To meet the difficulties created by language, the Welsh Education Committee venture to urge two measures on the Committee of Council : : 1st. That pupil-teachers apprenticed at schools in Wales shall be required to proceed to Caermarthen for training. 2nd. That, inasmuch as such teachers will not, for some time at least, supply an adequate number of masters for schools in Wales, the Committee of Council shall continue to grant a limited number of exhibitions to students, who, although they may not have been apprenticed as pupil-teachers, shall be found, on examination by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors, to possess suitable qualifications for teachers of schools in Wales. The benefits derived from exhibitions to the Caermarthen Training School have not been limited to the grants made by the Committee of Council, but the Welsh Education Committee have expended 2001. or thereabouts yearly in exhibitions varying from 101. to 201. each. Such exhibitions have supplied means of support to young men who must otherwise have been withdrawn from the institution, but who, by means of the assistance thus afforded, have either already completed or are still pursuing their studies in a satisfactory manner; and many of the students on whom such exhibitions were conferred have owed their subsequent success, in gaining exhibitions granted by the Committee of Council, to the encouragement which had been afforded them by private exhibitions awarded to them by the principal or bestowed upon them by the donors. The fund for such exhibitions was promised for a limited period of five years, which will expire in 1853; but those friends of the institution who have hitherto laboured in its behalf will be encouraged to promote a continuance of the private exhibitions, in case the public exhibitions are continued by the Committee of Council. The efforts made by the Welsh Education Committee to instruct and educate the poor of the principality in suitable learning, works of industry, and the principles of the Christian Religion according to the doctrines and discipline of the Established Church, have entailed a large outlay; and the following abstract of their expenditure for the year ending Lady Day last will show that the permanent charge upon their funds is considerable : Caermarthen Training School, beyond the sum of 2151. £ received for certificates from the Committee of Council, and exclusive of exhibitions North Wales, training at Caernarvon, and grants for Llandaff, organizing schools and harvest meetings Miscellaneous expenses s. d. 738 19 0 785 12 11 108 11 5 36 8 2 68 19 7 £1,738 11 1 The expenditure at Caermarthen only, including the sum appropriated for private exhibitions, considerably exceeds 9007., and the outlay made during the same period by the Committee of Council for the same objects in the principality at large is limited to the following sums :— Exhibitions to students at Caermarthen Queen's scholars at the same place Grants to the institution for masters who obtained cer- £ s. d. 10 5 0 219 0 0 £371 15 0 National Society's Office, Sanctuary, Westminster, July 1852. MY LORD, Reply to foregoing Memorandum. Committee of Council on Education, Council Office, Downing Street, 2 September 1852. In reply to the memorandum from the Welsh Education Committee of the National Society, which was forwarded to the Lord President by your Lordship on the 16th of July, I am directed to inform you, that the subject of the memorandum has received the most careful consideration. The Committee of Council recognizes the fact that the co-existence of two languages, and the small value of the Church livings in South Wales, are circumstances which may fairly be pleaded as peculiar to that part of the united kingdom, when compared with England. The former of these two circumstances, which requires that the elementary schoolmasters in many parts of Wales should understand two languages, limits the choice of them, in the like degree, to natives of the country; while the latter of the two circumstances diminishes the means of the local class most likely to be actively interested in the training of such masters. On the other hand, it is to be stated that Wales is a cheaper country to live in than England, and that young men qualified to become schoolmasters in it are tempted by fewer opportunities under their immediate notice to enter other professions. Weighing all these considerations, and looking to the change likely to accrue from the operation of the Minutes of 1846, their Lordships have not felt justified in permanently committing themselves to a system of special grants in favour of the Caermarthen Training School, but they have rather trusted that, with certain temporary forins of assistance, the promoters of the institution might, after a few years, and by balancing their difficulties with their advantages, be able to assume a position that would enable them to proceed with the same amount of public assistance as suffices for other training schools, more especially if, in the selection of Queen's scholars, allowance were to be made for a knowledge of Welsh in lieu of some other acquirements. My Lords have proved (Minutes of 1850-1, vol. i. p. lxxx.) that, under the existing Minutes, five eighths of the entire cost of training schools under inspection may be reimbursed from public sources, and they have since stated (Minutes of 1851-2, vol. i. p. 110.) that they do not feel justified in increasing the proportion of this charge. It is impossible not to see that the question now proposed to my Lords is in effect whether, in respect to the Caermarthen Training School, they will depart from this ground. Special assistance has been given for four years, and the minutes of 1846 are now