The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-22 00:00:00

TIIE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 22, 1869.

FORSTER looks forward to the time when there will
be elementary schools for all the population of the
country, and when not even the outcasts in
the streets will escape this preliminary disci-
pline. How this change is to be brought about
the Vice-President of the Council does not as
yet tell us. He represents the department which
ought to be a Ministry of Education, and his official
position enjoins reticence on a subject which will very
probably engross the attention of the country next
session. Elementary education is not, however, the only
intellectual need of the people. Mr. FORSTER holds
that there ought to be, in addition, good secondary
schools for the children of those who can afford
education up to the age of 14, 16, or 18 years,
and beyond these the universities ought to
be, not seminaries for the rich, but homes
for the best intellects of the country, irrespective of
station. Above all, it is necessary that there should
be connecting links between the three systems of
primary schools, secondary schools, and the univer-
sities. At present the child who enters one of these
grades finishes his education there. By no means can
the poor parent transferhis son from theelementary to
the grammar school, still less to the university.
Establish what Mr. FORSTER calls bridges from one
system to another, and the scheme of national educa-
tion, in the fullest sense of the word, will be
complete.
This is the great combination which the educa-
tional representative of the Government has in view.
He has already contributed something towards its
realisation. The endowed schools will in all proba-
bility be reformed during the present session. It has
long been matter of public scandal that the endow-
ments of the various grammar schools throughout
the country are shamefully wasted. If the
letter of the founders' instructions be carried
out—which does not always happen—the spirit of
his bequest is utterly ignored. The endowments of
grammar schools were originally bestowed for the
purpose of teaching Latin and Greek, because in
former days nothing else wal altht. The range of
learning has infinitely extended; but Latin and
Greek still represent the learning of the grammar
school, though of all subjects they are of the smallest
utility to " secondary scholars." And even these
two solitary dead languages are seldom taught
well. For the future the law will pre-
scribe that the use and application of educational
endowments shall keep pace with the wants of the
time, and it will exercise supervision over endowed
schools in order that the present double scandal of
teaching useless subjects and teaching them
badly may be avoided. The Endowed Schools
Bill will provide for the needs of secondary
education. It was the intention of the Govern-
ment to go further than the mere reform of
abuses. The bill at first provided an examining
body both for the schools and their teachers, with
the view of keeping up a good standard, and of
securing efficient men by granting certificates. It
has been found impossible to get this part of the bill
through this year, and the reforming clauses will,
therefore, be considered sepaiately. One feature of this
measure is of special interest. It provides a "bridge"
by which the secondary and primary schools may
be united, by which the poor scholar of the
latter may be advanced to the former. Mr.
FORSTER proposes to apply a portion of these
wasted grammar-school endowments to the founding
of exhibitions, which will be attached to the national
schools. These exhibitions will be gained by the
most promising children of the working classes, who
will thus secure a higher education, and'who may
ultimately reach the universities. The plan is already
in use amongst the Scotch. Its adoption in England
wil be another leaf from the Gaelic book.

The entire plan laid down by Mr. FORSTER is a
very great one, and time will be required for its full
development. When the endowed schools are
regenerated and connected with primary instruction
there will still be the national schools themselves to
reform, and then the universities to popularise. But
the completion of the work may be looked forward to
at no distant date. The Yorkshire Union may
then take heart. It is only by first thoroughly
instructing the child that the instruction of the man
—of which the country stands so much in need—
can prosper. We find the contest with the scientific
training of the Continent to be more and more
severe. The best system. of general education that
can be devised will be incomplete if means
for technical instruction be not also provided.
This necessity is more and more acknowledged. It
is a remarkable fact that the science schools have
increased in one year from 183 to 355, and the
scholars from 8,600 to 14,200. This really looks like
a national awakening. The mechanics' institute will
yet occupy its proper position. The institution
which is ahead of the times in one generation falls
to a level with them in the next.

THE COMIC PAPERS.

(From Punch.)

