The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31

chOOl Reform
able to council school pupils but 1t is fair
to say that as a general rule the educa-
tion of the English child of working
class parents is finished when he passes
out OF the elementary school at Il.
Great Variety of Schools
For the child of middle class parents
there is great variety of schools-most-
ly bad. 1t is no exaggeration to say that
as far as education is concerned the
working class child in London Is better
off than the child of middle class parents
The working class child has the excellent
county council schools and If he is clever
the chance of winning scholarship and
going on to the university. English
snobbery, which is a very real thing and
which few parents have the courage to
defy DEGREES that the middle class child
must go to a private school where his
father pays for his education.
About many of the private schools .
said the education minister in introducing
his bill. there is a meager air of social
distinction which Is not without its charm
for parents of certain type"
Most fathers can't pay much and the ed
ucation is correspondingly inefficient. The
rich who can afford to pay, of course. get
good schools but the number of people
who can pay $1,000 a year for a boy at
Eton or Harrow, is limited. The same
applies to the universities. In England.
at least. most d the universities are the
preserves of the well to do. A poor boy
cannot work his way through college as
in the overseas dominions or in the
United States, or even In Scotland and
Ireland. There is nothing for him to
work at and If he tried he would lose
caste among his fellow students.
OF course. any reform in this chaotic
rxr tam 4 n
education minister did not shirk this is
sue in outlining his proposals He said
that reform would be expensive, but he
did not say how expensive, reserving
that for next year when the considered
scheme will be land before Parliament
In the year 1911-12, the public expendi-
ture on education In England and Wales
was nearly $150,00O,000. OF this about half
was raised by local taxation and the
other half consisted of imperial grants
1t is admitted that the local taxpayer
cannot stand much increase OF his burden
and that any increase will have to come
from the national funds. Since 1902 the
local expenditure has increased by about
S17,50O000 and the national grants by only
S5o00,000. In future. said Pease these
rates of increase must be reversed.
Make Comprehensive Survey
Other features of the legislation to be
~ OPoSCu HCAl ytdIs SiilQ IH9 minister OF
education, are that the government should
take power to make comprehensive sur
vey of educational institutions of every
kind; that. an obligation should be inn
posed upon local authorities to provide
intermediate education for all who de-
sired 1t, and that there should be co-ordi-
nation of such provision between author
tiles to prevent overlapping and waste.
The government proposals will impose
upon the council of every county and
county borough the duty of providing
for the development and maintenance of
a complete progressive system of educa-
tion in their area.
1t will further impose on them the duty
of affording the children during the latter
years or their elementary school life op-
portunities of obtaining instruction of a
more advanced character. For that pur-
pose the resources of the authorities will
be extended by removing the limit inn
posed by the act of 1902 on the amount
that might be realized by way of rates
Tor the purposes of higher education. To
secure coordination it will be the duty
of the board of education to review the
schemes made by authorities for those
purposes so as TO secure the maximum
or economy and efficiency with the mini
mum of waste, and so rs to give the full
'est effect to the provision made by tho
lesser authorities in virtue Of their con-
current powers.
With the same object 1t is proposed to
facilitate the establishment of advisory
provincial councils in grouped areas who
will be empowered to undertake any adj
ministrative duties which the authorities
may see fit to delegate to them Prob
lens or more than local interest, such as
the creation and management of training
colleges, the control of examinations and
the coordination of work in higher tech
nj ...1
work of the secondary schools may fall
within the province of the provincial coun-
ellis. The board of education will take
power to prohibit or limit the exercise of
powers for higher education by the
smaller authorities, and conversely to
raise, where necessary. the larger bor-
oughs or urban districts to complete au-
tonomy The board of education will
take power to decide what Is and what
is not education. They will confer powers
upon local authorities to provide baths.
playing fields and nursery schools and
will simplify the procedure in connection
with obtaining sites for schools.
One omission In this scheme which has
aroused much criticism is the provision
OF better pay for teachers. The teachers
in the elementary schools now are mis-
erably underpaid and THIS is being re-
fected In the increasing difficulty OF OBJ
tanning recruits In England for in
stance 64.76 per cent OF the head teachers
receive less than $1,000 a year. while 3.17
per cent receive less than $500: 1890 per
cent assistant male teachers receive be-
tween $500 and $1,000. and 64.56 per cent
OF the assistant women teachers are paid
less than $500 year These figures apply
to certificated teachers. while the uncer-
tificated teachers. of course, fare much
worse. 1903 per cent of the male assist
ants and 1853 per cent of the women re-
ceiving between $3.50 and 1915 The av-
erage salary of male certificated head
teachers Is $780, and of men assistants.
$685., while the figures for women are $615
for head teachers and $3.50 for assistants.
In Wales the average figures are, men
$40 and }575 and women $500 and $3.50.