The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-07 00:00:00

TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

A special meeting of the Birmingham Chember
of Commerce was held yesterday afternoon ; Mr. o.thmier,
ILP., in the chair. The circular Mated that " the email
have received application from the government to terabit
information on tile subject ; they therefore wish to obtain
mesh fasts as will establish the need of technical edam-
Muss and to suggest the kind of technical schools required.
Facts are therefore requested bearing upon the quondam."
There was • large attendance. Mr. Samuelson had pro-
mised to be present, but at the last moment gent a tele-
gram expressive of his inability to attend : Mr. Mundane.
at Nottingham, was present. The Chairman, in opening
the proceedings, explained that at the last meeting of the
Associated Chambers of Commerce this subject had been
discussed. That had led to an interview with Lord Ro-
bert Mentsgu. and the result was an_Mquiry on the part
of the government as to what trades had been inim by
the want of technical education, and what was
the beet plan to adopt with the view to bring
about a remedy of the evil. The great import-
since of the subject was beyond a doubt. In Birmingham
their Medea were not only extensive but of a very varied
character. They had had art schools, and the question DOW
was about having science school,. They must show to the
government that they could not afford to wait ; that the
time had come when the government must take the matter
in hand completely. Mr. Mundell% then entered into a
detailed account of his experiences of the educational sys-
tem, and more especially of technical education on the
continent. lie referred to Mr. Samuelson's pamphlet, and
expressed his opinion that if we lied much to fear from
France, we had more from Germany ; heenter into
statistics in reference to the educational system in ony,
which he described as the beet in Europe; not a child ID
that country maid possibly be taught less than what was
called the " primary education" there. With respect to
our manufacturing industry, he said that, in his opinion,
we are not going back; we are moving on progreadvely,
but that unfortunately other countries were progressing
much faster than we are ; they are applying aannddscieuce
in a way which we do not at present understand. One result
was that at that very time, as he knew, silk was being
sent from Nottingham and Leicester to be died black;
that was because of our defective knowledge of chemistry;
those were cases which must be met. The defective
education or total absence of it amongst our people WY
truly lamentable—there was a family of 15 in the district
which Lord John Manners represented, not one of whom
could either reed or write—not 10 per cent. of our anima
population were fit to touch " technical education "
many years must elapse before much could be done ; bat
we must set about it at oboe. What the country wanted
was as thorough a man in the education movement as Mr.
Cobden was 111 free trade. Mr. Field, an American mer-
chant, and chairman of the Council of the Chamber of
Commerce, expressed similar views. Thirty years ago, he
mid, in every hardware store in America, one-third of the
value were goods sent out from the Birmingham district ;
now the value was not one-tenth ; English manufacturers
did nut possess the faculty of adaptability as did those of
America—they used our raw material and made up goods '
suitable to noxious markets—here the brain-power was
waLting—that was only to bo got through the wheel—
here the men set up their rules and raised difficulties
with manufacturers which the educated men of other
countries did not ; the educational screw was wanted from
the bottom before we could go on to a bettereystem. Mr.
John Lowe was for beginning at the foundation, and not
attempting too much at once. In his opinion the working
men have been made too much fuss of in late years, and
they are immensely better paid than labour in other mum
tries. Re wanted to see the "City Arabs" in a coulee
of training instead of going for technical education at one
great leap. Mr. W. C. Aitken admitted that much was
required for the lower class, but forteohnical education we
could not afford to wait. A discussion of a somewhat dis-
cursive character took place, which lasted nearly three
lours, but scarcely a suggestion of a practical character
was made. Mr. Wagner said that the foreign manufac-
turers availed themselves of our best models ; and Mr.
Mundell* obsen•edi that amongst our artisans were to be
found the best raw material in the world ; all that was
needed was a proper education. Ultimately the discussion
was adjourned until Friday next.

THE EDUCATIONAL IhSTITUTE OP SCOTLAND
AND THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

