18 
FREE EDUCATION. 
By ALFRED STRANGE. February 23rd, 1892. 
The reader remarked that it had ‘been tritely said that ‘ all 
things come to those who wait,”’ and he opined the truth of this 
would have been forcibly felt by those who, after having looked 
forward to the establishment of Free Education in this country, 
hailed with delight the passing into law of the Free Education 
Act, the most beneficent social measure of the century, which 
practically established Free Education in the land. To be 
thoroughly and well educated by approved and certificated 
teachers, well trained and equipped for the purpose, to have the 
use of the best apparatus that human ingenuity could produce or 
science suggest, to be placed amidst bright surroundings, 
architectural, artistic and pleasant, in well built, well warmed 
and lighted rooms, to be brought into contact with everything 
that might entice and attract, by cheerful character in design and 
art, to be provided with ample and well-paved playgrounds, 
themselves open spaces promoting the health and sanitation of 
the neighbourhood, and all absolutely for nothing, such was the 
free heritage and privilege of every infant subject of the Queen 
in the declining years of the 19th century. So far as the County 
Borough of Burnley was concerned, nowhere were there better 
schools, structurally considered, than those within the borough, 
and it was to be hoped that they would be taken advantage of 
and used by their owners, the ratepayers, not only as splendidly 
equipped day schools, but as well organised night and continua- 
tion schools. The essayist combated the idea frequently heard 
that although the schools were called free; yet as every house- 
holder would have to contribute his or her share through the 
rates, the ordinary school fees would be paid after all; such 
affirmed that it was merely abolishing the collection of school 
pence on Monday morning to pay it ultimately to the rate 
collector. There was some force in that contention, but the 
same might be urged in the case of free libraries and free parks, 
although he admitted that these two institutions would not be 
quite on all fours with the free school, because all the community 
would individually personally partake of these advantages, 
whereas the free school could only be used by those ratepayers 
having families of children. It was reasonable, however, that 
all should bear their share of taxation, and if patriotic, they 
would never grumble at paying their quota towards the cost of an 
institution which must lastingly benefit the nation. He who 
grumbled at having to pay school fees because he could not use 
the schools, should not forget that he was bound as a citizen to 
