112 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



democracy, in its many phases, may claim to be realising the 

 dream and wish of the poet : — 



for the coming of that glorious time 



Wheu, prizing knowledge as her noblest wealth 



And best protection, this imperial realm, 



While she exacts allegiance, shall admit 



An obligation, on her part, to teach 



Them who are born to serve her and obey. 



The foremost countries of the world at the present day are 

 those in which the common school has most widely and deeply 

 rooted itself. Backward and stationary civilisations, if they 

 wish to fall into line and keep step with progressive societies, 

 have to adopt some system of universal and compulsory edu- 

 cation. "Education in Japan is plentiful, good, and cheap," 

 says Sir E. Arnold. A Turkish statesman and patriot, on his 

 death-bed, recently urged his royal master to establish schools 

 throughout Turkey, and thus introduce one of the most potent 

 factors of Western greatness. 



Few will question that the State, in thus charging itself 

 with the work of elementary education, is acting well within 

 its rights. The instinct of self-preservation would alone impel 

 the modern democratic State to educate. To avoid relapse 

 into barbarism, to prevent the growth of "a savage horde 

 among the civilised," the State must make due provision for 

 the enlightenment and moral culture of its citizens. 



And, as the State has the right, so it is under the obligation 

 to provide universal education in the interests of healthy and 

 intelligent citizenship. This function and duty cannot be 

 relegated by it to any other organization, or to private enter- 

 prise, for the simple reason that the State alone possesses the 

 coercive power required to make a system of popular educa- 

 tion effective. While the co-operation of all organizations and 

 individuals is desired and encouraged in the work of national 

 culture, the general conviction is that the control of elemen- 

 tary education must be reserved exclusively for the State. 

 The education thus provided is not a charity. All have a 

 right to it, because all help to pay for it. Hence it is that 

 education, like religion, is now everybody's concern. 



Now, the training of teachers for their work is the most 

 essential part of any proper scheme of education. The day 

 has gone by when any one was thought good enough to teach 

 an elementary school. Men who had failed in other occu- 

 pations had always teaching to fall back upon. "When a 

 man's the sport of heaven, to keep a school the wretch is 

 driven." People in reduced circumstances thought it right to 

 apologize for earning their living by teaching. All this has 

 been changed. Teaching is now commonly regarded as a 

 serious and honourable occupation or profession — an occupa- 