The general oomnuttee of management of the
Educational Institute of Scotland have issued a report on
the Recommendations and Draft Bill of the Royal Com-
mission on Education in Scotland. To the report is ap-
pended the following " Summary of opinions on the report
and draft of the bill' ;
TENURE or Or ries.—The commissioners propose to
change the present life-tenure of office of parochial school-
master. into a. temporary one for all future national
schoolmasters, and seriously to alter it for even present
iinsnibents. Permanency of appointment is an eco-
nomic method of attracting the services of able men ; it
strengthen, the teacher's hands in the discharge of
duties always difficult and often delicate; and it con-
fers a as fain degree of independence and respectability
upon the profession. Without it the electors of teachers
would be less careful and painstaking in their appoint-
and there would be frequent change of teachers.
The public interest would be must materially served by
protecting the teacher from the dictation of local caprice
or partisan feeling, and from summary and arbilisry dis-
missal. The Parochial Schools Act of Dail, if properly
applied, provides sufficient securities for dismissal on
account of iunnorulity and inefficiency. The great
weight of the evidence laid before the commissioners
is in favour of pertnanent appointments, with securi-
ties for deprivation for the causes stated above.
The present tenure, therefore, ought not to be changed,
but extended to all national schoolmasters.
CoNSTITLTION OF GENERAL BOARIL—The General Board
of Education, as proposed, would coutaiu no representa-
tion of schoolmasters, either directly or indirectly. A
representation of professional interests and experience
Inuid bring the general managing body into harmony
with the teaching body, and solve or prevent many prac-
tical difficulties. From the analogy of the other profes-
sions this claim should be at once conceded.
COMMIE Or COCNCII--In the proposed national
system, besides the Scotch General Board, the Committee of
Council on Education is also to have very large powers. In
fact, the latter, the head of the denominational system in
England, will be paratuount in a national system in Scotland.
It is submitted that a properly constituted Scotch board,
separate and independent, but thoroughly under the con-
trol of pirliament, a much more likely to understand and
respect the peculiarities of the Scotch system of education
—a system so highly prized, and confessedly so differant
from that of England.
SeitimotastEate INcousa.—The ince.„ftes proposed for
teachers are altogether inadequate. a 1•11 all P . sets
for =As
for Scottish education, a mininitne salary ought to be
fixed by parliament, and, conr.ctering the nature of the
proposed school committees (the ratepayers), then is the
greatest reason for this. The fixing of school fees, too,
ought not to be left tut tsly in the hands of local ma-
nagers. More amyl., means should be provided for paying
assistents.
Tat ftErisro Cony.—The principle of payment for re-
tails, as embodied in the Revised Code, whilst essentially
incapable of fair application, is unnecessary for Scotland,
as is proved by the fact that without it in the Scotch
schools many more scholars pass the examination of the
vised Code than in the English ones. The evils which
the Revised Code was devised to remedy have not yet been
proved to exist iu Scotch schools, and the mess of evidence
in the report is decidedly opposed to its application to
Scotland.
LOCAL SiTIOOL Consurrisa.—There ought to be a
minimum property qualification for inembers of local
school committees high enough to secure men of respecta-
hility and intelligence.
coseee,t, at OF PAROCHIAL SCHOOLIL —No parochial
school should be converted into a new national school
without the teacher's ocassat.
GRADAI lON or Senonts.—Gradation of schools should
be carefully attended to, wherever practicable, on the
grounds both of efficiency and economy.
Comrvt.som EneCATION.—Some more or less modified
form of compulsory education seems the necessary com-
plement of a complete national system of education.

THZ ROYAL COMMISSION ON IRISH EDUCATION.
—The royal commissioners have been appointed to inquire
into the nature, character, and extent of the instruction
afforded by the several institutions now existing in
Ireland, and maintained in whole or in part from the
public funds, by private individuals, or by voluntary
societies, or subscribers, or religious orders, for the purpose
of elementary or primary education, and especially to in-
quire into and report upon the constitution and practical
working of the board of National Education in Ireland,
and how far that board has fulfilled the objects for which
it was eAablished, and the cronies or reasons why certain
societies and patrons have been unwilling to place
their schools in connection with its system ; also to
inquire concerning that part of the said national system
which relates to model schools, anti report how far the
same is capable of any and what improvement • also to
inquire and report as to the deficiency which is alleged to
exist of trained teachers in the class of schools called non.
vested, and how such deficiency, if such shall appear, vorq
be best supplied ; and also how far the rules of the said
National Board with regard to religious teaching weld
with safety be modified so as to extend more widely the
benefits of the system ; and further, whether any benefi-
cial change could be effected in reference to the salaries
and mode of payment of teachers employed in national
schools ; and Lady, whether any improvement can be
effected in the constitution of the board with a view to a
more satisfactory administration of its affairs. The
names of the commissioners are as follow. The Right
Hon. Edward James Earl of Fowls ; the Right Hon.
Edwin Richard Windham Wyndham, Earl of Ijanraven
and Moant Earl ; the Most Rev. Samuel Bishop of Meath ;
Robert Barron, Clonbrook ,• the Right Hon. Ricked
Morris, fourth justice of her Majesty's Court of
Common Pleas in Ireland ; Sir Robert Kane, Knight
Mr. William Brooke, owe of the Masters of her
Majesty's High Court of Chanosry in Ireland; the Rev.
David Wilson, D.D. ; the Rev. R. J. COW* one of her
Majesty'e inspectors of schools ; James Arthur Dean, Iraq.;
James Gibson, Evq.; Scott N. Stokes, Esq., her Majesty's
inspector of schools ; William Kirby Sullivan, Req. pro-
fessor of chemistry in the Royal College of &USX* of
Ireland; and Laurence Waldron, Esq. Secretaries:
Geerp A. Chichester May, Req., Q. 0., and David B.
Dumas, Taq.-4VIPCISSII.I Anima.