Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-13 00:00:00

EDUCATION.

TO TEN XDITOZ OP TEIS NORTRUN TIMM
Sir,—ln common with your other readers, I ad-
mire your ardent zeal to promote the cause of a
rational system of education for the masses.
The subject is worthy your solicitude ; hence, no
doubt, your readiness to open your columns to
would-be essayists. One of whom I find figuring
in your issue of the 30th ult., signing himself
‘` J. 0. N." No one can but laud his praiseworthy
desire to have the people educatei, but many will
question the soundness of his opinion and sugges-
tions. Education is not a befitting subject for
questionable or doubtful experiments.
It appears to me that your correspondent would
have the education of the people entirely under
the direction and control of government inspectors
and officials. We know that governmental admin-
istration does not give universal satisfaction in
many other matters ; hence the necessity of paus-
ing ere committing or entrusting the education of
this country to the hands of parties probably in-
capable of forming or conceiving a single idea. as
to what a really desirable scheme of education
for the people should embrace.
And here I cannot help commenting upon the
utter absurdity of your correspondent's idea of
assuming, or rather suggesting, that the Corpora-
tion schools of Liverpool ought to be considered,
or rendered, training nurseries for teachers to
conduct the whole education of this country, so
pre-eminently distinguished for talent and intel-
ligence.
I admit, willingly, that the teachers of those
schools are as efficient, or even more proficient,
than the generality of those entrusted with the
highly responsible charge of imparting a sound,
solid, and useful education to thousands of the
youth of the present age, many of whom, I doubt
not, are destined, at not a very distant day, to
occupy positions in soniety to which my ignorance
forbids myself to aspire. As already admitted, I
grant that the teachers of those schools are gentle-
men of superior talent and rare ability—that those
schools are deservedly appreciated and numerously
attended, and productive of incalculable good in a
town like Liverpool.
At the same time I cannot coincide with your
correspondent " J. 0. N.", in the idea that by con-
necting them with Government inspection, they
ought to become training seminaries for all the
teachers of the -United Kingdom, and for this
(to myself) valid reason, that the range of instrua•
tion imparted in them is too low, not necessarily
owing to the incompetency of the teachers, neither
to the want of material upon which to operate ;
but of necessity, in consequence of the time that
the class of boys attending can spare or devote to
study, in order to attain great proficiency, even in
the elementary department of what may be styled
a common education, not to mention the arts and
sciences to which our national greatness is solely
attributable. _ _

But here I am again in collision with your friend
"J. O. N." He lauds the efficiency of the Corporation
Schools of Liverpool, the ability of the teachers, the
excellent superintendence of the Corporation,
and the great boon which they are so admirably
calculated to confer upon the tender aspiratioas
of the youth of Liverpool, and, therefore, upon the
country at large. But here, Mr. Editor, perhaps
it is mete that I apologise for using too many
words to no purpose ; for I think that some one,
somewhere, said that—
Words are like leaves, and where they most abound,
Much fruit of sense beneath is seldom found.
This may be the language of peotry and of truth ;
yet methinks that I hear the same little young
authority say
'Tis with our judgments, as with our watches—nine
Go just alike, yet each believes his own.

Hence my audacity to continue to tackle your
talented friend, " J. 0. N. ;" but he needs not put
his shoulder out, neither " tear his shirt,' for I
frankly and openly avow that, how much soever I
might desire to see the cause of education and
enlightenment pervade our back streets and
crooked alleys, and that how much soever I may
lament vainly the but too palpable evidence, in the
localities mentioned, of the total want of mental
training, parents may be culpably neglectful, con-
sidering the facilities afforded, and within their
reach, by the schools mentioned.
My explanation and further remarks as to this
I will keep "a cooking" for a future occasion, when,
perhaps, I may serve those to whom is entrusted
the guidance and proper direction of the education
of the people of the United Kingdom, constituting
its strength, wealth, stability, and, so to speak, its
very life and blood-vessels, with a dainty dish
of fish for breakfast.
Our mutually revered friend, "J. 0. N.," Mr.
Editor, has bothered me by one of his remarks, but
I doubt not, that with some further explanation,
we may shake hands and be friendly yet. Be this
as it best may, I cannot allow him with impunity
to arrogate to himself—let him be whom he may—
dictatorial supremacy over all the intelligence of
England. Our friend, "J. 0. N."—please, Mr.
Editor, turn to your file, and in your paper of the
30th ult., page 5, read the following word for word
along with me, just to oblige me, were it only
to gratify my vanity :—" One of the evils that the
country labours under, connected with education,
is the want of competent and well qualified
teachers."
Whence, Mr. Editor, this maxissime tonas, Delphic
Oracle friend of yours, entrusting his Solon re-
sponses, revelations, or assertians, to the seared
shrivelled leaves of the forest ? No competent or
qualified teachers in England ! My fat sides and
limbs! this is a tarnation sweeping charge ; speak-
ing slightly after the down West fashion.
Ye Wranglers aluminique of Oxford and Cam-
bridge, cur non vi et armis, rise to squamash this
" Ion," arrogant invader of your, precious hard
earned patrimony, rights, and privileges, and you
would soon find that liostis novel castra—ergo, let
you do the same.
It is possible, for ought I know to the contrary,
that that great champion for education may turn
out to be no less a character than the
chairman of the guardians of some union :
allowing annually to his butler, gamekeeper, and
steward, or coachman £lOO, with free house, So.,
and at the same time advertising in your columns
for a teacher for the Union, to conduct the educa-
tion of 200 boys, which teacher must be a govern-
ment-certificated master— salary, £l5, with rations.
Verily, verily, Mr. Editor, I am ashamed to quote
what I know to be a positive fact, and therefore I
defy contradiction—heedless and easy whence the
quarter.
It bothers me over a bit, in the face of this
assertion, to comprehend, or rather to account for
the really (to myself at least) unreasonable charge
brought by your philanthropic educationalist,
" J. O. N.," against the talent and ability engaged
in aiding to promote the education of this great,
little island, which, thank our stars, the comet has
been kindly pleased to permit still to float upon the
face of the waters, notwithstanding the incom-
petency of its teachers.
But good gracious, Mr. Editor, I am not taken
aback, even granting that it were true, which I
deny, that the teachers of England are incompe-
tent. But allow me to tell you a fact of which I
am surprised to wit—the amount of talent in-
vested ; or perhaps, more properly speaking,
engaged in the profitless and thankless office of
teacher. A man of rare mental capability
toiling and moiling late and early to eke out
a penurious existence—struggling peradventure
at the expense of the bread basket, to maintain a
semblance of an outward appearance in the shape
of respectability.
Yes Mr. Editor, I grant you
that the phraseAogy is ' r.
soft but
but facts are stubborn.
No doubt t
lattt good teachers desirable, but
where tb:e inducement held out; aret here is not, per-
haps, one man in ten qualified by talent and tact to
bee,ome an instructor ; and many of those that
Are qualified for the office, are literally debarred
from the pennyless profession from want of en-
couragement. As you were kind enough on a
recent occasion to: favour me with a corner for a
few remarks on this same subject, perhaps yon
will extend the indulgence, and when conve n
t
give another corner for the preseily;t7gLLv
ourris
THE CHIEF OF THE
Liverpool, July, 1857.