in full operation in Wales. At Christmas next sixty pupil-teachers will be in a position to compete for Queen's scholarships from Welsh schools. From among this number it is not too much to expect that the number of Queen's scholarships to be given away at Caermarthen (probably 11 or 12) may be filled up. My Lords could not sanction a rule which should bind the Welsh pupil-teachers to resort to Caermarthen for training, nor could my Lords acquiesce in any proposal which goes upon the assumption that pupilteachers are not the proper class from which to draw the students of training schools. So long as the Caermarthen Training School is conducted efficiently and in accordance with the wishes and wants of the principality, there can be no doubt but that the Welsh apprentices will resort to it. If, however, it should be found that (notwithstanding the greater competition, and the absence of any allowance for a knowledge of Welsh,) they prefer other training schools, this would be a circumstance requiring the gravest consideration on the part of the Welsh Education Committee, in order to see whether an increased measure of public assistance be the proper, because the only remedy. If eleven Queen's scholarships be filled up at Christmas next, the value of them will be nearly equal to that of the four Queen's scholarships and eleven exhibitions now enjoyed; and when, with this increase of aid, it is found that the accommodation for sixty is now occupied by so many as forty-four students, my Lords do not see that there is any reason to despair of the ability of the Caermarthen Training School to keep its ground upon the same terms of public support as the rest. In order, however, to mark the desire which their Lordships feel to promote the cause of education in the principality, they have so far admitted the arguments set forth in the memorandum as to make the following offer for the next three years, beyond which time my Lords desire to record their opinion that it ought not to be continued. When the number of students certificated is ascertained, after the examinations to be held at Christmas 1852, Christmas 1853, and Christmas 1854 respectively, my Lords propose to allow an additional sum equal to one half of the pecuniary value of the certificates in the year to end at Christmas next, to one-third of such value at Christmas 1853, and to one-fourth at Christmas 1854, to form in each of those years a fund for additional exhibitions, on the following terms: 1. The Welsh Education Committee to contribute at least an equal sum; and, 2. To continue the same guarantee relative to the exhibitioners as is contained in the letter from the Secretary of the National Society, dated 30 July 1850, to the Secretary of the Committee of Council. 3. The candidates for exhibitions out of this fund to be examined by Her Majesty's Inspector in March or April (when his duties bring him to Caermarthen in each year). 4. No exhibitioner to be elected to an exhibition more than twice, nor to hold an exhibition with a Queen's scholarship. 5. No Queen's scholar to be eligible as an exhibitioner. 6. The exhibitions to be of one uniform value, 187., and the standard of examination to be the same as for the end of the five years of apprenticeship. 7. No pupil-teacher to be admissible as an exhibitioner until he shall actually have completed his apprenticeship. With regard to the amount of their Lordships grants for education in Wales, it is hardly possible to regard any one class of them as independent of the rest. To the grants, therefore, which are mentioned in the Memorandum should be added, for the year 1851-2,-- £ s. d. 1,366 8 4 1,142 10 0 4,693 10 0 7,202 8 4 The Lord Dynevor, &c. &c. &c. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) R. R. W. LINGEN. SIR, I HAVE the honor to inform you that I have submitted to the Welsh Education Committee of this Society your letter of September the 2d, relating to the memorial forwarded by Lord Dynevor to the Lord President of the Council on the 16th of July last. Sanctuary, Westminster, 2 December 1852. I am instructed by the Welsh Education Committee to acknowledge the readiness shown by the Committee of Council to promote the education of the Welsh people; but, whilst their Lordships admit the peculiar difficulties arising from the prevalence of a distinct language from that of England, and from the general poverty of the clergy, they appear to the Welsh Education Committee to over-estimate those countervailing influences by which it is contended that the actual difficulties are materially lessened, as well as the number of Queen's scholars who may be expected to enter the institution at Caermarthen from Church schools in Wales. The Committee would suggest the following modifications of the terms specified in your letter of September 2d : :- First. That the exhibitions, instead of being in one uniform value of 181., 'should be either 201. or 151. Second. That the exhibitioners should be selected, 1st. From the candidates for Queen's Scholarships at the Christmas examination, who shall be duly qualified for that distinction, but are rejected on account of the number for the year being full, and that to such candidates an exhibition of 201. shall be given. 