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.—The House of Com-
mons, in addition to its permanent inmates, has now got
a Guest in the person of the new member for Youghal.
We hope a welcome Guest.

A SAFE IRISH LANDLORD.—There is one argument in
favour of Mr. Bright's scheme for the purchase of Irish
estates by the Government which the Earl of Derby,
,perhaps, has not considered. That plan would constitute
Government the landlord of Ireland. Government might
possibly get payment of rent, or the price of land resold,
by enforcing it, and Government is a kind of landlord that
could not be shot from behind a hedge.

(From Judy.)

GOVERNMENT ECONOMY.—Money makes the mare go.
It has cost £2,500 to make the. Mayor of Cork go !
UNDOUBTEDLY.—If Mr. Gladstone allows Mr. Bright
to " have bis head," for the future, as he's been having it
lately, he'll merit the sobriquet of " The Permissive
Bill !"

THE SUPPLEMENTARY ACADEMY. - With Mr. Moy
Thomas's notions of what deserves to be " hung," we
should recommend him to secure the Home Secretary to
serve on his committee.

A NATURAL RESULT--Judy was delighted to hear the
member for Mid-Lincolnshire speak so well the other
night. But, on a Church question, he naturally would
come out strong, for is he not a Chaplin?

LAY .READERS IN THE CHURCH OF
ENGLAND.

The Bishop of London (Dr. Jackson) has given practical
effect to a movement which has long been discussed—the
advisability of appointing, formally, laymen as readers for
the assistance of incumbents of overworked parishes,under
a commission from the Bishop authorising the holder to
conduct services for the poor in school and mission rooms,
and in the open air. At a service held in the bishop's
private chapel at London House, eight readers have
been formally admitted, four for the parish of St. John's,
Hoxton, one for the mission district of St. Luke, Bethnal-
green, one for Acton, and two for St. John's, Fitzroy.
square. The Bishop, assisted by the Rev. W. F. Erskine
Knollys and the Rev. F. H. Fisher, officiated. The Rev.
G-. P. Pownall, J. J. Coxhead, E. Parry, and G. Barnes,
the nominating clergy, and a few friends, were present.
After part of the usual morning service the Bishop de-
livered to each candidate a copy of the New Testament and
a commission worded as follows :—" John, by Divine per-
mission, Bishop of London, to our beloved and approved in
Christ, A.B. Greeting : We do, by these presents, give
unto you our commission to act as reader in the parish of C.
within our dioceseand jurisdiction, on the nomination of the
Rev. D. E., rector (or vicar) of the same, and do authorise
you, subject to his approval, to read prayers and to read
and explain the Holy Scriptures in the school thereof, or in
other rooms within the parish, and generally to render aid
to the incumbent in all ministrations which do not strictly
require the service of a minister in holy orders, and we
furtherauthorise you to render similar aid in other parishes
in our diocese, at the written request in each case of the
incumbent, and we hereby declare that this our commission
shall remain valid until it shall be revoked by us or our suc-
cessors (whether mcro motu, orat the written request of the
said D. E) or until a fresh admission to the said parish of
C. shall have been made. And so we commend you
to Almighty God, whose blessing we humbly pray may
rest upon you and your work. Given under our hand and
seal, &c." The Bishop proposes to issue similar commis-
sions under the following comlitious :—The office is to be
unpaid, and is to entitle the holder to conduct services for
the poor in school and mission-rooms, and in the open air.
The incumbent proposing to nominate a reader is to apply
to one of the secretaries of the association of lay helpers for
a form of nomination, and to send it, filled up, to the Bishop.
He will thereon supply the Bishop with the names of two
communicants who are ready to testify to the character
and fitness of the proposed reader, should confidential
inquiry be made of them. The Bishop will require an
interview with the proposed reader. When satisfied of
the competency of the person nominated, the Bishop
will name a time and place for his admission, either
in the Bishop's private chapel, or in the church of
the parish or district in which the reader is to exercise his
office.