The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-23 00:00:00

Adult Education.

A conference took place last evening at the rooms of the
Society of Arts, John-street, Adelphi, in connexion with
the Metropolitan Association for Promoting the Education
of Adults, on the subject of the organisation and manage-
ment of night schools—Sir Thomas Phillips presided, and
briefly explained the object of the meeting, observing that
the importance of night schools as supplementary to the
education afforded to the working classes in day schools,
and after they left the latter, was now generally admitted,
although perhaps few would go so far as a noble lord was
reported to have done the other
,day, and say that night
schools should supersede day schools.

The Rev. HENRY WHITE, M.A. , cheplain of the Savoy,
delivered an address, prefacing it by stating that he had
been largely mixed up in the conduct of night schools for
several years, and that he had seen reason to change some
of the opinions he had advanced four or five years ago. He
proposed to confine his paper to the following subjects :
" The need for night schools specially suited to boys of an
age stretching from 13 to 18. Tho desirableness of changing
the name of night schools to the more attractive name of
youths' club or institute. The best method of raising or
adapting buildings for the use of evening schools. The
advantage of reading and recreation rooms in connexion with
the evening schools. The classes most needed to be formed
for a boys' evening school. Are paid or voluntary teachers
most to be desired and encouraged ? How can night
schools bo maintained on self-supporting principles ?" He
then dilated at some length on providing night schools
suited to boys between the ages stated, quoting a paper of
Mr Hollingshead's, published last year, pointing out the
difficulties under which " hobbledoys" labour for want of
congenial and profitable occupation in their leisure hours,
and deducing from his premises the value of providing night
schools, but under some other name, in which not only
should educational facilities, but opportunities for amuse-
ment and social enjoyment be provided. He suggested that
youths' clubs or institutes would be the more appropriate
name for the institutions he contemplated, as expressing
more accurately and attractively their proposed objects,
The class he proposed to benefit was the sons of working
men after they left school. He recommended that the
National School-rooms should be used for these clubs or in-
stitutes, urging that it would be difficult to obtain the means
of providing other buildings for the purpose, and that were
it otherwise, the money spent in building or in rent might be
much better employed. Besides, he believed that in the
National Schools they would better secure the class of boys
they desired to influence, and that this use of these schools
would be advantageous in the education given in the day
schools. Again, there clustered round the National School a
variety of institutes, saving banks, &c., of which the youths
would avail themselves. He pointed out various other advan-
tages he anticipated from the adoption of this suggestion, as
the obtaining of the government grant, the assistance of the
national schoolmaster,and the sympathy of the parishioners.
He considered paid teachers mould be necessary for these
night schools in addition to the voluntary educational and
other help which would doubtless be anrded. He attached
great importance to the assistance of ladies as a means of
refining the habits, thoughts, and manners of the boys. He
recommended compulsory attendance to at least three classes
weekly, and that there should be a discretionary power of
discipline. There should be a reading room, a place for
draughts, chess, and similar games, and opportunities within
certain limits for education and social intercourse. This re-
quirement might be met by devoting one hour previous to
and one hour after etudy for amusement. And it: the sum-
mer months there should be provision for cricket, boating,
and gymnastics. He held it to be a vital point that these
institutes should be self-supporting, and in this respect he
admitted that he had committed an error in the instituticn
he founded some years ago at the Lowther Arcade. The
rate of payment must vary according to circumstances ; 4d
to 6d weekly had been found to meet the needs cf London
boys, but perhaps in the country 3d or 4d would bo more
suitable. He considered there should be an entrance fee of
double the weekly payment, as an inducement to continu-
ous attendance, but there should be no extra payments for
lectures, classes, or entettainments. He recommended that
there should be periodical examinations and distributions of
prizes. All would he thought admit that some religious
guidance was requisite for the members of these institutes.
Ho would not exclude dissenters, but it was vain to expect
that a youths' institute could succeed upon the principle of
embracing all denominations. Ha bad seen many promising
institutions come to grief from the impossibility of getting
managers of different religious views to act together. If the
dissenters desired such institutes they should provide them
for themselves, but their starting point must be the Church
of England, (Hear, hear. )
Mr H, CHESTER followed, explaining the advantages of
examinations as carried on by the Metropolitan Association,
and showing the necessity of affording to the sons of the
working classes the means of pursuing their education after
the period at which they usually left the elementary schools.
He described the nature and form of the examinations of
the association, adding that none wore examined under 16,
and that the examination papers were sent round to the
localities where the pupils resided. He altogether dissented
from the opinions of the last speaker as to the religious guess
Lion, considering it of the greatest importance that members
of the different religious bodies should be brought to act to-
gether in the work of education, and he was happy to say
that he knew of several institutions in which members of
the different religious bodies laboured harmoniously together,
and with the best results, (Cheers) He could state that the
working classes were by no means indifferent to the value of
continuing their education after leaving the elementary
schools—on the contrary, there was a strong and even an
enthusiastic desire for it. The association did not confine
itself to youths between 13 and 18, to which
.Mr White's
paper was limited, but extended its facilities and its system
of examination to adults generally; and they actually found
people coming up of the age of 45 or 50, although the ma-
jority were between 16 and 22 or 23. As to using the nee
tional schools for the purposes of these institutes, he thought
much was to be said on both sides, and pointed out numer-
ous objections to the proposal.
Mr TABRusr, hon. secretary of the Islington Youths'
Institution, which had been alluded to by Mr White in the
way of illustration, offered some remarks explanatory of the
system there pursued and the beneficial results.

