religious instruction to be given in each school would naturally be determined by the Local Councils, controlled by the Central Board so far as to guarantee respect for the religious scruples of the population of each locality.

It may, perhaps, occasion some surprise to the Commissioners that I have recommended the Latin language to form a part, however differing in amount, of the cycle of instruction in every Middle School, from the lowest to the highest. My reasons for doing this are, first, that the Latin element enters so largely into the English language, that without some knowledge of Latin it is impossible to obtain a command of English for the purposes of writing and speaking well, or even to adequately appreciate the style of a cultivated English writer. Secondly, the Latin element in English is the portion of the language which embodies delicacy of sentiment, refinement of thought, courtesy of feeling, and the popularized generalizations of philosophical speculation. It is thus by virtue of its Latin element that English literature civilizes. Regarding, then, education as the social bridge which unites all the classes of society in England above the mere daylabourer, I believe the cement of this to be furnished, directly or indirectly, by the Latin language. Greek is a much more powerful language than Latin, and Greek thought is infinitely subtler than Latin thought. But quite irrespectively of the enormous time which is required for acquiring even a moderate knowledge of Greek, it is not a language of general utility for the purposes of civilization. It carries the cultivated man into a yet higher region, but it is not a fit engine for converting the uncultivated man into a cultivated one.

J. W. BLAKESLEY.

The REV. DERWENT COLERIDGE, Rector of Hanwell, late Principal of St. Mark's Training College, Chelsea.

MY LORD,

Hanwell Rectory, Oct. 22, 1866. THE circumstances of my life qualify me rather to direct the course of education to be pursued in this or that class of schools than to suggest legislative measures. I am of opinion, however, that the subjects may be dealt with both more efficiency and more economically as a whole than in separate and distinct portions. The school education required for the different classes of society agrees in many more points than it differs; the most important point, the elementary ground-work, being nearly the same throughout. It would not, indeed, be either desirable or practicable to bring together in the same school pupils widely differing in social position; but I think that there should be no gaps in the scale. The education given in one class of schools should lead fully up to, if not overlap, that offered in the class immediately above it; the National school thus leading up to the lower middle-class school, the lower to the upper middle school, and so forth. Thus the Government, or other extraneous machi

Educational

nery required for assisting and regulating the one class, might serve, with some modification and extension, for the additional need which is now pressing. I may, perhaps, be permitted to make one further remark on the general bearing. However desirable it may be that the schools should be adapted to the special requirements and destinations of the scholars, its proper business is to train the man rather than the mechanic or tradesman; to prepare the pupil for the business of life, not so much in the way of a specific apprenticeship for this or that particular calling, as by providing that which is alike necessary for him in every calling, and which may both help and correct the teaching of his after life. The education given in a middle school will be regulated by this principle, all the more because from the pressure of life the tendency is now in the other direction. I believe that both objects are perfectly compatible if only the first be duly considered. Of course there will be some special modification. I now proceed to answer the questions of the Commission seriatim:

1. Educational endowments will be dealt with differently, endowments, according to their amounts and the localities in which they are how they are to found. The intentions of the donors may be considered on the principle of cy près, but altered circumstances require and justify a large discretion in this respect.

be appropriated.

Within

Supposing the school buildings to be sufficient, the first object in every case is to secure the services of a good master. certain limits the superiority of the master will be proportionate to the remuneration offered, whether immediate or prospective. This should depend, in the main, upon his own exertions, and vary with his success; but, on the other hand, it must be borne in mind that young men of the required ability, and willing to undertake the office, have rarely any capital or private means. They neither can nor will enter upon a school without some certain provision; and again, the work in some districts has to be carried on under such disadvantages that the proceeds of the school need to be supplemented.

In my own case, I conducted for many years an ancient grammar school with a merely nominal endowment, to which, however, a boarding house was added. The school, which was in utter decay, rose to considerable prosperity, and was accounted useful both to the town and neighbourhood; but I could not have made the attempt if the right of sending free scholars had not been waived, and if the curacy of the place had not, in the first instance, been joined with the school-an incompatible office which I resigned as soon as I coull. I have since been instrumental in providing masters for schools of every class below the highest, and have seen many opportunities lost of setting up middle schools where they were much required, for want of a start, not merely a plant, educational buildings, &c., but a certain immediate provision for the support of the master.

I suggest then, that where the endowment is small, under 501. or in certain cases 100l. a year, it should be assigned to the

master, but that a quarterly payment should in every case be exacted from the scholars, of which a certain proportion should also be allotted to the master; and that when the number of day-scholars is not likely to be very large, he should, on every account, be permitted, and, if possible, enabled to take boarders. After providing a good head master, the next great need is a sufficient staff of assistants. The master must not be permitted or tempted to add to his revenue by undertaking to teach without aid more than a certain number of boys. Schools of every class suffer from this liability, and in many cases without the master's fault. He must either limit his numbers or take more than he can teach. When the school is very flourishing the requisite teaching power may be provided, as it is wanted, out of the increased profits; but it frequently happens that the additional numbers go far to swamp the school, and yet where the payments are low, are insufficient to provide proportionate assistance. It is, in my judgment, the great business of legislation to meet this difficulty in national schools, where it is most pressing. In the case of endowed schools, I think that a portion of the fund, when sufficiently large, should be set aside for a second, or it may be a third, master. If any number of free scholarships can also be provided they should be regarded as prizes, and given upon examination.

ferable to local

2. I am not competent to offer an opinion on the particular Government point suggested by the Commissioners under the second head. inspection preConsiderable freedom of local regulation is essential, which, however, may be properly controlled by a central authority, or by legislative enactments, but I own that I maintain considerable distrust of a district board, the members of which would, I suppose, be unpaid and consequently irresponsible. The composition of such boards would also present some difficulty. To prevent jealousy they must often consist of very uncongenial elements, and might sometimes come to represent the feelings of a class little enlightened on the subject of education. But something might surely be done by legislation, in connexion with the general question, to prevent mismanagement. The election of the master is often in improper hands, and becomes a matter of low patronage, swayed by local interest. Again, the appoint- Charters to be ment is virtually irreversible. Both these evils might be re- revised. medied, whether by a modification of the charter or by establishing

a concurrent authority, not local; by requiring a test of fitness in the master; and by making him removeable by a suitable and guarded process.

wasted.

