TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 131 



for whom the Guardians of the Poor shall pay the school premium ; and the capita- 

 tion fee now made by the Committee of Council shall take the place of subscriptions 

 and donations. 



4. That such a school shall be regarded in the light of a preventive school, and 

 shall be industrial in its character. 



5. That in all ragged or preventive schools, in regard of moral and religious 

 instruction, the British and Foreign School might be taken as a type. 



After briefly reviewing the system of public education in present operation, and 

 which was originated in 1846 by Sir J. K. Shuttleworth, the paper proceeded to point 

 out the more prominent defects of the system. 



The pupil-teacher is apprenticed at an age too early to know his natural fitness for 

 the office. He is often coaxed into it at 13, and at 16 he finds he has no heart for 

 the work, becomes desultory in character, and loses rapidly in moral tone. 2.^ There 

 is a want of unity of action in everything that relates to school-keeping. Each of 

 Her Majesty's Inspectors has his peculiar views of school-fittings, school-method, and 

 school-organization. A master is written down by one, and held up another year as 

 a model. This is a growing evil, and the more so as new regulations place the master 

 more and more absolutely in the hands of the Inspector. The third great defect is — 

 the present system fails to carry help where help is most imperatively wanted. The 

 problem which proposes to supply this defect has not been solved. No measure can 

 succeed which does not distinctly show that the working of the present system will 

 not be arrested. And yet almost every plan hitherto proposed has failed in this 

 particular. 



A Scheme proposed. — In order to excite and not to nip nor finally destroy sub- 

 scriptions, let the amount of support borne by the rate hold a fixed proportion to the 

 amount of voluntary subscriptions. It is found that in towns the average cost of each 

 child is at the rate of 1 7s. a-year, or of fivepence a-week for 45 weeks in the year. 

 Let grants be made to existing schools from the rates of twopence per child to meet 

 threepence raised by local subscriptions and children's pence conjointly. The pro- 

 portion in which the latter sum shall be divided may perhaps be left to be determined 

 by the circumstances of the locality, but a minimum proportion of local subscriptions 

 should be defined. Such a plan would have the effect of encouraging private bene- 

 volence up to the extent required, and at the same time it would leave disengaged 

 any excess now found in the more favoured districts of a borough, for the benefit of 

 those neighbouring localities which are now neglected. A subscriber who now pays 

 ^1 for the school of his own district, finding 10s. sufficient under the operation of the 

 rate-system, would be likely to divide his original donation with another school, in 

 order to enable it to claim the benefit of the rates, and remain under Denominational 

 control. A great advantage would thus accrue from such diffiision. This plan would 

 have the direct effect of encouraging combined Denominational action. Local School 

 Associations would take the place of isolated Church or Chapel School Committees, 

 and the poorer schools belonging to the same religious society would have an equal 

 claim with the richer upon the central fund. 



Compulsory Attendance. — There is great reason to fear that free schools in destitute 

 localities would be comparatively empty without some inducement or compulsion. 

 Poverty, intemperance, and improvidence, are not likely to beget any high estimation 

 of school work. In Manchester and Salford, from inquiries of 17,426 families visited, 

 the following results have been published : — 



1. Children between 3 and 15 neither at school nor work, 17,177. 



Once attended. Never attended. Total. 



Sickness 669 -f- 238 = 905 



Domestic Causes 757 -f 139 = 896 



Poverty and Indifierence 6040 -f- 9336 = 15,376 



Total 7466 -|- 9711 = 17,177 



2. In spite of improved instruction and increased number of schools, the census 

 returns show a diminished attendance. 



Year. 

 1854-5 

 1851 



Attendance. 

 24,365 

 29,145 



Population. 

 250,323 

 387,816 



Proportion. 



10-27 



13-30 



9* 