The Rev. B. F. SMITH, diocesan inipector of schools for
the archdiocese of Canterbury, gave it as his opinion that
what might be suitable for London would be perfectly in-
applicable for the country, when he considered that the
night schools should be educational exclusively, and quoted
his own experience of the value of rural night schools as
a means of continuing the influence of the national day
schools. Upon the point of recreation he recommended an
annual festival. When night schools had failycl, he be-
lieved it was generally from want of proper teaching.
The Rev. Mr WHITTINGTON, principal of the City of
London College, for which he claimed the credit of having
been the first to establish night schools under the name of
the Metropolitan Evening Classes, believed the true secret
of the success of the classes established at Crosby-hall was
that amusement and instruction were combined. He ad•
vised that the proposed clubs or institutes should not be
held in the national schools, and that other teachers than
the national schoolmasters should conduct the classes. He
thought the attendance should be voluntary, but that there
should be a certain number of attendances at lectures to
qualify for the examination for prizes. Upon the religious
questione, he objected to the exclusion of Dissenters, add-
ing that in the college with which he was connected they
had members of all denominations, and he could scarcely
conceive any difficulty in bringing members of the different
denominations to act harmonionely with each other and
with members of the church fn the management of such
institutions.

Mr PEARSALL, secretary of the London Mechanics' In-
stitution, said such classes as had been spoken of by the
last speaker had existed in connection with that institution
for 40 years.

Mr FORD doubted whether, ;by adopting the title
" Youths Institutes, or Clubs," they would get the class of
boys intended, viz., the sons of mechanics, and those who
might be called the really working men. He was in favour
of " Night Schools" as the preferable title, and gave some
particulars as to the system pursued and the progress made
in a night school of which he was the conductor.
The Rev. W. BAIRD, of Clare-market, considered that
the broader the religious basis on which they established
these schools the more certain they would b 3 to succeed.
While always anxious that the Church should maintain
her true position, ho thought it most unwise that she
should set an example of intolerance. (Cheers.)
Mr BAKER, of the Bayswater Institute (which had
also been spoken of by Mr White), described the practice of
that establishment, the pupils in which, ho said, were
chiefly of the working classes, adding that the institute was
self-supporting, that it was open to all denominations, and
that the attendance was voluntary.
The Rev. A. B. Suter, Mr Whittingham, Mr Solly, Mr
Stock, Mr Currie, and other gentlemen connected with tho
management of night schools and ragged schools in various
parts of London and the provinces, gave their experiences,
and offered suggestions, after which
The Rev. Mr WRITE replied, briefly remarking that the
Metropolitan Association, in connection with the Society of
Arts, really did come in to the aid of all the classes which
had been referred to.

The CHAIRMAN said it was of the utmost importance in
dealing with this question of adult teaching, that all those
olasses should be included whose education now generally
closed at 12 or 13 years of age,

On tho motion of Mr 11. CHESTER a voto of thanks was
accorded to tho Rev. Mr White for his address, awl to Sir
11, Phillips for presiding.

ALEXANDRE DUMAS.—The Union stated that M.
Alexandre Dumas has recently been regaling the
inhabitants of Nismes with his literary compositions and
his cookery. He read to the members of the Cercla du Com-
merce several scenes of an unpublished drama, entitled
"Romeo and Juliet," imitated from Shakepere. He also
served up to a few friends a new dish of rabbit cooked by
himself, and likewise patronised a concert at the Hotel de
Ville. Of this last, one of the local journa!s remarks that
what was wanting in quantity Was Oupplica by quality,
very few persons being present.