Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-11-08
WAKEMAN'S WwANDERINGS
THE RAGGED SCHOOLS or GREAT
BRITAIN.

LONDON, Oct. 9.-Twenty-one years ago
the British parliament enacted that all
children Of England and Wales between
the ages Of five and thirteen years, If the
sixth standard" had then been reached.
should be compulsorily educated. At diff
ferent times since il has made laws that
these children should receive this compul-
sorry education either in various "volun-
tary" or parish and church schools, or in
board" schools, under local and govern
mental supervision, and compulsorily pay
for the same.
The State, in effect, said: "You, Tiny Tot.
aged five years, are 70 attend such school
AS we may provide, or your parents select.
every school day Of your life until YOU aie
thirteen years Of age, or have passed the
sixth standard. or we will clap you in "a
criminal institution. inc you, Tiny Tots
father, must pay for what we compel your
child TO DO, or we will fine you for every
absence recorded against il, and tax you
for the cost Of its imprisonment whenever
we finally shut Ia up, and then, il You can't
pay its accrued fees and fines and the ac-
cruing judgments against yourself. we will
lsoclapyou In Jail until they are paid or are
hquidated by Imprisonment; when we will
then release you and again begin the same
wholesome care Of yourself and your Of
spring"
Out Of this exquisite system has grown.
naturally and In order, millions Of school
haters and liars; hundreds OF thousands Of
petty lawbreaSers before the local magis-
tracy; tens Of thousand. OF children crimi-
mails among the good and bad alike. an
army of visitors, % inspectors and detec-
tives, whose uuempowered though uuiyer-
sally exercised brutality among helpless
children and distracted and Ignorant
mothers j. ineXpre~sibly infamous: and
hundreds Of so called Industrial schools.
or "RaI-ed' and "Truant' schools. "a,
they are more popularity termed. which.
whatever their merits Of management on
the line Of their legalized purposes. are an
iueXcusable outrage upon the inalienabl-
rights Of child life and home life in any
civilized land.
The elementary schools are Of two kinds
the board schools aud the voluntary
schools. The first are vaguely supported
by government allowance from taxation,
though their support actually comes from
the parents Of scholars forced % attend
school, through a fee ranging from one
penny, or two cents, 20 ~ninepence. or eight
cen cents, per week for each child. A the
poor are notoriously most prolific, the fees
taken from a family compelled 20 send
from thr'e 70 five children 10 board school
may average hy-pence each per week. or
from thirty 70 fifty cents for the whole
number.
The voluntary schools are simply those
established under requests. the
schools founded by associations aud the
parish schools 81 nearly every religious de-
nomination. in England They all demand
fees, in most cases exceeding those estab-
lished by the board schools. There are
seven standards or grades and a special
the latter merely comprising a
class receiving special attention for pro-
hciency. Out Of the latter the master
those who are 10 compete for an
annual scholarship, and this entities the
70 a collegiate school education Of
about three years term.
The most effective commentary upon the
wrong ia the British system of
compulsory education with compulsory
payment for the same is found IN a few
briefly recounted facts. II is universally
by all board school visitors" in
ipectors, detectives and officers, A. well a.
By magistrates a-djudicating school board
'ases, that IL has come 10 be The most des-
struggle Of a large portion Of the
owly Of England, second only 20 their
truggle for bread, 20 evade the registra-
Of their children for school attendance.
I that, 20 them, miserable misfortune be-
.lls them, it is their next uuremittiug
truggle 20 defeat by every expediency.
device. falsehood and downright
illainy the enforcement Of the law. Il re-
eutlessly hunts, haunts and harries them
o long as they possess a child within the
ompulsOry age; and / personally know Of
cores Of families where n or both parents
ave been prosecuted 20 their grave and
heir children driven from possible re-
p~ectability 20 permanent criminal life.
This information is based on the state-
lents Of school visitors, inspectors aud
-putable people. But any one has access
D the fact that In London, for the nine
lOnths ending March 81, 1887, out Of the
arents Of the enormous number Of 1OG7O ,
llldren summoned before the police mag
for nOnattendance or irregular az
,ndance, lO3 had been previously sum
between eleven aud thirty-fve f,
Not only this, but, according 70
hcial returns, for every hundred scholars F,
provided while there Is not provision A.,
n one-sixth Of all British children who :
'e entitled 70 receive elementary educa- :
ON there Is, under the compulsory at :
ndance and pay system, an average at .
ndance Of only about % per cent. It is o
50 true hat there Is an attendance, forced f,
I'd voluntary, Of only about 20 per cent. \
all British elementary schools. a
In other words, after al army Of detec- !,
YES have found a certain number Of chill :
which the law mercilessly drives 70 :
and into paying for the schooling !,
ID the driving, the utmost riROr Of Brit =
D law-~re-enforced by relentless magis- =
ates, by cOnstables, detectives and wis =
'rs," whose very sustenance depends upOn =
cir vigilance, and the endless dread Of =
70 both parents and children-can :
ter all compel q school attendance Of :
ly three-fourths Of the children under =
everyday surveillance. Is IL any :
that, under such a system, the en- :,
. school attendance Of the great CITY :,
Liverpool, for the month Of July last. =
led TO reach $1,000; and that, TO provide :
: the detention Of the rebellious among :
IL number, its Ragged school" prisons =
Park lane, Bond, Queensland aud Add n
D streets were rated to hold LBS child
.isoDers, with their capacity quite over b
rsdf h
Children are got on the school Isf- IN O
rec ways by house to house eQfefrnr.r- ~