The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-14 00:00:00

LYCEUM.

THIS RYX/11140, 8AM115611,1-N7l: Mr. Pries and Miss
late shop —Till IMAMS LOTTO. Mr. Pechter, Meows.
Leery, Widdicorub, Jordan, Price, dc.; Miaow Ilaworthy, lien.
rade, Grattan, and Carlotta Leciercq.

Tan IT IDS, HAERIID DA1.1.0117113. Mr. F. Rob-
son. —PYOMALI N; ÜB, TIM STATUE FAIR. Mews. Chnrae,
Jame. ; Mesdames A. Bwanborough, Haynham. Harland,
Johnstone, Holt, & Newton.—And THE FiI.F—NCH EXHIBITION.

HOLBORN.
MIN ErvicgO. MY TURN NEXT. Mr. Delmore: Muses
toot* sadLennot —And nrixo SCUD. Meagre. Neville, 8.1.
more, Blake, Yollatrs &e. Madman f. Josophs, C. dawaders,
Beale Too* "Wes, Lam; Hymn& He.

BRITANNIA.

TIITS Ern:mid, THE OLD MAID IN THE WINDING.BIIELT.
Mr. Reynolds, Ac. ; Sliseen. Miles & Coveney.—CHEßßY AND
FAIR AT AR. Messrs. lagernud, Ladle, A Elton : Mrs. R. Lane&
Misses Edwin, Bootb, and Msearthy.—And BLUE BEARD.

HIGH WATII AT LONDON BRIM!
TWO DAY —lllorolag. 111. Am.— —Anorimooo, 111. $7O.
Talloimow—Morning. Ob. Om.. —..Attankooa. t 1 4.

LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 14.

THE Royal Commission appointed in 1884 to
investigate the state of elementary education in
Scotland has just presented its second Report, in-
cluding the recommendations which, after full
consideration, the ascertained facts seem to justify.
Them is no country in the world from which Eng-
lishmen may learn mom concerning the means and
advantages of populareducation than from Scotland,
which since the times of the Reformation has been
in possession of a thoroughly national system
for the teaching of the youth of the country.
We need not cross the Tweed to mark the benefi-
cial results. We see them in the positions which
Scotsmen coming south take, by virtue of their
superior acquirementa, in the competition of busi-
ness, in the professions, and in the public service,
to the great advantage of the community in
which they are content to merge their national
character. Last night it was acknowledged in the
House of Commons that a qualification for the
electoral franchise, which would have been thought
too low for England, would be safe for Scotland,
because of the more general diffusion of educa-
tion there. In Scotland education is prized
by the poor, and recognised as a title to
respect by the rich, and no pains are
spared to obtain it. One of the Assistant Com-
missioners of this inquiry met two children the
summer before last on a Highland moor, and found
that their father, a shepherd, and another herd
lodged, boarded, and paid between them, a young
man purposely to teach their children, in a region
where there were no schools, and where even this
arrangement could only be carried out by the
children of ono family going every Monday morn-
ing to live with the other until Saturday night.
Nevertheless, even Scotland is inadequately
supplied with elementary schools. The national
provision for education, consisting of the Parochial
and Parliamentary schools established by law, and
maintained by local charges, falls far short of
accomplishing its object. More than two-thirds
of the education of the rural districts of the
country is furnished by schools of a supplementary
character, for the most part denominational, and
together with the national schools, assisted more
or less by grants from the Committee of Coun-
cil. The quality of the teaching in these
schools, however, is in a large measure defective,
while the state of the buildings and the appliances
at hand are very unsatisfactory. The remedy
most obviously suggested by this state of things is
the extension of the Parochial or National system
on a scale proportioned to the wants of the whole
population. The Commissioners, however, do not
feel justified in recommending this course. They
do not think it practicable or even desirable to
throw aside or at once to take over, at the ex-
pense of the nation or of the locality,
schools which have been created by volun-
tary efforts, or to supply from national
funds or from local assessment the contributions
at present furnished from private sources. The
conclusion w hey have arrived at is, that "by •
" judicious improvement of the parochial or
" national schools, and by taking advantage of the
" existing schools outside that system, combined
" with a reasonable modification of the rules on
" which the Privy Council grants are administered
" and the extension of Government inspection, the
" existing schools may be rendered thoroughly
" efficient, and that provision may be made under
" which these schools may all in time assume a
" national character." As the nationalization of all
the schools of Scotland is so much insisted on,
it is worth while to learn what, in the opinion of
the Commissioners, are the notes of a national
system, especially as they are agreed that the
Privy Council system with which we in the
southern portion of the island are familial, neither
is national nor can be made so. In their view,
" a National System" implies-
1. That there should be some recognised body invested
with legal power to establish as many national schools as
may be required, and to prevent the establishment of
/1141 Ht

2. That the law shall enable the inhabitants of a dis-
trict to raise each funds aa may be necessary to erect and
maintain a boob, instead of leaving them to be erected
and m►intained by voluntary efforts.
2. That the schools shall be public and national ; or, in
other words, that every parent shall be entitled to claim
admittance for him child into any such school ; but that if