2d. From candidates to be examined in March, or so soon after the Christmas examination as may be found convenient, and that to candidates thus selected, exhibitions of 157. shall be given. The exhibitions in all cases to date from Christmas, and the exhibitioners to be allowed to compete for certificates of merit at the Christmas following. The lowest standard of eligibility to be the qualifications required of pupilteachers at the end of their third year, and an acquaintance with Welsh to have the same effect as heretofore in classing candidates. In the present year, students who have already been exhibitioners for one year only shall be received as candidates, and be examined at the same time with the candidates for Queen's Scholarships. Subject to the foregoing modifications, the Welsh Education Committee thankfully accept the proposal contained in your letter of September 2d. I have the honor to be, &c., The Secretary of the Committee of Council on Education. REVEREND SIR, (Signed) JOHN G. LONSDALE, Secretary. Committee of Council on Education, Council Office, ADVERTING to your letter dated 2 December 1852, I am directed to inform you that the last examination of the students at Caermarthen for certificates of merit has resulted in the award of According, therefore, to the terms of my letter of the 2nd of September 1852 there is a sum of 1107. to be added on the part of the Committee of Council to a similar sum on the part of the Welsh Education Committee of the National Society as a special fund for exhibitions. My Lords will not object so far to modify the proposals contained in my letter dated 2 September 1852 as to establish two classes of exhibitions. But in continuing this exceptional form of assistance the Committee of Council is anxious to distinguish the exhibitions very clearly from any permanent increase in the relative number of Queen's Scholars. My Lords would prefer, therefore, to grant exhibitions of 181. and 151. rather than of 207. and 157. Any surplus short of 157., which this arrangement may leave unappropriated, out of the total exhibition fund, will be paid over by their Lordships to the treasurer of the college for its general purpose. It will of course be in the power of the authorities of the college to say that they will admit the successful competitors for these exhibitions upon such further payment as they may see fit; e. g. they may say that every such exhibitioner shall be liable to the college for no greater sum than 187., which would afford free entrance to an exhibitioner of the first class, and would leave only 31. to be made up by an exhibitioner of the second class out of his own resources. I enclose a list in the order of merit of those competitors at the last examination for Queen's Scholarships who were excluded, not by absolute failure, but by the presence of superior candidates, and who have not already accepted other exhibitions. To any of these whom the authorities of the training college may choose, after ascertaining that they will accept the offer, to select, my Lords are willing to award exhibitions of 97. each, the Welsh Education Committee guaranteeing a like sum, and continuing the assurance given in your letter dated 31 July 1850. My Lords would suggest that, in order to save time on the present occasion, it would be desirable to expend as much as possible of the entire fund in exhibitions for students willing to accept them from the enclosed list. So far as the fund may not be by this process exhausted, Her Majesty's inspector will be directed to hold an examination of candidates when he comes in the course of next month to examine the pupil-teachers in the practising school; and, for this year only, my Lords will reckon the exhibition so to be awarded as from Christmas last. My Lords consent also, on the same terms, to admit the holders to be examined for certificates of merit in December 1853, and to award the usual grants on their success. It must, however, be fully understood that in future the examination for these exhibitions will be held at the same time as that for Queen's Scholarships, viz., in December. The number of exhibitions granted will be announced at the same time as the number of students certificated. The authorities of the college will have in their hands a list similar to that herewith enclosed; and from such a list, as well as from the competitors for exhibitions, eo nomine, the number will be filled up. My Lords will not object to adopt the standard suggested for the lowest exhibition, viz., that for the end of the third year's apprenticeship. But your Committee is of course aware that such a standard, pursuant to the seventh condition in my letter of the 2nd of September 1852, implies a search for candidates in another class besides that of the pupil-teachers. My Lords would decidedly have objected to such a plan as part of any measure not intended to be temporary, and they hope that the Welsh Education Committee will only resort to it in the proved absence of duly qualified pupil-teachers. The experience of Her Majesty's inspectors, and of the authorities of the training schools under inspection, concurs to prove that five years' apprenticeship under the Minutes of 1846 is invaluable as the basis of further training for the schoolmaster's profession. It is of course worth some consideration, as a mere matter of finance, that every holder of an exhibition of 187. is much more likely than the less proficient holder of one of 157. to obtain a grant by his examination at the end of the year towards reimbursing the residuary sum, over and above the grant for his exhibition, which his year's education will have cost the college. I am to request an answer at as early a period as may suit the convenience of the Welsh Education Committee, in order that such instructions as may be necessary may be issued to Her Majesty's inspector without involving the necessity of his making a special visit to Caermarthen. The Rev. the Secretary of the National Society. I have the honor to be, &c., R. R. W. LINGEN. National Society's Office, Sanctuary, Westminster, 12 March 1853. SIR, ADVERTING to the letter which you did me the honor to address to me on the 25th ultimo, on the subject of exhibitions to the training school at |