, 1874-01-31

dance upon the instructions afforded them,
in the public schools provided for them in
every country which enjoy the blessings Of
free and liberal institutions, under the direo-
ton of a wise and progressive government,
which government will always make the educa-
ton of the ~populace d matter of conscience-a
matter forming one of the most important, if
not the most imp %ortant, item in the develop
ment of . liberal policy.
1t will be remembered, that even in a~ristocra-
tic England, where wealth and education have
long hourished, among theupper Glasses, the high
ly important matter has been the subject of dis
cussion for some time, viz, how to adapt
the ample means of education which have been
literally extended to the masses to the best pur-
pose, consistently with that principle of national
and individual right of perfect freedom in the
choice of whatever the nation or individuals may
consider best suited to national or Individual de-
velOpment-a principle carried to too great a
length, particularly in the matter of popular edu-
cation. Only now, it would seem, the lucidness of
the course to be adopted remains no longer amat-
ter of doubt, for the idea is gaining ground, that
nothing short of the compulsory system in car
rying out popular education, will ever serve
any real purpose.
One of the greatest, if not the greatest agita-
tor and promoter of this idea, Mr.. Forster, has
been most successful in the introduction of q
Bill to be passed into law in the British Parlia-
Ulent, for the adopting Of the compulsory Sys-
TEN of school attendance and in so far as it
effects religious matters as connected with
school affairs relatively, Mr.. Forster says,
that "this Education Act is the first one Of
its kind that has been passed by the British
Parliament. This is triumphant language, ex-
ulting fairly over that r~etarding principle allu-
il 49, r.
operated against the spread and consequent
benefit of a liberal system of popular education
in free England. Other countries, both in
Europe and America, have long since ~forestall-
ed Great Britain in this measure, by establish
ing the compulsory system of Education, and
these have had no cause TO regret the adopting
of the measure; on the contrary, the great benefit
resulting therefrom may be plainly seen every
where it has been introduced
In Denmark the plan has been carried out
for a long time and, as anational good, every
Dane will readily acknowledge, that general
benefit has accrued to his country, both nation
ally and individually.
Why this system has not been fully adopted
here, is but poorly accounted for and what
ever may be said in defence of the delay at.
tendant on the matter, it is plain to all who
give educational matters a thought, that the
necessity is felt by our rulers, and the c%onvic-
tiOn has deeply rooted itself in their minds,
that Improvement and advancement in this
branch Of our polity are pressing wants. AS
an earnest of their intention of carrying out
some measure which shall be productive of
better results than hitherto, whether that be the
Compulsory System or otherwise, they have
achieved the appointment of an efficient School
Inspector, "who," to quote the words of one
of our Colonial Council members, is expected
to "know more about schools than the 4 Com
missions, the Government and Council to-
gether."
This appointment may, perhaps, meet anti
oipated expectations; but till now, after
the lapse OF more than a year, no visible
results have greeted the eye of the public.
The long expected Drafts on school affairs
are tardy in appearing. Taxpayers have
willingly realized the idea of bearing the
entailed additional burden of So, 300 q year
for the benefit of education but they are
anxious, no doubt, to see the work for
which this considerable amount is expend-
ed, progress with some energy.
Such a thing as a published School
Report has been a dead letter in our calen-
dar. The Country Schools have been es-
tablished nearly SO years. and, during this
long period, only one report of this kind