ΝΑΤΙ Ο Ν Α Ι, EDUCATION,

IN the November number of this Magazine some notice was taken of an attempt now in progress, under the direction of the National Society, to extend and improve popular education; and it was also mentioned that an appeal had been made to the country to provide for the success of this attempt by the formation of diocesan and local boards of management. It is no little comfort to have now to announce that this appeal has been responded to with a promptitude and energy which is highly honourable to the parties concerned, and which holds out good hope of their co-operating readily and harmoniously in other matters. The bishops, too, and dignitaries of the church, have assumed their proper place, as the guides and advisers of the clergy and laity in this work, and the support and goodwill of the latter has not, nor ever will, when so evoked, been found wanting. To come, however, to facts: Diocesan boards, on the principle recommended by the National Society, have already been formed at Exeter, which has the honour of taking the lead, at Norwich, at Wells, at Canterbury, at Lichfield, at Winchester, at Gloucester, and Salisbury, and are in progress elsewhere. The sanction of the bishop and the support of the laity has been obtained in all these cases, and, owing to the cordial concurrence of the chapters, the boards will be enabled to undertake the two principal functions for which they are designated-namely, the visitation of the schools of the diocese, and a training seminary for masters in connexion with the cathedral. To such an institution, both pecuniary aid and other advantages have already been offered in one instance, and there is little reason to doubt that other chapters will follow the example, and that this will be one out of many ways in which the forgotten capabilities and usefulness of cathedral bodies will be vindicated, even in the eyes of the self-wise and impatient. And thus it appears that, neither for the sake of satisfying the timidity of doubtful friends, nor of averting the violence of open enemies; neither compelled by external clamour, nor stimulated into tardy exertion by the superior activity of others; but by a spontaneous, deliberate, and extensive movement, grounded on ancient principles, and availing itself of existing institutions, the church has come forward to undertake more perfectly and systematically the education of the people. To be first in the field is half the battle; and though it is necessary for old established bodies to be cautious, it is highly beneficial when they can, at the same time, manage to be decided and energetic. In this case there is every reason to hope that there has been such a union of the two qualities; and so far is well: we have next to look to the operation of the boards thus formed. Inasmuch as it was desirable, on all accounts, that, within the church, union should be obtained as broad and comprehensive as possible, they were advised to commence by taking into connexion all church schools as such; that is to say, all schools which are under the care of the clergyman, and wherein the scholars are brought up as members of the church. And this without defining whether this is sufficient to constitute

a church-school in its full sense; still more, without declaring that such shall be the terms of union adopted by the board. This is an ulterior and very important question, on which a few words shall now be said.

The founders of the National Society, with a pastoral solicitude well becoming those in the consultations of whom bishops had chief sway and influence, from the very first, took measures to provide that the scholars brought under her tutelage should not merely be instructed in the catechism and liturgy, but that they should receive the doctrines therein contained in the sound, ancient, and what is commonly and justly called the orthodox sense. In other words, that they should be imbued with the same tone and spirit which confessedly predominated in the best and purest times of our reformed church, and which, both in those and in subsequent and darker days, have characterized her greatest benefactors, the names which chiefly live in her gratitude and veneration: that they should be catechized and taught (so far as our degeneracy would permit) as Hammond, and Ken, and Wilson would themselves have taught and catechized. The specific guarantee adopted on this point was, as is well known, the exclusive use in the society's schools of such religious tracts as were in the catalogue of another society, venerable from the piety of its design, from the antiquity of its foundation, and from the illustrious names of its founders,-a society in the management of which the bishops then took a prominent part. It is also well known that this restriction it is which has stood in the way of several schools becoming united with the National Society, which on every other ground would naturally have been so; and this, not merely from any practical inconvenience in the restriction, but from a dislike to the supposed principle of it. Why, it has been plausibly argued, should not the unfettered instruction of the child be intrusted to that person to whom is committed the unfettered instruction of the adult? Perhaps the simplest and most conclusive reply might be, that it has seemed good to the assembled bishops, acting through the medium of the National Society, to impose this restriction, but that it has not seemed good to them to require the clergy to preach nothing save the Book of Homilies. But waiving this appeal to authority, let it be asked in reply, whether the two cases are really parallel. Is the mind of the peasant as powerfully moulded and acted upon by oral addresses in church, as his child is by the little manuals of faith and practice in school; and is the minister as much hampered in his pulpit by the sermons, as he would be in his school by the tracts, of his predecessor? Till this can be proved to be the case, the parallel is not made out. It is readily admitted, indeed, that a discrepancy of tone and temper between two preachers, and the consequent unsettling of their hearers, is an evil grievous enough. But the difference is, that while this is an evil unavoidable until men can be induced to adopt the same rule of faith, and so to think and feel alike, the mischief arising from infant minds being brought into contact with conflicting systems of religion has been in great measure actually avoided by the prudence and foresight of the National Society. Thus it

