ladies. Mr. Gladstone supported the recommendations of Mr. Forster, that the growth of the Education Grant, as regards the rate per head, should be vigilantly watched. He agreed that the higher branches of education should not be paid for out of the public funds.

The subject mentioned by his hon. friend the member for Sheffield as to the increased labour imposed upon schoolmasters in the preparation of statistics, and the question of their compensation, therefore, were well deserving of consideration, as was the question also as to the relations between the schoolmaster and the Department. It would be a great comfort to the schoolmasters if they were to be assured that wherever the Department was called upon to act in cases of imputations or charges made against them, the Department would not rest satisfied either with the ex parte statement of the managers or even of the inspectors, but that the Parliamentary representative of the Department would take such measures with regart to the investigation that he could feel he could become responsible for its execution.

What Mr. Gladstone recommends in the last of these sentences is totally insufficient, and no action of this kind will ever overcome the illegality and absurdity of Lord G. Hamilton and Sir Francis Sandford sitting in a private court, with closed doors, condemning and punishing this man for immorality, that for dishonesty, and the third for drunkenMr. Whitwell made some remarks on the subject of pensions, in which he seemed to be under the impression that such a provision for old age was only necessary in the case of teachers certificated before 1861.

ness.

We give the Vice-President's reply in full, as it will be interesting to our readers, and we may here remark that for the extended report of this debate to which we have had access we are indebted to the enterprise of an educational contemporary.

Lord George Hamilton in reply said: The greater part of the discussion had turned upon the position and claims of teachers. Three questions had been prominently brought forward-first, their claims to be admitted to the inspectorate; second, the power or action of the Department in withholding or suspending a certificate for misconduct; and third, the number of returns that teachers had to make. As regarded appointments to the inspectorate, the rule enforced by the Lord President was precisely the same as that acted upon by his predecessor. Men were not appointed inspectors on account of their opinions; and the Lord President insisted that in every case before a man was appointed he should have taken high honours. If hon. gentlemen would look at the list of those recently appointed it would be found that in almost all instances they had really distinguished themselves, and had taken very high honours. There might be exceptional cases in which teachers might show capacity fitting them to perform the work of inspectors, but they would, probably, not be very numerous. As a matter of fact the duties inspectors had to perform were not confined to the inspection of schools and the examination of children. They had to decide upon the amount of accommodation which might be required in their districts, and they had to perform other duties which required tact, abillty, and experience, so that knowledge of teaching and of school organisation was not by any means all that was required of an inspector. The number of teachers was not very great in proportion to the number of inspectors, and unless the whole inspec torate were recruited from the ranks of teachers, the chances of promotion that would be opened to them would be so few that, as an avenue to advancement, the admission or promotion of a few could hardly meet the wishes or aspirations of the great body of teachers. The teachers were a powerful body, and were organised in a form of union, and nothing could be more dangerous than that the House should pass a resolution giving them a prior claim to be advanced to the inspectorate. If the whole inspectorate, as well as those who were inspected-viz., the teachers-were

