of Oxford yet learnt that the
wont mode of promoting the interests of the
Church establishment is to impose petty restric-
tions upon those who justly insist upon being
treated as men standing upon • perfect equality
with their fellow-subjects. Practically, how-
ever, no objection is taken to the declaration
required. The difficulty of our correspondent
arises with respect to the other regulations. "As
" a Nonconformist," he says, " I cannot allow my
" son to be examined in the Catechism, the Morn-
" iug and Evening Services, and iu the Litany:
" and yet, unless my son is examined in these
" subjects, he cannot be said to have satisfied the
" exateincni in the Rudiments of Faith and
" Religion. Upon what ground is my son to
"be deprived of the advantages which a
" knowledge of the Scriptures ought to carry with
" it, because lie is ignorant of the peculiar doe-
" trines which belong to the Church of England I"
The complaint is moat just, and if the facts were
as our Coirespendent understands them there
would be good ground for b's reluctance to allow
his son to submit himself to the examination.
Rut a few words will suffice to show that,
narrow-minded as many nlxford people are, they
are nut qiitte nw unjust and au absurd as seems to
be imagined.
It will be observed that each successful candi-
date is, according to the regulations, entitled to a
certificate or testamur. These certificates vary in
form. If the candidate has passed the second
section, including both portions, the certificate de-
clares that he "has also satisfied the examiners in
" the Rudiments of Faith and Religion." But if the
candidate has not passed the second section, either
because he has omitted it altogether or has taken
up only one of the two portions of it, the certificate
is granted without the words expressing that be has
satisfied the examiners in Faith and Religion. The
difference, therefore, between the Churchman and
the Nonconformist is simply this, the; the certifi-
cate or testamur varies slightly in form. But
this is really a miry formal difference. And
although certain changes have been made in the
system, there is nothing new in the varying form
of the certificate.

But besides the certificate, the o:ford Delegates
publish bate of the successful cane;dates in the
nature of Honour or Class Lists. So far r these
class hats are concerned, the Churchmen and the
Nonconformists are upon a perfect equality. A boy
who takes in the first portion of the mooed SOO•
bon is en.itleil to so many marks : if he takes in
Use second portion of the second section he is en-