The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-02 00:00:00

Mr. PAGE, secretary to the Elementary Teachers'
Association, seconded the motion, and complained of the
inferior status which schoolmasters occupied in this
country, and the disrespect with which they were treated,
as being inconsistent with the importance of their pro-
fessional vocation to society. Such an association as
the one proposed would, therefore, enable the school-
masters to act in a body like most other professions—it
would watch over their interests, help powerfully to
elevate their character, acquirements, and standing, and
enable them to make themselves generally respected.
Many country schoolmasters had great difficulty in pro-
perly educating their own children. With salaries of
401., or even 601. a-year, it was impossible for them to
pay for the education of their own offspring ; and for his
part, he thought they had as much right to have a school
specially established for the education of their children
as the clergy or any other class.
Mr. HAY, of Kennington, supported the resolution.
The first resolution was then put and carried unani-
mo❑ sly.

The Rev. JOHN CURNYEN, of Reading, moved the
second resolution, vizi., "This meeting rejoices in the
increase of local associations of teachers, and duly values
the amount of good effected by them ; but it is the opi-
nion of this meeting that no sufficiently comprehensive
association of teachers has hitherto existed in this
country."
Mr. COGHLAN, head-master of the Home and Colo-
nial and Juvenile School, seconded the motion.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. WM. DAY, of the Staines National School,
moved the next resolutiion, which was—" That, in the
opinion of this meeting, a general and comprehensive
union of teachers is desirable, with a view to the diffu-
sion of professional knowledge and experience among the
whole body ; and that the present time appears to be
favourable to the establishment of such a union."
Mr. MEEN, of Bloomsbury Chapel School, seconded
the resolution, which was also carried unanimously.
Mr. TATE, mathematical lecturer of Kneller-hall
Training School, moved the fourth resolution—namely,
"That the discussion of questions connected with the
theory and practice of teaching would be calculated to
advance the interests of education."

The Rev. W. S. UNWIIV, principal of Homerton Con.
gregation Training College, seconded the motion, when
it was carried unanimously.
Mr. THOMAS CRAMPTON, of the Brentford Public
Schools, moved the next resolution :—" That a perma-
nent exhibition of educational books, maps, diagrams,
and apparatus, would afford teachers valuable aid in the
pursuit of their profession." If he were asked what were
their grievances, he would answer—an insufficiency of
books in the schools, the bad quality of some of those
books which they had there, inadequacy of training in
certain instances, and bad pay. In fact, the school-
master's life was one continued grievance. He un-
derstood that 401. a-year was the averaage salary of
country schoolmasters, a sum which was miserably in-
sufficient.

Mr. STEvraysoN seconded the motion, and it was
unanimously adopted.
Mr. Suosorr, of Queen's School, Kew, moved :
" That an association of teachers be now formed, to be
entitled The United Association of Schoolmasters of
Great Britain.'"

The motion was seconded by Mr. SUTCLIFFE, of Chel-
tenham Training College, and agreed to.
Mr. Alderman Challis was then appointed president of
the association for the ensuing year, and thanks having
been voted to the worthy alderman for taking the chair
that day, the proceedings terminated.
Later in the day a further meeting of a formal cha-
racter was held, at which the rules of the society were
determined upon, and a committee and officers elected.