The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-12 00:00:00

50 Says Plate.

Bloomsbury
Spiteful Dick
Volatile

2(R. HARDY, M.P., ON SECULAR

_ED UCA TI ON.

CROYDON, THURSDAY.
The annual meeting of the Canterbury Diocesan
Education Society was held in the New Public Hall
in this town, this afternoon; his Grace the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury presided ; and amonc, those
present were the Earl of Romney, Mr. G. Hardy,
M.P., Sir Walter Stirling, the Rev. B. Smith
(diocesan inspector of schools), Mr. H. Hoare, the
Rev. J. Hodgson, the Rev. D. D. Stewart, the Rev.
G, Morley, &c.

The report having been adopted,
Mr, HARDY, M,P., moved the following reso-
lution :—" That this meeting desires to convey
to the Committee of the National Society the
thanks of the Canterbury Diocesan Education
Society for the watchfulness and ability it has
shown in its correspondence with the Privy Council
on the subject of the trust deeds of schools;
and the meeting desires also to express its conviction
of the great importance of maintaining and still
further advancing the system of sound religious
education on the principles of the Established
Church, and in union with the National Society."
The hon. gentleman said—The report which has
been presented to you to-day raises a question which
has suddenly come before the public, but which will
I trust, as suddenly disappear, inasmuch as it is a
question which ought never to have been raised at
all. I refer to the new propositions of the Committee
of Privy Council in reference to national education.
Their plan is, I think, inconsistent with the scheme
of education which has now existed in the country
for many years, and would go far to undo all the
good which has been done under the minutes of the
Privy Council. it is impossible to look at the course
which has recently been taken by the Committee of
Privy Council without feeling that it is one that
must sap to its foundations all the movements in
favour of voluntary education in this country. If
we look back to what has taken place in reference
to education we shall find that the clergy at one
time were the only educators of the country. At a
period not very long distant certain persons taking
advantage of the increased opportunities afforded
for more skilfully imparting instruction, introduced
improvements which gave a better system of educa-
tion. They were not, however, the persons who ori-
ginated the education, but simply a better mode of
conducting it. As time has gone on, the system has
remained unchanged. It began as a voluntary sys-
tem, and when it ceases to be voluntary and religi-
ous in my opinion it will be a greater evil than a
benefit to the country. (Hear, hear.) In estimating
the object for which we have been called together
by his grace the archbishop to-day, it is impossible
to omit considering that we have met in our diocesan
character for the purpose of promoting secular edu-
cation. I have long entertained a strong opinion
that if you were to interfere with the groundwork
of religious education, you would interfere with the
groundwork of that voluntary support which is at
present accorded to our society not only by the, clergy
but, I am happy to say, by an increasing number of
the laity. In the year 1859 a strong wish was
expressed to introduce into this country a grand sys-
tem of education on the same footing as that which
had previously been established in foreign coun-
tries. At that time there was a great deal of talk
about having a system of secular education to
which all classes of children, whatever might be the
religious sect to which their parents belonged,
might resort. Those persons wished that children
should be taught without reference to creeds at all,
but the mind of the country was against it, and in
my opinion is still strongly against it. I think
that any person who supports that system by argu-
ment ought to be prepared to show us the triumphs
which it has achieved. Where are those triumphs?
The talkers to whom I allude tell us that we are
conducting our schools on a wrong principle; that
we ought to enlarge them and extend the secular
element. And I cannot help thinking that the
opinion which was expressed by the Committee of
Privy Council on Education, if carried out to its
logical conclusion, would produce a state of things
which above all others I should dread to see in this
country. In 1839 the Committee of Council began
to act, and put forward their minutes as to the
mode in which education sh-,uld be dealt with. At
