The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-09 00:00:00

RURAL EDUCATION AND THE REVISED

CODE.

On Thursday afternoon a deputation waited by appoint-
ment upon the Right Hon. W. E. Forster, M.P., Vice-
President of the Privy Council of Education, at his
official residence, Downing-steeet, the members of which
sought to urge upon the Government the necessity for the
entire removal from the Revised Code of article 135,
which the deputation and those it represents consider
absolutely necessary, in order to secure a fair trial of the
ambulatory experiment. The article in question has
never been put in force in respect to the Torquay group of
aural schools, and those interested in the matter seek for
its entire removal, in order that other groups may not be
injuriously affected. The deputation, which was intro-
duced by Sir Stafford Northcote, M.P., consisted of thr
Venerable Archdeacon of Middlesex, the Rev. Canon
Sandford (chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury), the
Rev. 11. Baker, Rev. J. M. Collier, Rev. S. 0. Norris,
Rev. P. If. Barnes, Mr. John Abel Smith, M.P., Mr.
A. K. Shuttleworth, and Mr. R. Robinson.
Sir STAFFOItD NORTHCOTE, M.P., said his first duty in
introducing the deputation was to express his regret at
the unavoidable absence of several influential personages
whose warmest sympathies were enlisted on the side of
the deputation, amongst others the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishop of
Oxford, all of whom approved of the proposed alteration
being made. There were, as was well known, many compara-
tively small schools in districts where it was impossible to
have regularly organised national schools, and the depu-
tation sought to obtain for these schools the assistance of
competent masters, who would inspect them and
assist in promoting the education in a group. It was quite
true this had been provided for in the Revised Code, but
then the provision was fettered with certain conditions
which effectually shut out many of the schools, and it was
this evil which the deputation sought to bring under the
notice of the Council, and to ask for the removal of the
restrictions.

The Rev. R. H. BARNES, M.A., said that article 135 n
served to prevent any new groups being formed at pre-
sent, but if that article were removed, groups would
readily be formed in many places ; and Mr. A. K.
SHIITTLEWORTH, on behalf of his father, expressed satis-
faction at what was being done in reference to the Tor-
quay group, and his parent's earnest hope that the restric-
tion to which the deputation called attention would be
removed in order that other groups might be formed.
Mr. FORSTER said, in reply, that it was impossible to do
anything in the matter this year, for two reasons, the first
of which was that the Council had promised to make a
new minute this year, and the second that the Govern-
ment intended, if it could, next year to bring in a bill
dealing with the whole question, and therefore they were
averse to any tinkering at the code of minutes this year.
If the Government were able to bring in a bill next
session, there would be several things to be considered
and provided for. Of course he could not pledge the
Government by saying that the relaxations which the
deputation sought should be made, but he could promise
that the fullest attention should be given to the matter,
and he was very glad to have it brought under his
notice.