Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-08-11
EDUCATION OF ENGLISH WORK
ING GLASSES.

Oc GN044on WYNN
ING GLASSES.
The extreme poverty Of the mass Of
the English laboring classes has result
ed in great neglect Of the education Of
their children. Mr.. Bruce, a member of
the House of Commons, has withdrawn
his Elementary Education bill. The
Church of England has been willing to
favor a religious system Of instruction,
under the control and government Of
the Episcopal Church; the Dissenters
and those OF no religion want it only
secular; and a large portion of the
people prefer q system Of plain, popu-
lar, common education, without much
careful inspection as to its character.
Those who think enough of the matter
are opening their eyes to the fact that
the new Reform bill demands the edu-
cation of large numbers Of the people
who will henceforth have the right to
vote. The English farming laborers
have thus far been the most degraded Of
any, except the miners, with little or no
sense Of the Importance Of education
being ground down by extreme poverty
from the low wages Of daily labor until
they seem to have lost nearly oil inter.
est with regard to securing instruction
for their children. They are indifferent
to tho proposed laws requiring the COM
pulsory attendance Of the young. Quite
a large part of the British people hate
the thought Of any system Of instrnc-
ton, or u new compulsory rate Of any
kind. fla plan were to be honestly pro-
posed Of applying a portion OF the
present tithes to educational purposes,
free from all sectarian influence, and
the rest were to be made no longer COM
pulsory by law, it might possibly be
carried through. But if a compulsory
rate for education were proposed-even
on the Prussian model-Tany objections
would be raised to it and just rs COM
pulsory church rates have been abol-
ished, the new proposal would come in
very inopportuuely, unless its whole
purpose and plans were very clearly I'M
derstood by the rate-payers.
Indeed it is in every way probable
that the American common school sys-
tenn could be more easily comprehended,
and would be at once more heartily
entered into by the masses of the people
than any other, because it is we'll
known that here W have no estab-
lished form Of religion, while maintain
ing that earnest respect for the princi-
Piles Of universal religion, on which the
prosperity of all states and nations 10
20 manifestly founded. The people Of
Great Britain read about the Prussian
common school system, but only q few
comparatively eau understand that
language, and the accounts of it seem
contradictory, and-Euglaud is not
Prussia. The English, man, woman or
child, cannot be drilled so completely as
the Prussian is said to be, even if it
could be known precisely how they arc
drilled or with what success In Eng
land, the girl Of seven, eight or nine
has to stop at home and watch the
younger children, while the mother
goes out to work, and the boy earns q
trile more in some labor, that con-
tributes to tho family support. There
is work for persons Of all ages on a
farm. Mr.. Frazer's report on the edu-
cation of the young in the United States
has just now opened the eyes Of the
people Of England as to the working Of
the common school system in the
United States, while with that Of
Prussia none are so we'll acquainted.
Some Of the English laborers
and their wives and children
have taken a great onward start, within
q generation; and latterly there has
been n manifest improvement, and this
is the fundamental basis out Of which
all reform bills have grown. They will
much more naturally and easily copy
American than European steps Of prog
ress. Those who would improve the
condition of the laborer and his family,
must make use of the models which
have grown up with the increase of ed
ucatiou in this country. For here the
whole character has been developing
ever since the declaration of i~ndepend-
ence, with symmetry and proportion.
With so many people pressing their sys-
TENS for the education Of the masses,
some on one principle, and some on
another, there has not failed to be much
good done, and progress made. We
are, therefore, persuaded that it is
American education that is to be the
great source of progress from which the
common school system in England will
have to draw. European systems may
DO used to some extent, but it is in this
country that the elements for English
popular education will be found. It il
not so much the mental condition Of the
agricultural laborer, rs his social state
and want Of real independence Of char
acter, that has been held in England to
disquslify him from the franchise. This
he cannot obtain so we'll from any Of
the nations of Europe as America.
GoISa TO LEAVE Us.-Col. William
H. Watson, for a number Of years Sec
.o..rvor,ba yallow .Jncket nina in Gold