appears that the objection to the principle of this restriction is not well-founded; and even admitting that there may have been defects in the application of it, and that the present condition of the society above alluded to may render deference to its list not so convenient as heretofore, the committee of the National Society have lately declared their intention of putting things upon a different footing. A letter, dated the 6th of last August, and addressed by their secretary to the district committees of the society, contains the following resolution :—

"That the general committee is prepared to take into its own hands the formation of a list of books of religious and moral instruction, under the direction and with the sanction of its episcopal members, for the use of schools in union with the society, and from time to time to make alterations in such list under the same sanction."

Under these circumstances, and considering the numerous evils which would arise from each diocese adopting independent terms, it is earnestly to be hoped that the new boards will see the paramount importance of uniformity on this subject, and take such measures as will secure the final adoption of a catalogue which will come to them sanctioned and recommended by the general consent of the bench of bishops.

EFFECT OF THE POOR LAW ON EDUCATION.

DEAR SIR,-I trouble you, for the third and last time, with a few more remarks on a subject which nearly concerns us country gentlemen and country parsons. Much depends on ourselves, but we must look to you friends to help us with your advice.

and your

I am, dear Sir, your faithful servant,

RUSTICUS.

THE effect of the poor law amendment act on the education of the lower orders calls for the most serious attention and anxious watchfulness of the thoughtful churchman. Every subject which bears upon the working of that law should be treated with fairness, and without any allusion to irritating topics; but there is no reason for shutting one's eyes to the great changes in society which that law may produce, nor to the vast power which is wielded by its machinery, either for good or evil. The law may be, in an economical sense, good for a time; but in its permanent religious effects it is, at least, fraught with danger. It may lower the rates, it may (Heaven grant it may !) even raise the wages; but it has already done much to justify the feeling entertained by many, that while the principle of the old law was one of Christian charity, though soiled in its operation by human selfishness, the new law, on the other hand, however well administered for a time, is founded on a principle of cold coercion, appeals to selfish motives, and is needlessly severed from that sacred institution of our land with which the old system of poor relief was so intimately connected.

It may be feared that this feeling was too well grounded, and that when the new poor law becomes old, the zeal which now keeps down abuse may relax, and then the evils of its fundamental principles will manifest themselves.

Let us look for the present at what is going on around us; let us see how the Christian education of the poor bids fair to be affected by the working of the law, both indirectly and directly.

The indirect effect of the law is widely felt by the parochial clergy, who find that the children of the able-bodied labourer can no longer be retained at school a day after their labour can earn the smallest pittance; this, too, at a time when the spread of education was beginning to make it more valued by the poor, and when the practice of requiring small payments from the parents was becoming more general. But now, if the child can earn the twopence which he would have paid, he stays away from school; and thus, in spite of all that can be done, irregular attendance-the bane of a school-is tolerated per force. This must be carefully watched; if it goes much further it will bring country parishes more nearly to the condition of manufac turing towns. If it shall be found that children cannot ordinarily be retained after eight or ten years of age, we country people must go to Mr. Slade, of Bolton, and learn his Sunday-school system. We must make up our minds, as he has done, to confine weekly education to infant schools, retaining the children a little longer than usual in such schools; and endeavour to imitate him by keeping a hold over the lad and the maid in the Sunday-school up to the age of twenty or twenty-five.

