The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-09 00:00:00

Adult Education.

Yesterday the second annual meeting of the Adult
Education Association, which was established to
extend and improve in the metropolitan district the
education of youths and adults of both sexes be-
longing to the industrial class, was held in 'the large
room of the Society of Arts, Adelphi. Earl Gran-
ville presided, and it was expected that either the
Bishop of London or the Bishop of Winchester, or
both, would have been able to take part in the pro-
ceedings. Neither of the right rev. prelates, how-
ever, were present, having to attend the meeting
convened by the Primate, and from this cause the
proceedings were of a less interesting and briefer
nature than they would otherwise have been. At
the commencement the secretary, Mr. Henry Sales,
read the second annual report, of which the follow-
ing is a brief summary. After generally describing
the scope and objects of the association, which are,
in a few words, by means of prizes and certificates,
to encourage those who seek to repair or supplement
the defects of their early education, it states that--
" The means by which the end is pursued may perhaps
be presented in the most tangible form by supposing the
case of a boy or young man who desired to avail himself
to the utmost of the advantages held out to him. At the
age of 12 years ho becomes eligible to take the first step,
the only preliminary being that he must be a scholar or
member of some school, night school, or institute, in union.
The committee cannot but think that this scheme, taken
as a whole, is well adapted to foster the general study of
such things as are useful to all; while by its connection with
the Society of Arts it affords facilities to those who devote
themselves to a special pursuit. In proportion as the asso-
ciation becomes better known its certificates will, it is hoped,
be accepted as evidence of an acquaintance with the elements
of a sound education ; employers will be led to prefer appli-
cants who can produce them ; and thus they may in time
come to possess almost a money value in the ,hands of the
holders. It is difficult to overrate the effect of such a state
of things, should it really arise, in stimulating the energy
both of teachers and classes, and extending the means of
adult education. The pupil of the night school will find
that his attention to what he is there taught will have
its speedy reward by improving his prospects in life, while
the managers of an institute or working men's club will
have the strongest inducement to add to their plan that
educational machinery without which such undertakings
are apt to degenerate into mere places of amusement. It
is most desirable, therefore, that the clergy and all other
friends of education should give their countenance and co-
operation to an attempt which has such a material bearing
upon the educational difficulty of our time—viz., the early
age at which the children of the working classes aro re-
moved from the ordinary day school."

In point of statistics the work shows a consider-
able inerease during the past year :

" The number of candidates at the elementary examina-
tion has been more than doubled. In 1863 229 presented
themselves, and 89 certificates were granted. In 1864 the
candidates were 533 and the certificates 296, thus showing
also a larger proportion of those who passed with success.
In religious knowledge the advance has been still greater.
In 1863 only 20 were examined, and 12 certificates ob-
tained. In 1864 no less than 161 came forward, and 133
gained certificates. These facts clearly indicate progress,
and must be accepted as evidence both that there is
abundance of work to be done, and that already in
some good degree the association is actually doing it.
Girls' evening classes are at work with good effect in
Onslow-street, and some feeble essays in the same direction
are taking place in a few other parts. It is fair to admi t
that the subject is attended by difficulties, which do not
affect night schools for men and boys ; and it is, perhaps,
but reasonable to expect that progress, in order to be real
and lasting, must be gradual and cautious. To female
education, however, very gracious encouragement has re-
cently been given in connection with this association ; her
Royal Highness the Princess of Wales has been pleased to
intimate her intention to give annually a Bible of the value
of £3 35., together with £2 2s. in money, as a prize to the
female candidate who obtains a certificate of proficiency in
plain needlework, and the highest marks in the examina-
tions in elementary knowledge, higher grade."