that time the State had come to the conclusion that
it would made no advance of money for strictly re-
ligious purposes for the future, and they ceased to
grant money for such purposes, because, they said,
we find the country divided into a great number of
sects, and we will deal equally with all. They,
therefore, left in the hands of those who gave the
money towards the schools the power of controlling
them, only leaving them subject to State inspec-
tion, so that it might be seen that the money
granted by Parliament was properly applied to the
purpose for which it was granted. Beyond that the
Committee of Privy Council said there should be no
State interference, and no State superintendence or
control. That was the system which was established
at that time. Upon what principle is it, then, that
the Church of England—for when I speak of the
National Society I speak of the Church of England
—is now asked to make an alteration in the deeds
of trust under which the schools are held, and adopt
in the schools principles in reference to religious
teaching which the Roman Catholics or the Wes-
leyan's, or any other sect, are not called on to adopt?
(Hear, hear.) All that we ask for is simple justice,
and a guarantee that in working the schools pro-
perly no difficulty shall arise as to religious instruc-
tion. The clergy who have the management of the
schools know perfectly well that in most of them are
a number of children whose parents are Dissenters,
but would the parents send them at all if they were
told that in no case would religious instruction be
imparted to them ? I venture to assert, without
fear of contradiction, that such a system of education
would drive the child of the Dissenter away from
the school quite as much as any attempt at prose-
lytism. Our object should be to return a child to
his home so imbued with the elements of religious
knowledge as to enable him hereafter to work with
his parents for the common benefit. What is the
attempt which has beer made by the Committee of
Council to which this resolution refers ? The rule
adopted by the Committee of Council is exceedingly
strict. They say that members of the Church of
England, who have contributed their money to-
wards the establishment of schools, are to under-
take not to force upon anybody that religious in-
struction which was the very object of the founda-
tion of their schools. All we say in reply is that
it ought to be left in our own option to impart re-
ligious instruction just as it is left to the Wesleyans
or Roman Catholics. (Hear, hear.) I entertain a
firm impression that the moment this system be-
comes introduced its effect will be to dry up the
sources of voluntary education. If you look to the
minutes of council as originally framed, you will
see that they studiously avoid interfering many
way with religious instruction. The Committee
of Council said, " We will have nothing to do
with religious instruction ourselves ; we will only
provide that in any schools to which we make
grants religious instruction may be provided ac-
cording to the denomination to which they be-
long." Why is it that we are to interfere with
the Church of England Schools, and not with
those of any other denomination ? In my opinion
very great injustice would be done to church schools
by endeavouring to put a stop to that which has
worked so well for so long a period. Those who
wish to see how the present system has extended
of late years need only refer to the last report of
the Committee of Council. Without going into
details, T may state that both in the number and
efficiency of the schools, in the number of children
attending them, the education imparted, and the
instruction of the masters and pupil teachers, there
has been a steady and progressive improvement,
such as could scarcely be anticipated during the
short time the system has been in operation. It is
not twelve years since the National Society began
its work; and when you consider how short a time
that is in the history of a nation, you must admit
that the results are very encouraging. During those
twenty years nearly 1,000,000 children have been
brought under the inspection of the state, and we
who are connected with the diocesan societies of
the country know that one of our main objects is to
make provision for regular religious instruction.
Any person who will take the trouble to read the
charge lately delivered by the Archdeacon of Mid-
dlesex will see, from the account he there gives of
secular education in America, how the efforts which
hare been made there here been thrown away,

