The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-07 00:00:00

EDUCATION.

Lord J. RUSSELL said—l never rose with deeper
anxiety to address the house than I do on the present occa-
sion. The important subject which I have to bring un ler
consideration has at various times occupied the eaten. inn
of the house; but no attempt to carry any general measure
into effect has hitherto been successfully male. The ta,le
was attempted by lk>•r. Whitbrea t. It was attempted by
',Gni Brougham ; and, in the course of last year, the right
hon. gentleman opposite, the member fur Droitwich (Sir
J. Pakington), brought forward. with great research and
great ability, a proposition for a bill on this subject. I
am, therefore, about to embark upon a sea, not only
notea for dangerous shoals and hid•ien rocks, but o ,vered
with the wrecks of the noble vessels which have preceded
me. I trust, however, that the time is becoming more
and more propitious for the adoption of a system of edu-
cation which shall place this country on a more equal
footing with the other enlightened countries of the world.
We must waive that proud ambition of which Milton
spoke when ho said, " England should not forget her pre-
cedence in teaching the nations how to live." We have
before us the example of other natiops in adopting the
schemes of national education, which have been most sue-
ceesful in their operation, and have elevated the character
of the inhabitants of the countries in which they have been
adopted. (Hear.) When, a little while ago, my right hon.
friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department
was interrogated with respect to the enactment of a gene-
ral code of laws, and the examples of Justinian and Napo•