Another and very distinct feature in the operations
of last year was the successful effort of the com-
mittee to embrace physical education within their
province :

"Some additional inducement to spend their leisure in
the open air and to employ themselves in healthful exercise
would, it was thought, tend to benefit both the bodies and
minds of those whose welfare is the aim of this association.
It was determined, therefore, as an experiment, to give a
fete in the grounds of the Crystal Palace on the 27th of
June last, when the members of the institution in union
were invited to contend for prizes in athletic sports, such as
flat races, hurdle races, jumping, throwing the cricket-ball,
putting tho stone, &c. The attendance was fair and even
large, considering the novelty of the attempt, and the per-
formances of those who entered the lists wore certainly be-
yond what might have been expected. The prizes were
delivered to the winners by Mr. Chester, the chairman of
the committee, in the orchestra of the Crystal Palace,
after an address which put the object and work of the
association clearly and forcibly before the minds of a large
body of visitors to the Palace who were 'present as spec-
tators."

The report concluded by regretting the very inade-
quate pecuniary means which were at the disposal
of the association—a regret which was shown by the
financial statement to be most justly founded, the
income from all sources only amounting to £lB4,
while the expenditure, in spite of the utmost
economy, was £l9O, leaving a balance against the
association of £6.

Earl GRANVILLE said it would not be necessary
for him to do more than supplement by a very few
remarks the full report which had been read, for
most of his hearers, whom he had often met before
in that room, were even better acquainted than
himself with the working value of the Adult Educa-
tion Association. The efforts of the Society of Arts,
which had for more than 100 years past been labour-
ing so assiduously in the cause, not only of arts and
sciences, but in the cause of education in the more
limited acceptation of the term, had rendered im-
mense service to these educational institutions
and associations throughout the country by
affiliating them to itself and giving them
all the benefit to be derived from its counsel
and support. One of the features of this association
and of the kindred institutions which were in
union with it was that an examination was
necessary to the attainment of its certificate.
Without such an examination it would be diffi-
cult to estimate the yearly progress made, and
almost impossible to keep the association on
the firm and satisfactory basis on which it ought to
stand. When operations were commenced the mem-
bers, of course, at first, were few, but the report had
shown how great and rapid had been their increase.
It had been too much the fashion to say that the
value of education was so well known that it was
merely repeating self-evident truths to dwell upon
upon it further, but it was the practical application
of those self-evident truths which they wished to en-
force;and which they did not think any amount of
repetition could enforce too much. The late Prince
Consort (to whose memory the noble earl paid an
eloquent tribute) used to say, when he heard the
Maxim that knowledge was power, " Yes, and
knowledge is enjoyment, too." (Hear, hear.) With
regard to this saying, a friend of his, and one of the
most distinguished and eminent men in the coun-
try, had told him that he believed the cause of his
having read so deeply was owing to the poverty in
which his early days were passed. His friend could
not then afford other means of enjoyment of any
kind, but had to read—an amusement which he
found not only the cheapest, but the best. To say
that study was not continued till the most advanced
periods of life would be to contradict some of the
most interesting and important instances to the con-
taary. Only a short time since he heard that the
late Lord Lyndhurst had resumed his Greek studies
when he was over 80, and went to his friend Mr.
Gladstone to ascertain which was the best kind of
Greek dictionary he could use. He was glad to see
from the report that her Royal Highness the Prin-
cess of Wales had, by the prizes she had offered for
the practical education of young girls, evinced the
interest she felt in the important cause in which
they were all engaged, and her anxiety to follow
the example of their illustrious Sovereign in this
respect. In establishing the system of competitive
examination for Government offices, the Govern-
ment had, perhaps, rendered the most important aid
of which it was capable to the cause of education.
In the Governmental department over which he had
the honour to preside there were now several of the
clerks who had passed through their examination,
and from his experience he could say that they were
certainly superior to the great majority of those
who had not been required to undergo such a trial.
His lordship concluded his remarks by saying, in
the words of the report, that they hoped in a few
years more that the work of the association would
be so widely known and its usefulness so confirmed
by experience that the society would take its place
securely by the side of older inztitutionis. Di the