Should this be necessary, one good effect will ensue; it will put an end to many absurdities in the education of the poor, and bring it back to its proper object, religious and moral training. When there is no time to be lost, we shall have enough to do to teach the children to read their Bibles, and to learn and understand the Catechism, without spending much time on geography, geometry, and all other sciences. The parish clergyman too often feels a pang at losing the orphan and the deserted child to whom it would have been his wish to be as a parent, to supply to them the influence of family affections, or to place them in the hands of some kind cottage dame, and to link them as much as possible to their parish church and their neighbours. They must now go to the workhouse, which is thenceforward to be both school and home; there to acquire, as their best chance, a hard, self-dependent, calculating character, with no parish church or village green to look back to in after years.

But it is to the direct effect of these workhouse schools on the education of the poor that I wish to draw especial attention.

We find in the report of the select committee on the Poor Law Amendment Act, which sat during the last session, the following resolution (No. 11):-"That the commissioners be empowered, with the consent of the guardians, to combine parishes or unions for the support of district schools, and to regulate the distribution of the expenses of such establishment."

In the body of the report we are referred to the evidence of Dr. Kay, an assistant commissioner, who has paid great attention both to the working of the poor law and to the question of education; and his evidence before the committees which sat on both subjects is said to have commanded their attention. For reasons which shall presently VOL. XV.-Jan. 1839.

M

be mentioned, we invite the readers of the British Magazine to give their especial attention to Dr. Kay's plan for education under the poor law, which is given in the fourteenth report, dated 14th March, 1838.*

Dr. Kay begins, as an assistant commissioner should, with the balance sheet. "Education is chiefly to be regarded by the poor-law commissioners as the means of avoiding the ultimate dependence upon the rate-payers of the children."-(Ans. 4406.) The impediments encountered in the present workhouse schools are then very clearly stated, in their bearing upon religious instruction, moral discipline, secular knowledge, and industrial training. They are principally, the want of sufficient numbers to secure good classification, or to obtain the services of competent teachers; the interruption to discipline from the transient admission of children of able-bodied labourers, who come into the house for a short time; the evils arising from the intercourse with adult paupers, which cannot be wholly prevented.—(Ans. 4408.)

The first remedy proposed is, to unite several unions for the purpose of supporting county schools; and a reference to the balance sheet shews, that if four such schools were established in Dr. Kay's district, which includes Norfolk and Suffolk, 2000/. a year might be saved on the rates. Allowing to each school of 400 children a chaplain, a master and mistress, and an assistant master and mistress, besides workmen to teach different trades.—(Ans. 4410.)

It is a natural question to ask, how such schools will bear on the child of the independent labourer; will not the pauper be the better educated of the two? Perhaps it is a fair answer, that the state owes an especial duty to the orphan and deserted child, so that on this account there is no reason to complain, unless pauperism is thereby encouraged.

Education of

But the evidence opens a new view of the subject. the pauper may be made to operate directly on that of the children of independent labourers; and this in two ways,-first, the county schools may serve as normal schools. "I think," says Dr. Kay, "that the county schools would have a much more important operation, for they would evidently be excellent places for the instruction of teachers, by which a body of teachers for all the PAROCHIAL schools of the county might be provided at little or no expense to the rate-payers of the county." (Ans. 4438.) Secondly, it is suggested that it would be an advantage to mingle the pauper children with those of independent parents; and therefore, that they might be sent to neighbouring parish schools, or to new schools provided at the expense of the union, to which independent labourers might send their children at a small rate of payment, provided the school be under the control of the board of guardians, or the commissioners.-(Ans. 4446, 4491-4493.) In the case of the county schools, this control is to

Those who wish to judge for themselves can obtain the Report for 6d. It may be transmitted by post, postage free, on sending a line to Messrs. Hansard. paper is No. 202.

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