The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-07 00:00:00

EDUCATION OF YOUTH.

ktutt. SMITH AND DOLI ElllB LECTURES ON THEIR
.I,M AND iNvrntows FOR FACILITATINO
/1E EDUCATION OF YOUTH.
didt)*. Saturday evening the first of these Lectures was
ZiZrered hY Mr. John Smith, (nne'of the Editors
. of the
P°ol Mercury) st the City of London Literary and,
""ific Institution, Aldersgate.sereet, to an audience
I„.Nisting of shout five hundred ladies and gentlemen.'
t4Antie,s_Lecturer paid a just tribute to the importance. of ed!i-
tdi and to the liberality; of our countrymen in eina-
e4temaiv'e and pffectual plans for the instruction
hitpoor. He larnitnted, however, that the public
mparig lied not hitherto done much towards the encourage-
t etof improvements in the early education of youth of
higlier classes— du t* f practical kind.—such
Wouhl " laa a athe lower clauses
in t, '"able them to keep pace with ,
;II kenerul advancement, and that notwithstanding the
Z14.442f:1e held out hy Prance, by several of the German
and by America, in rendering education part
utolocee of the Government, this country bad not, yet

commenced the important duty of encouraging improve-
ments in such a manner as to ensure the general good
not of the poor only but of ell ranks of society. The
progress of practical education, among all these, was
strikingly great in the States to which he alluded, and he
hoped means would be taken to prevent this country from
losing its precedence either in this or in any other respect.
Mr. Smith then proceeded to give a miss of most va-
luable euggestions on the best mode of training the minds
of children from the very cradle upwards. We sincerely
wish every parent, and every nurse-maid in the metropo-
lis; nay, indeed, every person who is likely to become
such, or who have younger brothers or sisters under their
care, hail been present
,to hear those suggestions. They
were calculated to form virtuous characters, to afford bo-
dily and mental vigiur, to emancipate children from the
terrors either of the rod or of foolish stories, to excite in
them a taste for rational pleasures, and to protect them
from a thousand errors. All the observations on this sub-
ject rivetted the attention of the audience, and the
amusing anecdotes with which they were enlivened elicited
the most unanimous approbation. There was scarcely a
subject connected with the management of young persona
which the Leetirer did not throw some light upon, and
render deeply interesting ; and he opened one subject re-
specting which his auditors will be anxious to hear the
remainder of his observations--namely the inutility, and
entire non-necessity, of grammar tasks. The abolition of
these (which has happily been effected in some few schoolsl,
will go far towards rendering education much More agree-
able than it has hitherto been. ro -render it so in all re-
' spectra appears to be Masers. Smith "and Delier's laudable
°Nett, for.in the Second Lecture tie ore promieed a de-
tail and explanation of planswhich effect an eitraordinary
saving of time and labour, not only in grammar, which
iS chiefly' to be taught in the way'ef amusement, but 'in
writing, ,arithmetic, and other elementary Matters; so
that without any increase of Study, the mind may become
better etdred than it now is with useful informathin, and
acquire,' through the companionship which may subsist
between teacher and pupil, a considerable knowledge of
the world, and' of our social duties. 'Mr. Smith's ikug
gestions to the higher 'dais, respecting infant schools, were
very useful, and we cannot doubt that the whole of the
views he is now submitting to the' public will be inland of
the utmost importance and advantage.to society. We have
seen amen( these time-saving inventions (one of which was
patronised by his late Majesty) and shall anxiously attend
to the whole of them in the Second Lecture. Fronk what
we already know we believe they will give a new impulse
to education in the upper circles, and from the unanimous
applause which the First Lecture received we are led to ex -
peet this interesting subject will become exceedingly popu-
lar in the metropolis. •