leon were pointed out to him, he answered very justly and
reasonably that it was easier to frame and enact a code by
the will of an absolute sovereign then to carry it through
the legislature of a free country. But no such objection
applies to the present question. Wherever order is valued,
in these countries where authority is most rigid, systems
of education have been adopted. In Austria and in Prus-
sia a general system of education has been framed met
carried into effect. Again, where liberty is valued, as in
Switzerland and the New England States of America,
schemee of education have been framed, and have become
law. In this country, where liberty and order have pre-
vailed toeether, where they are j iintly upheld, we ought
not to be behind' other nations in devising and carrying out
a system which shall be consonant with oar liberties, and
adapted to the exigencies of our political system. Sir,there
is a sentence, which I found iu one of the answers which
were given to Mr. Twisleton, when be was inquiring into
the American plan of education, which, as it is a sentence
falling from a men who cannot be suspected of any want of
regard 'or liberty, and who c tenet certainly be considered
as deficient in great attainments —I mean the late Daniel
Webster—is worthy, I think, of the attention of the house.
After answering with respect to the particular scheme, Mr.
Webster says :—" I may be permitted to say that in my
telgiuent as the present temisiney, almost everywhere,
is to extend sr-puler power, the peace and well-being
of society reenire it the seine time a corresponding
extension of popular knowledge." Whatever be the
scheme to he adopted, I cannot but think that that
see tenets betokens great wisdom. It is one which the Legi-
slature of this country will do well to ponder upon ; and
as we see in every year an extension of popular power, so
we ought in the like measure to increase the insane of edu-
cation. We ought to take care that practical knowledge
is the foundation of the political power of the people of this
country. Sir, the first question to which I chat/ address
myself is the present state of education in this country.
In se doing, I think it due to the right hon. hart. (Sir J.
Pakiligtori) to say that in f Blowing him I have carefudi
looked into the various authorities which he cited, and I
may say that his research has been most correct, and that his
statements are .ieserving the attention awl consideration of
the house. I will not say that to the inferences which he
drew—certainly net tie the particul it conclusions at which
he an can, in many inetances, give my assent ; but
the general picture which he drew of the state of educa-
tion in this con-itry was, l believe, truly erewe fro..
the facts which were bafore him ; which faefs
he drew from the meat trustworthy sources of infuriation.
I shall not, th-refore, Fir, taking it for granted that the
h use bears in indul the statement which the right beta.
baronet made, and which was made known not only in the
ordinary manner, but w furnished in an ttccre.lited form
by himself, think it necescary again to go over the same
particulars. The census of 1851. eye king generally, shows
that there were about 4 00.1,000 children between the ages
of 5 :eel 15 rears in thin country. This observations made
by Mr. H. Mann show that 2,000,000 of these children
were entered upon school books, and that about 1,750,000
were in at tentlance. When, however, these figures cone
to be further inquired into, it will he found that zhey give
a very false notion as to what is the present state of public
e lucation in tnis country. The number attending the
schools visited by our inspectors was only 5ii0,009, being
oely about one-eighth of the whole number of boys
b-tween the ages of 5 and 15 yeers. With regard to
the rest, the number who are in day schools of the
lowest description, and who are nominally receiving air
education, but who really are not instructed, comprise the
great majority of the balance, as shown by the lest census.
I think there are 8 033 teachers belonging to the Church ef
Eouland at the head of schools who do not receive more
than 281. a-year, and there are a great many women con-
ducting dame schools at 211. a-year, so that we have here a
bialy of schoolmasters and mistresses receiving respectively
lls. and Bs. a-week remuneration for their teaching. That
such persons should be comoetent to give even an ordinary
amount of instruction is, I think hardly to be believed ;
indeed the right hon. gentleman opposite called attention
to the fact •last year that 70 of those persons who pro-
fessed to be teachers did not sign the# names, but made
their marks. (Hear.) Mr. Horner, in ono of his latest
reports respecting the state of education under the Facto
ries Act, mentioned how much ho hail been struck with
the ignorance of the schoolmasters. He says—" I asked
one man, could he read ?" He said, " Yes, I can, sum-
taut ;" but it did not appear that this man could read with
say fluency. Thus it appears that a great deal which at
first seems, and on ,the surface, to be education, is not
that education which can be of any use to the persons who
use up their time in acquiring it. I come now, however,
to the education given under the auspices of the Educa-
tional Committee of the Privy Council, and on this sub-
ject I think we should consider, first, what are the relven
to es which have been conferred, and next, the defects
and itnperfections of the system as it at present exists- '
In the first place, we perceive that the grants which, sine()
1839, have been dietribeted under the superintenitence of
the President of the Council, and the committee have been
the cause of great improvements in education. Firstly,
there were in 1839 co normal schools, no special inatructh
for teachers, while since that time there have been
e-teblisheil fourteen normal schools for teachers of the
Church of England, 11 for school-mistresses of the
ulna denomination, and shout 8 for other persuasions,
making altogether 35 or 36 training schools establ.shed
at an expense of 359.000'. or 400,010/ , and fully
capable at the present time of efficiently performing their
duty. Likewise, the education in the elementary schools
has been very greatly improved. I dud in the report of the
Rev. Mr. Cook, one of the inspectors, an account of what
he thinks a boy of 12 yeas s old at a good school is now able
to answer. I find, from Dr. Cook's report, that on the f d
lowing subjects there was not much falling off from the
tch,, subjectscqtsire acquirements
of so much
tsofthecontinental schools which have been
praise. I find that a boy of fair
average attainments, aged 12, and who has been at it good
school, has learned, first, to read fluently and with in elli-
gence ; secondly, to write neatly and correctly from sliest,
tion and memory ; hirdly, to work all the elementary
rules of arithmetic with accuracy and rapidity; fuurthly,
to parse sentences—although Dr. Cook says that the pro-
gress in grammar is not. satisfactory ; fifthly, is aegis iinted
with the elerueuts of English history; sixthly.
hat tire
progress in geogrephy is satisfactory ; eeventhly, has a
fair kno "-ledge of the el-meats of physical science ; Bthly,
knows the principles of political economy, more espe-
deny as they refer to the remuneration of 1 :hour ; and,
ninthly (in several schools), em draw in chslks with great
neatness and accuracy. Now I think that is a very favour-
able account of the state of things in our elementary
schools, where the pupils have the advantage of a ge'el
master, and consequently of being properly taught. It
may be stated, and T think it was stated last year. th :t it
is a disadvantage attending these schools, and attending
the system in general, and those who are the most promis-
ing boys do not afterwards, according to the original in-
tention, become schoolmasters, but in the great majority
of instances go off to other occupations. Mr. Moseley
states that of 800 pupil teachers little more than 3 '0 re-
mained for training instruction. Bat I must say that I
cannot look upon this circunestatibe as so great a disadvan-
tage as it has been represented, because I observe that
those who have spent their time in instructing others
base olio been instructed themselves, and many of them
being drawn from the poorest classes of society, they
are competent to rise by their industry, and by the
exercise of those virtues which have been instilled into
them at school, and thus ultimately to rise to stations not
only respectable, but of high importance in the community.
We pride ourselves in this country on the fact that any
man, however humble his station, may rice to the highest
position, but unless he has'teceived au education it is ho-
pe Bible he should do so, for it is not oialy penury but ignor-
ance keeps him back from attempting to rise beyond the
position in which their origins! lot has placed them. Those
boys who have acted as pupil teachers, whether they go
into commercial houses, whether they are employed in con-
fidential situations, or whatever line they may follow they
have received their education at those schools by public
grant, and the result is that by its means a career has been
opened to them of usefulness, honour, and distinction.
In a country like this, then, which boasts that the robe is
open to all. I think it rather an advantage than a disad-
vantage that such a state of things should arise. (Hear,
hear.) 1 think, then, both with respect to the number
of teachers educated and with respect to the educa-
tion of the children to the amount of 500,000 brought
up under the system, that the sum allowed by the votes of