In

recruited from one class, you would turn the present educational machinery into a close corporation which might very prejudicially affect the public education of the country. As regarded the suspension of certificates, Lord Sandon laid down a rule which he had adhered to, and that was, whenever a report was made by an inspector against a teacher which would involve suspension, the case was personally investigated by the Vice-President, who called upon managers or teachers for explanations, and it was not until they had both been received that any decision was arrived at. almost all cases that had come before him there could be no doubt as to the guilt of the teacher. As regarded the returns, there seemed to be a strong feeling that it would be unwise for the State to undertake to pay directly persons furnishing returns to the Department under the Act of Parliament or the Code. Mr. Forster admitted that we must look at finance; that we were perhaps going too fast, and were now paying almost too much per head to the managers of schools for the instruction of children. The committee must remember that the teachers entered into contracts with the managers, with whom also the State contracted to pay so much per child if certain conditions were complied with. Therefore they had two facts before them: from year to year managers were getting more and more in proportion to the work they were doing, and, on the other hand, during the last two or three years teachers were complaining of the amount of clerical work they had to do. But this clerical work was the means of increasing the receipts of the managers by forcing more children to school. The remedy seemed to be in a direction different from that in which it had been sought. The teachers were the servants of the managers. The complaint was that a circular recently issued by the Department insisted on certain returns being filled up by the teacher, not giving managers the option of selecting whom they chose. He should be quite prepared to consider the expediency of putting the onus on managers, leaving them to select whom they wished to do the work, and he was also disposed to consider whether or not some alteration might be made as regarded the local authority, by which they might in certain cases contract with the managers for the information to be furnished to them by Act of Parliament. Numerous as the returns seemed to be he was not sanguine about the possibility of reducing or compressing them. The returns might be classed under three heads. First, there were those relating to inspection, which teachers had always filled up, and which, perhaps, might be compressed. Second, there were those relating to labour certificates, as to which managers and local authorities might find some more satisfactory way of supplying them. Third, there were the returns required to be furnished by the managers to the local authorities, as to which possibly a plan might be fixed upon, by which the local authorities should contract with the manager, and in certain cases have the option of paying them for the work done. One of the reasons for prohibiting a teacher from making a charge for a certificate, was that a case had been brought under the notice of the Department, in which a teacher charged exorbitant sums for certificates granted under the Agricultural Children's Act. He would carefully consider the questions of the returns during the recess, but he did not think it would do to appoint a commission or committee independently of the Department, because the returns were required for the purpose of the Department. The Department requiring them for certain specific purposes, must be consulted before any alterations were proposed, as no independent tribunal could decide whether or not the alterations proposed would fiulfil the requirements of the Departments. But he would consider whether the returns could be reduced, and whether managers could be allowed to employ whom they like to make them, with proper guarantees for their accuracy. As to the granting of certificates to teachers in respect of service in other than elementary schools, it was necessary to consult the Secretary of War, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the President of the Local Government Board, under whom were employed teachers in connection with various training schools, who might be entitled to certificates. Nothing should be done in a hurry which could diminish the value of the parchment given by the Department. As to the recommendation that direct compulsion should be applied because there were so few distircts that were not under bylaws, it must be remembered how many persons concurred in the opinion that in the agricultural districts we were were going too fast. He did not share that opinion himself, but, if the opinion existed, if there were irritation at children being forced to attend school instead of earning money, it might be dangerous to apply direct compulsion to these dirtricts. It was a large proposal on which he did not like to express a definite opinion. As to pensions, it was a great concession made two years ago by which the system was re-established which for

thirteen years had been suspended. The Department were compelled to lay down such conditions as would secure them against the claims of all, who, if pensions had been given continuously, might have obtained them. What I understand the hon. member for Kendal to propose is that, without relaxing our rules or conditions, we should give greater latititude to the managers through whom all recommendations must come, to forward cases of an exceptional or distressing character. I think we might do something to meet this suggestion, and I will carefully consider the point during the

recess.

SCHOOL BOARDS FOR THE MONTH.

Ta meeting of the Dewsbury School Board the Chairman moved that the board adopt Dr. Richardson's Temperance Reading Book for the 4th, 5th, and 6th Standards, and that it be read not less than once a week. The preposal met with opposition, and its further consideration was opposed.

In remote country districts there seems a danger of the population relapsing into heathenism. It was reported at a meeting of the Ruabon (Denbighshire) School Board that in the school of Cefn 98 out of 200 children were not able to say who Jesus Christ was. The chairman of the board put the question himself both in Welsh and English, so that the children really seem to have been ignorant of such a vital matter.

On July 24th at the London School Board there was a discussion about opening the playgrounds to street children. The National Health Society offered a sum of five shillings weekly to defray the expenses of taking care of the premises of each school, the playground of which was thrown open. The Works Committee recommended that the proposal should not be agreed to, but Mr. Lucraft carried an amendment that the playgrounds of three schools, to be selected by the board, be thrown open on the terms offered by the National Health Society. At the meeting on July 31st an animated discussion took place on the conduct of Mr. Gill, of the London Fields Schools, who was charged with trying to make his school a middle class school to the detriment of the poorer children. The report of inquiry admits that "Mr. Gill in his eagerness to secure regular and punctual attendance, and to enforce discipline, and in view of the large number of parents seeking admission to the school for their children, has no doubt during the year departed from the rule of the board by excluding children who were irregular without waiting for a fortnight's absence." The closing paragraph of the report excuses the irregularities that have taken place by saying the master has been "working at high pressure." The case, however, if capable of defence, should be defended in a different manner. Schools grow by a growth of their own, in which masters and scholars mutually influence each other. By arbitrary interference of school boards, or school managers, the living

organism becomes a dead mass of inert matter. In spite of the scarcely veiled sophisms of Mr. Gill's defenders it can be seen that he has been doing what he has been charged with doing, weeding out the poor and the dull-classes mostly one and the same-and replacing them by bright and intelligent children of a better class. Very well, then, say the attackers, Mr. Gill must be remonstrated with; he must alter his course. His defenders have it on their lips, but they do not say it, that they are afraid of compelling him to change his course lest they should destroy one of their best schools. In every good school the master is a despot; in the best schools a benevolent despot, but still a despot. To cast down his tyranny is to destroy his school. As for the excuse that the school is "working at high pressure" the man who penned such a sentence is certainly not very wise. Working at high pressure is the worst kind of work that is, and should certainly not be encouraged in schools. The division which was taken on this question opinion seemed about equally divided, the report being adopted by a majority of one. A proposition of Mr. H. Gover's that the last paragraph (containing reflections on Mr. Podmore, who brought forward the complaints) be omitted was agreed to without a division.

