New-York tribune., 1896-12-27
LONDON BOARD SCHOOLS
A TALK WITH GRAHAM wALLAs. THE
ENGLISH REFORMER.
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN
SOLVED BY THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD
ADVANCING THE GRADE OF THE
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.


PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
Among the arrivals yesterday upon the American
Line steamer New-York Graham Walas.
member OF the London School Board. who. by rea-
son Of his efforts and lectures in England has
come 10 be regarded in that country not only an
authority upon matters educational but also upon
questions OF municipal reform and government. lie
has been actively identified with many OF the re-
form movements that have swept England's
cauital the last few years In the faction of the
London School Board that is known the Pro-
.cressves he is prominent leader. and has mate
irally aided the furtherance Of advanced and tech
meal instruction in the public schools Of London
Mr Walla, will remain in this country about six
weeks and In that period VIII deliver a series Of
lectures under the auspices Of the University EN-
tension Society in this city in Brooklyn Phia-
delph.a and Baltimore The subjects upon which
he Will talk are stories OF English Towns and
."ruclish Institutions
In The intervals between his lectures. Mr.. Waas
sad Yesterday he intends TO avail himself Of the
opportunity to study carefully various features Of
the educational and municipal institutions here
with ihe possibility OF being ultimately able TO in
troduce some Of their best points in the further i'm
rroyemenis in London's municipal administration
that are contemplated.
on LONDON's SCHOOL BOARD.
NJ, Walas for the last three years has represented
shcreai;ch in the London School Board position
,ha. entails upon him about forty hours work
week for the greater part o; the year for which he
rsce YES pay whatever TIE problem for provid-
:nc sufficient school accommodation for children Is
one ;aat London has had 10 grapple with I'm recent
years just New-York i now asitated n the solu
tor u the difficulty. Replying 20 several in
ouras bearing upon ,he matter Mr.. Walas in the
course of the interview yesterday afternoon at the
p-cvoor House said: When me London School
Board was created 1870 the only school places
available ;he parochia schools. which left an
enormous deficiency which hardly anybody a;
mat time even dared think OF remedying.
s. great the difficulties 20 be faced. Bui
snce that time have succeeded in provid-
;ng 10000 places (by places | mean individual
accommodations for pupils in between 400 and 40
schools. a OF about $lQo0O0o0 That, with the
.oo or so places provided by the still existing pa
rochial schools. gives this year for the first time
sufficient accommodation 70 meet the demands Of
the population and when We have completed the
buildings tina; being erected. and which Will
give US some 6Oco more places. We shall oe able 10
NEE; all requirements fer the next three or four
years.
The greatly increased demands upon our re-
sources In the last few years have been caused not
only by the growth OF Londons population Dut
bs larger percentage OF the well-io-do iniu
dle-class people sent their children TO 'he board
schools The idea OF Parliament in passing the
School Board bill in 1870 was TO provide education
only for the poor children, but from the very be-
ginning the more prosperous people have taken
advantage OF the system.
NO LONGER ELEMENTARY
by reason OF the education We give in the way
OF science. history and various highly worked out
forms OF manual training, our Board schools nave
practically ceased TO be regarded as elementary
In all these reforms We have constantly had TO
stand the opposition of the 'overburdened rate
payer Of England. But We find that with the
shopkeepers the clerks and the professional men
sending their children the Board schools, the
,I.r.xy lCrlr .H
favorable eye upon the generous scheme Of educa-
tional expenditure now In force.
The total tax which London is called upon to
pay for the maintenance Of lis public schools
climbs up TO about $4,000 year or about
shilling in the pound upon the annual value OF
London's real property. Up 10 a few years ago
all education above the elementary standard was
ignored by the Government, and depended either
upon private enterprise or endowments But IN
the las, few years the municipal bodies have been
allowed to appropriate money from the taxes IN
supporting higher and technical education in the
..The Education Committee OF the London County
Council has done amazingly good w0rk IN reducing
something Ike coordination and efficiency out OF
The secondary education proposals OF lne 49, "a ~
rnent lat session thrown ont owing 10 the
IA that the Conservative Government tackled on
10 them scheme for increasing 'he i1&".r w. ~ ,,i,
church Of England in the schools ana ior hMi'hs
= n9n-con.enfious secondary education bill Will be
Introduced next summer, which VIII create d sNs-
the Board School and the university. ana wnen you
add that we have a scheme on hand Which mas
some prospec OF success for creating l-ohdon
teaching university. our educational faclNles WI
b. worthy OF the biggest city in the world Furthei-
more We have something 10 fall back upon besides
ryre philanthropy as aid 70 our project. Inc
Germans are becoming In Europe our chlet Utsue
-lveis and they have IN 50 tnOfoutAF iOi
figber techncsl and commercial educaton ihal
80 great BRITISH public suffers from perloalca
- a. ne nrobah hINtv Of losing interna uOnal
.- 3e we have had very bad attack OF tndt sort
,a-aiv and arising from TINS scare We nope 70 s'l
..t-,antlal support our efforts TO promote ne
fiea4r grades OF learning in the London scnoois.
IN furfher conversation Mr. Wallas sald inc IN
,rrvernenfs that had been effected IN the schoo
scoommodations and educational facilities had H.
c-eaeeI ,he school ratc only little. Inc cos iof
90 amounted. he said 70 -, tElrtY-tWo shlilHa
~ which was contributed by the Government as
Ct