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

UNITED ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLMASTERS
OF GREAT BRITAIN.

On Saturday forenoon a public meeting was held in
Shaftesbury-hall, Aldersgate-street. for the purpose of
organising an association, which is intended to em- !
brace " all teachers who acknowledge the essential
doctrines of Christianity and the sufficiency of Holy
Scripture as the rule of faith and practice." The
circular convening the meeting stated the general object
of the proposed association to be " to advance and
systematise the profession of teaching, and thereby to
improve and extend elementary education. For the
attainment of this object, the association will seek
to establish a connection among the various local as-
sociations of schoolmasters throughout Great Britain,
and to give them unity of action. It will endea-
vour to concentrate the talent and experience of the
whole body of elementary instructors on the im-
provement of professional knowledge and the advance-
ment of educational literature. This will be done chiefly
by means of the reading of papers on subjects connected
with education, and by general discussions, at the annual
meetings. The professional knowledge and experience
thus elicited will afterwards be disseminated among
teachers generally. The association will also give ex-
pression to the collective opinion of its members on mat-
ters relating to their professional interests."
The meeting was attended by a large number of the
masters of public schools in the nietropoks and in the
provinces ; and several schoolmistresses were also pre-
sent. In the absence of the Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr.
Alderman Challis occupied the chair. In opening the

proceedings,
The CHAIRMAN said that the object which had brought
them together was one that was demanded by the cir-
cumstances of the times in which they lived. Education
was now the great subject of consideration in the public
mind. Juvenile delinquency, and all the evils which
arose from ignorance, were now engaging the anxious
attention of those whose intelligence and experience
fitted them to discover a proper remedy, and all their
suggestions and propositions, more or less, pointed in
the direction of education ; for it was felt that without
a general system of education, adapted to the condition
of all classes of the multitudinous population by which
we were surrounded, the existing evils of our social state
"could never be overtaken There were some parties con-
tending that the education given should be purely volun-
tary, and others advocating a State system; but it was
obvious to all, that by whatever means education was to
be imparted, it must be extended to all, and that it
was far cheaper to educate a child than to punish it.
But, however universal was the attention which had
been given to education, it was remarkable that little
had been said by its promoters about the schoolmas-
ters by whom their remedy must be applied, and on
whom the great work of grounding the rising genera-
tion in moral and religious principles, and making them
good members of society, mainly devolved. It was true,
training schools for schoolmasters existed, and it was
only by their agency that our system had not fallen into
utter contempt among other nations. But when a young
man left one of these training establishments with great
promise to undertake the duties of a school, he had often
to sustain a very disheartening and wearisome struggle,
unaided by his committee ; and therefore the object of
that association would be, to point oat to him that, un-
less he went on constantly adding to his knowledge,
his experience, and acquirements, his school must inevi-
tably retrograde. By means of combination they would
afford him facilities for mutual intercourse with his pro-
fessional brethren, and by the interchange of ideas that
would take place at the meetings of the association,
every schoolmaster would have the means of improving
himself, and increasing his fitness for his responsible
vocation. The country 'teacher would thereby be en-
couraged to take heart under the monotonous and de-
pressing circumstances of his position, and would have
the experience which others had acquired in larger
schools than his own placed at his disposal. A common
centre for united action, in all matters bearing upon the
character, position, and general interests of the class,
would also be provided by means of the association.
They therefore claimed, in the first place, the support of
the committee of every public school ; and further, they
ought to have the clergy and ministers of all denomina-
tions to co operate with them, because they sought no
separate or exclusive object ; and if any clergyman
should have any objection to offer to their views, they
would endeavour, as far as possible, to modify their rules
so as to meet his wishes. He congratulated the promo-
ters of the association on the success which had already
attended their exertions, and he had great pleasure in
presenting them' with a first donation of ten guineas.
(Hear, hear.)
The SECRETARY (Mr. Tilleard) then read a report
from the provisional committee, detailing the origin and
progress of the movement. The document having been
received and adopted,
Mr. DAINTREE, head master of Highbury Training
College, moved the first resolution, viz.:—" That the
importance which the subject of education has now as-
sumed in the public mind demands that teachers should
meet as a body for the promotion of professional ob-
jects."
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 prop ised 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-
mously.
The Rev. JOHN CuRwEN, of Reading, moved the
second resolution, viz., " 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 desb able, with a view to the diffo-
Blau of professional knowledge and experience among the
whole body ; and that the present tune 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. UNWIN, principal of Homerton Cott.
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 pertna-
,
Aleut 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 trabling 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. STEVENSON seconded the motion, and it was
unanimously adopted.
Mr. SIMPSON, 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 society were
determined upon, and a committee and officers elected.

STATE OF TRADE.

(Prom the Manchester Guardian of Saturday.)

MANCHESTER, Dec. 30.—We have this week expe-
rienced a falling off in the demand for yarns and goods.
Prices remain perfectly firm. The American accounts
state that, notwithstanding the continuance of most fa-
vourable weather for picking cotton, and maturing the
plant, an active demand, accompanied with an upward
tendency in prices, had been induced by a still increas-
ing deficiency in the receipts.
NOTTINGHAM, Dec. 29.—Much of this week has been
given up to holiday making and feasting, so that very
little business has been doing in the warehouses. The
price of hosiery is a trifle lower than it was in autumn.
LEICESTER, Dec. 29.—The business of a very satisfac-
tory and profitable year in every branch is brought to a
most healthy conclusion with fewer failures for the
amount turned over th n perhaps ever was known.
Worsted spinners have had to complain of the discrepancy
between the prices yarns are selling at and the price of
wools, and as the latter supports its value firmly, higher
prices may be expected if the demand continues.

MUNICIPAL BOROUGHS.—By a return just issued, it
appears that in the year ended the 31st of August, 1852,
the receipts for municipal boroughs in England and
Wales were, with the balances in hand, 1,417,449/. ss.
80., and the expenditure, 1,305,511/. 9s. 61d.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—ALIEITTENANTOF DRAGOONS
CUBED OF RHEUMATISM BY HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT
AND PILLS.—This officer, who is in the Dutch army,
states that Holloway's Pills and Ointment have cured
hiss of rheumatism, which appeared to be incurable, as
neither sea-bathing, vapour-baths, nor preparations vaunted
as sure remedies, did him any good, and the treatment of
the doctor, after several months' trial, was without suc-
cess. At this juncture he commenced taking these Pills
and rubbing the Ointment into the complaining parts
twice a day, which effectually cured him in the course of
six weeks. The truth of this statement can be vouched for
by Mr. J. B. Stratman, of Bois-le-Duc.—Sold by all drug-
Sts • and at Professor Holloway's establishment, 244,
trand, London.

,- -~