Mr. Podmore has written to the board denouncing the investigation as partial and illusory, and promising to make good his case when it is inquired into by the inspectors of the Education Department.

At the meeting of the London Board on August 7th Mr. S. KempWelch brought forward the following resolutions :—

1. That, in settling the scale of salaries of head teachers, it is desirable to make provision for the retirement of those who, by reason of age or failure of health, are unable to efficiently discharge their duties.

2 That it be referred to the School Management Committee to consider and report under what circumstances retirement shall be made compulsory; and also to suggest a scheme for the formation of a pension fund.

The voting on the first was equal, 10 for and 10 against, and as the chairman declined to give a casting vote, the matter came to an end without a decision. Mr. Kemp-Welch, on moving the second resolution, omitted the words after compulsory, and in that form it was agreed to. The board is here touching the fringe of a very large question, which, if thoroughly taken up, will create two classes of teachers, (1) board teachers with a prospect of a pension, and (2) teachers of voluntary schools, who will have to make provision for old age themselves. We do not think it will be wise to divide the profession in this manner; it would be far better to revive the Pension Minutes of 1846 and 1852. If the church clergy were wise they would bring their influence to bear on the Government, and the thing would be done. When the school boards begin to pension teachers, they will draw all the best fish into

their net. Board teachers will then have good present pay with pension on retirement; denominational teachers, indifferent present pay, with no pension on retirement. A drastic resolution of Miss Taylor's on corporal punishment was rejected by large majorities. Such bodies as school boards, who often find out in their own experience the inefficiency of other punishments, cannot help feeling a respect for the sharper, and in many respects more wholesome method. The board at their rising

adjourned till October the 2nd.

Our space is very much occupied this month, but we cannot refrain from inserting the report of a discussion at the Yarmouth Board, showing the impotency of such bodies when taking into their own hands such a difficult question as school punishments.

INSUBORDINATE CHILDREN.

Mr. Shadrack, attendance officer for the Gorleston district, reported that two girls over twelve years of age were at present not attending school under the following circumstances. It seems that they recently, in the absence of Miss Huggins, the mistress, interfered with the registers, and on being remonstrated with by two pupilteachers who were left in charge they became abusive and assaulted the teachers. Miss Huggins was informed of this and spoke to the girls, who again misbehaved themselves. They also waited for the mistress and teachers after school hours, called them by their Christian names, and otherwise annoyed them in the streets. Miss Huggins consequently refused to allow them to come to school until information was given to the board and a decision as to the mode of punishment was arrived at.

The Chairman suggested that the girls should be summoned for assaulting the teachers.

Mr. Peaton thought it would hardly be desirable to summon them if it was possible to chastise them in any other way.

The Chairman asked what could the board do to punish them. Such behaviour ought surely not to go unnoticed.

Mr. Saul suggested that the parents should be complained to and no other action taken until it was seen that they did not inflict a satisfactory punishment. Without seeing the parents he thought it would be unwise to chastise the children.

Mr. Shadrack said that from the class of people to whom the children belonged, he thought it probable that they would rather encourage their children than assist the board in bringing them to behave properly.

Mr. Peaton thought that the best thing to do was to leave the matter to two or three members of the board to see the teachers, the children, and the parents, and after hearing both sides to allow them to do what they thought proper.

This suggestion was adopted, and the Chairman suggested that the parents should be asked to attend at the board-room on the following day.

Ultimately, Messrs. Tomkins and Peaton promised to go to Gorleston on Saturday and meet the parties concerned at the schoolroom. Mr. Shadrack was instructed to give due notice to the parents and the children, as well as the teachers, to be present, and it was resolved that if the parents did not attend such steps should be taken as Messrs. Tomkins and Peaton thought desirable.

Now the temperance people are doing all in their power to get Dr. Richardson's Temperance Reading Book admitted into the board schools, the officials of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are endeavouring to push forward the "Humanity" series of Reading Books. School boards will by and by tire of these applications, and not try to indoctrinate the children with principles through the medium of the reading book.