because the seculiar instruction has not been accom-
panied by religious teaching. Under such circum-
stances I would ask whether we have not a right to
call upon the State to pursue the course to which it
is pledged, and from which, without the consent of
Parliament, it has no right to deviate P (Cheers.)
The doctrines of the Church contain within them
the essence of truth, and we have in the teaching
of our schools a system of education under which
we can bring up our children. We have no desire
whatever to trench upon the religious privilege, or
interfere with the sincere convictions of other deno-
minations ; but we do ask that our own schools
shall receive that meed of support which the State
is bound to give in accordance with the rules which
itself has laid. down. Perhaps I may be per-
mitted to say a few words as to the hind of
education which it seems desirable to provide
in this country. I think the over zeal for educa-
tion manifested by some persons in this country
is extremely objectionable. In reading the reports
of the government inspectors of schools I have been
very much struck by one fact, namely, that in all
the reports the tender age of the children in the
schools is commented upon; and the inspectors put
forward in forcible language the absolute necessity
of not giving an amount of education to those young
children which will confuse their minds, and which
they cannot possibly digest or even understand.
(Hear, hear.) I said before, and I venture to say
again, that with children of that age the simpler the
form of education the more likely it is to lay hold
of their minds, to make a permanent impression,
and furnish them with materials which may be of
use to them in after-life. There is, perhaps, not one
man in 100 who requires in after-life that kind of
education which is given, superficially of course, in
some schools to young children. Depend upon it,
that where there is a genius, he will find his way
out of the sphere in which he has been born, if you
will give him but a moderate education. The rea-
son why education is advancing so rapidly in these
days is not so much because there are some few
people pressing it forward as because the require-
ments of life are now such that men have begun to
find out that without education they cannot hope to
succeed in life. It is the advance of science, the
necessity of having men adapted for the work they
are called onto perform, that have given an impulse
to education. So long as a man has only to do a
kind of work which does not require the exercise of
his mind he will not exercise it, but now that you
bring to bear upon the pursuits of the country in
agriculture, in commerce, in war, and in anything
else, appliances which never existed before, it has
become absolutely necessary that you should have
a greater number of skilled workmen ; and to make
those skilled workmen you will require a greater
and more general advance of education. But
don't be in a hurry. In this matter people are
apt to suppose that they ought to see in their
lifetime the fruit of their labours, but I do not
believe any of us can. The advances which have
been made in our time are wonderful, yet I ven-
ture to say that in the course of the next half
century there will be still greater progress, and
such an advance in point of fact as no human
being can have any conception of. Instruments,
however, will be raised up for the occasion. (Hear,
hear.) No doubt it is necessary that means should
be provided for imparting the very highest descrip-
tion of education, but the people who require such
an education are confined in a very circumscribed
sphere. For the general education of the people, all
that in 99 cases out of 100 is required is to impart
such instruction as will fit the children receiving it
for the duties they are likely hereafter to be called
upon to discharge. Something has been said in
reference to training colleges, but in that respect I
believe that mistakes may be made. You have had
schoolmasters more anxious to give a superficial
than a sound education, and I think that it is Mr.
Norris, one of her Majesty's inspectors, who has
pointed out the injustice of such a system, inasmuch
as only one-fourth of children sent to school are
able to receive the higher branches of education,
the remaining three-fourths simply passing through
the lower classes in the school, and receiving the
merest smattering of education, where if greater
attention were paid to sound and useful instruction,
all would derive benefit. Perhaps I may be excused
when I say that the education imparted ought to be
fitted in Lae main for the three-fourths of the chil-
dren who only remain at school for a short time, and
ought not to be entirely devoted to the one-fourth
who remain for a longer period. (Hear, hear.) But.
I say also that a religious education is necessary, and
I cannot conclude my remarks without stating that
if religion is to be ignored, I would for my part
rather see no religion at all. Perhaps that is a strong
remark to make, but I think that education without
religious i istruction is in many respects a positive
evil. We have the example of the secul-r instruc-
tion of America, and I find that in that country, in
spite of a rate, which I believe amounts to about
£2 for every boy put to school in the common
schools of the country, the clergy and laity of the
episcopal church are making great efforts to esta-
blish the parochial system, so efficient do they
find the working of the secular system. (Hear.)
Knowledge is a good and great thing, but wis-
dom is a better; and I believe that know-
ledge without religion is not wisdom. I believe in
that which has been handed down, not through
any human agency, but by divine inspiration itself,
that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis-
dom. (Cheers.)
The Earl of ROMNEY then proposed a vote of
thanks to the most reverend chairman.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY, in responding,
thanked the laity for the co-operation he had re-
ceived at their hands in the cause of education ; and
he observed that its advance in this country was
gradual and progressive, so that it was ro great
wonder if that advance was not always perceptible.
He expressed his opinion that education and reli-
gion never should be separated, but always advance
hand in hand.
The meeting then separated.