The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-11-20
Spread OF General Education.
THE DARK SIDE AND rHE sRioHT.

Progress, Of the Working Class" BY J. H. LudlOW and
Lloyd Jones.
The race between Education and Popula-
ton is, no doubt, far from being a neck
and-neck one. Instead Of 800, 900 or 900, :
900 now at school in England and Wales, :"
said latel ly in the House of Commons a
former education minister of this country,
the Right Hon. II. A. Bruce, there ought
to be two millions" (April 5, 1861. The
Manchester and Stafford Society have de-
clared that in 1862 the proportion Of the
population attending day-schools in Man
chester and Stafford had actually diminished
since 1884, from 967 per 10000 to 9O8 /;
that in 1865, of 1O4 900 children between
three and twelve, those attending day schools
Of all classes we're only $4,000. The Prin-
cipal of Saltley College has stated that in
Birmingham in 1866, out of 40, ,164 children
between five and ten only 1858, or 46-l7
per cent, attended school out of "a, 495
between ten and fifteen, only 1925, or 2@
78 per cent. And yet, in spite Of these and
other disheartening statements, we venture
to think tLat none but the most fanatical Of
educationis.s can scarcely deny the progress
of education amongst our working class. Il
may be true, as was stated in the Commis
sioners' Report Of 1861, that the junior
classes of schools, comprebending the ma
jority Of children, do not learn, or learn i'm
perfectly, the most necessary part Of what
they come to learn,-reading, writing and
arithmetic" But it is no less true that the
same Commissioners declare that, with the
exception of the children of outdoor paupers,
or of parents viciously inclined, almost ali
the children in the country capable of going
to school receive some instruction Report
vol. !. p. 84). The progress they further
say, made BY popular education in the
course of the last ten years is measured By
the fact that the proportion of day-scholars to
the population was ascertained by the census
of 1851 to be in 1886. Our returns col
lected through societies connected with edu.
cation and by other means show that in the
middle Of the year 1858 the proportion was
in ~. The returns collected BY the As
sistant Commissioners show that in their dis
tricts, which included one-eighth Of the total
estimated population Of England and Wales.
the proportion was in 1888. This result
comedies so nearly with that of the INQUIRY
conducted through the societies as to supply
strong confirmation of its accuracy. ID.
88). Between 1857 and 1865 again. the
average school attendance at public schools
for England and Wales had risen from 53I,.
2lO to 901, ,750; for Great Britain, from
626, 696 to 1,O57 745, the school accommo-
dation being indeed sufficient for one bali
more, or 1, ,677 ,808 (of whom 1 ,47O,473 in
England and Wales). The quality of
schools, again, has improved far more even
than their number has increased. Thus.
those even who, like the Rev. J. P. Norris,
believe they have seen little or no advance
in the proportion of the population willing
to avail themselves fully of the education
offered, declare yet they have seen a rapid
increase in the number Of good schools.
Hence, as fact, the decreasing proportion
Of educational marksmen in the population.
Between 1871 and 1862, the proportion Of
male minors who signed the marriage regis
ter with mark fell from 1927 per cent. to
23-7 that Of female, from 48-8 per cent. to
2o-5; the rate Of educational progress being.
however, less in Scotland and ireland than
in England.
#, indeed, we consult the evidence sp-
pended to the Commissioners Report Of
1861, the testimonies to the improvement in
the character of the working population
generally by means of education are SO abun-
dant, that in reference to them it is puzzling
to know where to begin, or where to leave
off, Mr.. Edward Akroyd, one Of the largest
employers Of labor in the West Riding, says,
in reply to the Education Commission,
Since the introduction of the factory sys-
TEN of education, have observed in most Of
the districts to which l have alluded great
improvement in the condition Of the working
classes, both morally and intellectually. |
have also observed that the manners and
habits of the working classes have been pro
portionally elevated The Rev. Samuel
Earnshaw, MA, Chaplain of St. Peters,
Sheffield, speaking oftwo schools with which
he was connected, Says The children are
generally orphans taken out Of the Lowest
class. After an average of about four and q
half years instruction they are sent out, the
boys as apprentices and the girls as dOmestic
servants. In these schools education,
consider, has fair chance, and their results
show what is the tendency Of education In
all cases. Now, it is fact that the boys