The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-02-06

~~>Oo~S w ~O00S = 0000. NJ
ume when this h accomplished, how.
ever. does not appear to be near at
hand.
Great Decrease In IiIiteraey.
Much improvement as the result of
the more general education that has
been provided is noticeable in Great
Britain. The decrease of illiteracy
shows what broadening the school
system and establishing compulsory
school attendance have brought about.
Forty years ago, OF every 1000 men
married In England and Wales 225
signed the marriage register with
their mark, because they could not
write their names; last year only IT,
The proportion Of women who signed
with mark decreased during the
same period from 312 to 20. In Ire
land the proportion OF men thus
SHOWN to be illitsrate decreased from
4O4 to 80 and OF the women from SIT
TO rs; In Scotland. men from ia to Is
and of women from 222 to Is.
Scotch laborers Keen for Education.
Scotland, which furnishes wisdom to
London. as Ireland furnishes it wit.
mas ever lead In the general dissent
nation OF education among its people.
Even the agricultural laborers in the
scotch constituency whom l represent
ed, said distinguished member of
parliament, were keen for education.
Ihey were men whose wages in rent
and money and what they got other
wise amounted to not more than $3.50
week. They were great, burly,
strong fellows, well educated, and with
wives as keen as they were; the cot
tages were without 6 speck of dirt and
with an abundance of books. They
read and they thought There was the
breaking down of this class barrier
through education, and father and son
feeling they had much the same
chance. 1t was a matter of accident
OF choice whether one went to a farm
or 10 learned profession: the learned
one was one who could manage a farm
II the pinch came and the farmer
could adorn the learned profession;
both were keen democrats, but in moth
ing so democratic as this, they meant
10 nave proper education for their
children" The democracy extended to
student life also it may be assumed
IRON the story told of Doctor Words
worth, the author of the Greek gram
mar and the originator OF that inter-
estlng and diverting educational spec
tacle, the Oxford-Cambridge cricket
match. Coming from England to Scot
land to take the headship of a college
IN Glenalmond, he was struck by the
absence of awe" in Scottish boys: or
even ofsordinary respect for the
schoolmasters One Scotch lad came
up to him after a lesson and said:
Can you tell me where can get some |
good worms? / am going out fish
ing"
Public Schools Gaining, Private Losino. |
A notable sign of educational change |
is the increase in the attendance upon |
the council or state (public) schools
IN Great Britain as compared with the
attendance upon the voluntary or pri-
vate schools. Five years ago 2,Sf3,757
children were in attendance upon the
council schools; this year. 3.213.S99.
an increase of 400,142. The attend
ance upon the voluntary schools had
decreased 347,343 during the same
period, falling off from 2,479,S24 to
2,132,4S1.
Four principles are involved in the
states support of the council schools,
as outlined in the elementary school
program of the Liberal party: FUN
and complete popular control and no
religious test for teachers; every pa
rent tn hoUa 30
child to council school-either the
school is to be taken to the child or
the child to the school; where denom-
national teaching is permitted none Of
the cost is to be paid by taxation; q
recognition of the value of Bible teach
Ing. Around these principles much
contention RACES In the political
world.
Universal Education the Aim.
The new education in Great Britain
IS slowly moving to the provision of
The equality Of training, which is the
only basis of true democracy-which
'orbids the conception of the "ele-
nentary" school for the mass, the Sec
ondary" school for the Selected"
classes, and the universities for the
ew destined by inheritance or .envir.
to be the leaders" of the peo-
Die, The new education is universal {
education of all for the service of all.
If the prophets of the new educa- {
ion speak the truth, it will make a
ireater Britain instead of a Little
england. Educational progress is
low, however, in this land New edu- I
ational ideas find acceptance only a
when they become old. But no finer
Material for educational experiment T
xists. In tomorrows world it may be
! Briton from the council schools OF s
oday, who yesterday would have been e
enied opportunity of living his life, |
vho shall call the nations to yet high
r things. Newbolts tribute to the
andful OF school graduates of yester. ! !
ay in England may be true-will be
the scores of school gradu- Y
tes of fOmOrrour.-