3. I am not aware how far the reports of the Charity Com- Endowments missioners furnish evidence on the third point, but a letter to the sometimes clergyman of each parish, and also to the churchwardens, would I think procure the required information, with sufficient exactness upon the whole. It will, I believe, be found that the clergyman and his churchwarden are in favour of turning the endowments in their parish from charitable doles and other easements (the best of which is the payment of apprentice fees)

The restriction

to masters in holy orders.

Supervision

and encourage ment by the Government

to educational purposes, but that they are opposed by the interests of the recipients, or the prejudices of the class immediately above them. Almshouses and the like could not, of course, be diverted from their original purpose, without doing serious violence to the feelings of the people; and in every case it may be taken for granted that local endowments will be preserved to their own locality or the surrounding neighbourhood, and will neither be actually nor virtually confiscated. Cæteris paribus, it is, I think, an advantage that a schoolmaster should be in holy orders. It is a warrant of respectability, but I do not apprehend any mischievous consequences from the removal of this or any other restriction, as regards the free selection of a master. A competent clergyman will always be a likely candidate for any school appointment which it is worth his while to accept.

4. Upon the whole, however, the relief to be expected from the better administration of educational or other endowments must be very partial and unevenly distributed. I have long most desirable. been of opinion that the education of the classes immediately above that for which assistance is now given in National schools -clerks, tradesmen, and farmers of small means, with the higher mechanics, calls for the attention of the Government; whether shown in the way of temporary assistance or a regulated supervision; and indeed as regards supervision and encouragement, I think it might well be afforded whenever it should be solicited. I have further been convinced by the observations and experience of the last five and twenty years that this might be effected simply by an extension and modification of existing arrangements, much to the advantage both of the lower and the higher class of schools. It would lead me much beyond my limits to enter into details. Following the lead of the Commissioners I may observe that the aid of Government might be rendered, Examinations. first, by facilitating the supply of good masters, and, secondly, by periodical examinations and the bestowal of honorary rewards.

Training of

masters.

Existing training schools.

As regards the supply of masters, it stands on evidence, that a special training is, as a rule, both necessary and effective. The highest class of schools are conducted by picked men, whose education, both at school and college, amounts to a training more or less specific, for teaching the particular subjects in which they have themselves been drilled, and from which they seldom deviate; but for schools which have to deal with a wider range of subjects, where the course must be more rapid and more elementary, and which must be content with masters whose antecedents have been less brilliant, no such preparation exists. The men are not to be found, as a rule, except where they are made. By the extension of the term of residence to three years, to be enforced only in the case of young men intended for the middle schools, and by a corresponding enlargement of the scheme of instruction, with other slight modifications, I think that the existing training colleges might serve, till more were required, for this additional use, not only without injury, but with much

advantage to their present functions. All that would be required would be to grant a certificate to the masters of middle schools, in the same manner, and with the same payment to the college in which they have been trained, as to National schoolmasters. I think this would be preferable to the establishment of new colleges, not only as far more economical, but as likely to be more effectual. It would afford a larger field for selection. None would be drafted out of the training school to middle schools but such as were specially qualified. The elementary character, both of the instruction and of the practice, which is afforded in the colleges would in itself be an advantage. The colleges would be more readily recruited, and with a better class of pupils; and the difficult question of their maintenance would be solved. The colleges might be left to recoup themselves for the additional expense of the third year's training; indeed the increased certainty of this compensation would more than counterbalance the diminished amount. That the same college might supply both middle school and National schoolmasters is proved by the fact. Many of the best middle school masters have actually been so trained, and many have served in both capacities.

But then these schools must be officially examined; enlight- The schools ened, encouraged, and sometimes warned by official reports, and must be stimulated by honorary rewards and acknowledgements. With examined individually the utmost respect for the part taken by the Universities in this and in loco. great work, it may be doubted whether they either could, or would, or ought (having regard to their own proper object) to undertake so large a field of additional and costly duty. Centres of examination would not suffice. These can affect directly only the best boys in the best schools; and though the indirect influence is doubtless considerable, yet much neglect and inefficiency may be left unnoticed, and no encouragement afforded to schools labouring under special difficulties, which yet may be amongst the most useful and the most urgently required. An examination of each particular school would meet every require

ment.

On the part of the Government nothing more would be required than a gradual increase in the number of inspectors, and additional machinery, with perhaps some change of regulations in the Council Office; but this is a question into which I do not presume to enter.

I am by no means insensible to the force of the argument Safeguards. which may be used on the other side. A centralized force is doubtless made to bear upon the education of an important class of the community, so guarded however by the voluntary nature of the engagement, in each case, which of course is presumed, that if controlled by suitable legislation the measure here proposed may, I think, be safely recommended, under the necessities of the case. The inspection of training colleges and national schools has produced far more good than evil; the good might readily be retained, and the evil corrected.