The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1878-01-13
PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Two conferences held during the pas
summer at Liverpool and Glasgow wer,
mainly occupied in ssndy of the results o.
the Education act Of 1870. Their reports
now .pubiishsd, supply some interesting
details regarding the progress of elementary
education in the several parts Of the Unitet
| Kingdom.
At the time of the Parliamentary inquiry
concluded in 1869, the number of primary
establishments subject to official inspection
in England fell short Of 8. goo, and the en-
coed million aud p quarter. At the eauie
| epoch there wore in ireland about 6 SOC
| national schools, with rather more than
SOC, GOO scholars on the lists, although the
actual attendance was only y third of the
nominal total. On the other hand, the
state of things iu Scotland was found to be
eminsntly satisfactory, for here an old law
| compelled every parish to maintain pub
| lie school, and accordingly a vast majority
of Scottish children were able tOssead and
write, while the poorer classes of England
and Wales we'e sunk in ignorance. AT
that time, however-we are speaking of a
date no more Temuta than seven yenrs ago
the aggregate expenditure of tue United
Kingdom for elementary instruction, in
Guiding State, local, ard private aid as W ell
as the fees paid by pupils, did not reach
Si0. GOO, 600; WAS less, in other words, than
the gum devoted to the sams purpose by
the single State of New York.
There is no doubt that tremendous
change was wrought by the Education act
of 1870. and its fruits haze been especially
sigpaiGed during the last tvelvemoDth.
Tho law provided that each locality should
have means of education adequate for the
whole body of children of school age. No
H.. l.
religious instruction or take part in religi-
OBS exercises against the wieh of his parents.
The Educational Committee of the Privy
Council WAS empowered to cause the eiec-
ton in each district of School Board,
whose authority is very broad. Chosen by
women are expressly made electors and
eligible to ofice-this board determines the
local regulations, fxes the school ago,
makes attendance compulsory or voluntary,
at its option, and can establish penalties
ior Ron-apPearanee; provided, however,
these are not enforced until after the pa
rents in default have received an admoni-
ton. 1t appoints the teachers, and insures
proper supervision by means Of special
delegates. Each board can make the
schools under it's control entirely gratui-
tous, or settle the fees, from payment of
which it may excuse the poor. 1t is also
authorized TO hire, buy, OF build school
and, finally, it may levy taxes aud contract
loans for the organization aud maintenance
of public instruction. The conditions upon
which State aid would be Furnished to a
gtvon district were laid down in the E1uca.
ton code enacted in 1872, and all previous
legislation on the subject was confirmed in
the following year.
Such ia the system which ia now in opera
ton throughout the United Kingdom. The
results can be succinctly stated. The
number of primary schools in the island of
Great Britain is now II, 900, and the num-
Der of pupils two and half millions. In
Ireland the improvement has been less
marked, yet the mum bec of schools has been
increased by about one Thousand, and more
than million pupils are registered. In
England and Wales the number of school
boards is not far from q thousand, and
their annual revenues considerably exceed
ten million dollars. They have largely
debt, and the sums loaned to five hundred
among them aggregate twenty- Ave million
dollars. These figures attest the magnitude
Of the efforts which have lately been put
forth in England on behalf of elementary
instruction. Much, however remains to be
done. 1t is pointed out by Mark Pattison,
Rector OF Lincoln College, Oxford, that the
number of children OF school age in Great
Britain alone is not less than four millions.
At least a million and a quarter of the
school population remains upproVided for,
aud to this grave shortcoming must be
added the imperfect workings Of the sys-
tenn in Ireland. How to gecure further
progress is one of the questions most
discussed at present in the Eng
lish press; and it lie plain that 8 strong
current of opinion favOrs the plan of COM
puisory education.
Under the existing law. aswe have noted,
the regulation of attendance is left to the |
local board. 1t appesrs that, 90 far, less |
than Ave per cent of the whole population !
are living under a compulsory school |
regime, while the scheme has been applied |
to rather more than eight per cent. OF the /
of boroughs.
We may also mark two or three facts
relating to particular cities. In London,
with population of 3. $685. GO, less than
100, 600 children attend the institutions con
troiled by the school boards. It appears,
too, that more than three -feuEths OF those
over six years OF age are neither able to
read intelIigently the shortest paragraph,
nor to make the easiest computation in
addition or subtraction. Every week up