504 THE CENTRAL SOCIETY OF EDUCATION. 



education in the Borough of Manchester is one of very painful in- 

 terest, and marks in a striking 1 manner, the guilty carelessness which 

 has existed with regard to education in this centre of activity and 

 supposed intelligence, and powerfully contrasts it with the care, dili- 

 gence, and wisdom which has characterised the conduct of other 

 nations. We beg to recommend this valuable little document to our 

 readers for perusal. The Central Society of Education therefore 

 purposes enquiring into the systems of education which are formed and 

 the progress which has actually been made in " this most essential 

 of all sciences and arts" in Prussia, Switzerland, France, and other 

 countries. 



Nor will the society confine itself to the education of the humble 

 classes, it also purposes considering how far those whom circum- 

 stances have placed among the higher ranks of society are prepared 

 by an extended education to exercise the influence with which they 

 are invested to high and valuable purposes, so as to become happy 

 in themselves, useful members of society, and " steadfast pillars of 

 the state," seeking their pleasure in promoting that of others, and 

 striving to be remembered by posterity for the good which they have 

 done for it. Although this society will be neither " the partial advo- 

 cates of certain methods, nor the blind assailants of established 

 systems," our whole course of Public School and University Edu- 

 cation will be carefully scrutinized by the Society ; the arguments 

 which make for as well as those which impugn any established and 

 obnoxious practice being fairly stated and duly weighed. 



The points of interest for the consideration of the society are in- 

 numerable. As for instance 1. the absolute necessity there is of 

 founding schools for schoolmasters, before any sound system of edu- 

 cation can be carried on 2. the value of natural science in develop- 

 ing the youthful faculties, and awakening an interest in surrounding 

 nature 3. the discovery of extraordinary and valuable properties, 

 which the senses were unable to take cognizance of without scrutiny, 

 imparts an interest to every thing, and prevents " a person who 

 travels from Dan to Beersheba from finding that all is barren,'' 

 There will also be great utility in considering the expedients to 

 which different experienced educators have had recourse in convey- 

 ing distinct ideas, to those who are deprived of one or more of the 

 senses, and teaching them to communicate them. For the blind can 

 be taught to read and work the deaf and the dumb, those who have 

 never heard a sound to express their ideas in appropriate language. 

 Deeply interesting as the subject is as regards the individuals thus 

 unfortunately situated, an additional importance is attached to it, if it 

 can be made subservient, as we believe it may, to the general pur- 

 poses of education. The practice of resorting to flogging for the 

 correction of mental and moral errors must not escape notice, any 

 more than fagging the exclusion of modern languages the study 

 of the standard writers in the English language and the learning 

 by rote. It has appeared to us questionable, whether, even the 

 memory beyond that of words be strengthened by this last mentioned 

 practice. The memory appears not to be one faculty of retaining ideas, 

 but to consist of many : the memory of words appears to be differ- 



