254 
that the officials of county councils would regard this 
matter from an impartial point of view, for, no doubt, 
the existing conditions lighten the burden of the 
county rates. It is somewhat surprising that in such 
circumstances the percentage of those answering in 
the affirmative is so large. 
XI. ‘**Has your council delegated to your education 
committee all the powers permitted by the Act? If 
not, are you in favour of such delegation?” 
I find that while over go per cent. of the county 
authorities have delegated all powers, less than one- 
half of the county boroughs and three-fifths of the 
boroughs and urban districts have adopted the same 
course. An overwhelming majority (85 per cent.) of 
the directors of all classes are in favour of full delega- 
tion. 
XII. ** Please add any special criticisms of, or sug- 
gestions for, improvements in the Act.” 
It was very evident that most of my correspondents 
were anxious to avoid an expression of their views in 
this matter. The nature of many of the replies mav 
be indicated by that of one of the directors—namely, 
“No, thank you.” On the other hand, several have been 
so good as to write me short treatises on the subject, 
containing very valuable expressions of opinion. It 
is difficult, however, to quote from many of these 
without betraying the condition on which I invited 
confidence—namely, that I would give no indication 
as to the localities concerned. On one matter all who 
have expressed their opinions are in accord, viz. : 
“The greatest difficulty of the Act is the dual control 
for non-provided schools, more especially with regard 
to staffing.” 
It is stated that ‘the transfer and promotion of 
teachers is almost impossible under the present 
system.’’ I feel, however, that the less I touch on 
this aspect of the matter the better for the peace of 
mind of this section. Again, all directors urge the 
necessity of relieving the increasing burden of the 
rates. One states that the proportion of Treasury 
grants has dropped from 66 per cent. in 1906 to 48 per 
cent. in the past year, while the iocal rate has been 
nearly trebled. Again: ‘‘Some means should be 
obtained to enable authorities with a large number of 
rural schools to provide adequate education without 
increasing the overwhelming burden now imposed 
upon them.” 
I may sum up as follows the impression left on my 
mind by the study of all the replies, of which I have 
given only a few examples. 
1. The Act appears to give greater satisfaction in 
the counties than in the» county boroughs and 
boroughs and urban districts, although even in the 
counties the position of the smaller rural schools is a 
cause of dissatisfaction. 
2. That in the boroughs there is, on the whole, a 
preponderance of opinion in favour either of an 
authority elected ad hoc, or a more liberal exercise of 
the power of cooption. 
3. That there is a preponderance of opinion that the 
appointments of school teachers should in all cases 
rest in the hands of the L.E.A. 
4. That there is a tendency under the present 
system, except in centres of large population, to re- 
strict the choice of teachers to those who have re- 
ceived their education locally, and that the effect of 
such restriction is detrimental. 
5. That greater freedom in educational matters is 
advisable. The effect of the present system is to 
produce a dull uniformity, although it is doubtful 
whether the head teachers themselves or the Board of 
Education are most to blame. 
6. That an increase in the number of vocational 
schools is not desirable, unless great care is taken that 
NO. 2295, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
[OcTOBER 23, 1913 
only those scholars are admitted who have received a 
sound general education. é 
7. That one of the greatest hindrances to progress 
is the large size of the classes.» ; 
8. That there should be a greater delegation of 
powers to the education committees, and that the 
L.E.A. should have complete control over all forms 
of education within its own area. 
g. That a Redistribution Bill in the matter of areas 
is desirable, especially in the relation of urban areas 
to the rural districts connected with them. 
10. That the dearth of fully qualified teachers cannot 
be remedied until the profession is made sufficiently 
attractive by increased emoluments and more rapid 
promotion. Mere increase in the number of training 
colleges is no remedy. 
11. And, lastly, there is a consensus of opinion that 
a greater proportion of the cost of education should 
be borne by the Treasury, and that the danger to 
education arising from the rapid rate of increase in 
the education rate is a very real one. If education 
in this country is to be successful it must be made 
popular. This is impossible when every step in 
advance means an addition to the local burdens. 
I am afraid that the tenor’ of this correspondence 
does little to modify the pessimistic views to which I 
have previously directed attention. Regarded in bulls 
it conveys the idea that the writers are endeavouring 
to make the best of a bad case. As shown by the last 
reply quoted (supra), the race of Mark Tapleys does 
not appear to be entirely extinct. 
I wish it had been possible to obtain the con- 
fidential opinion of H.M.I.s, but I, at all events, am 
not one who would dare to question the gods, the 
distinguishing characteristic of those admirable 
otneials being a cold infallibility which renders ap- 
proach inadvisable. It must be remembered, how- 
ever. that veiled hints of the need of drastic reforms 
have emanated from the highest quarters, and one 
of the most hopeful signs of the situation is that such 
information as has been vouchsafed to us appears to 
indicate that those who are moving in the matter 
actually acknowledge that there is an educational as 
well as a sectarian and a political aspect of the ques- 
tion. Nevertheless, so far as I am personally con- 
cerned [| still find my chief consolation in the quota- 
tion from Todhunter which I have already inflicted 
upon you. 
I am now going to take a bold step—namely, to 
express my own opinion on this matter of primary 
education. I consider that we are proceeding in the 
wrong order, in that we give greater prominence to 
the acquisition of knowledge than to the development 
of character. 
There is truth in Emerson’s dictum that “the best 
education is that which remains when everything 
learnt at school is forgotten.’ We appear to think 
that the learning of “the three R’s” is education. 
We must remember that in imparting these we are 
» only supplying the child with means of education, 
and that even when he has acquired them the mere 
addition of further knowledge is again not education. 
If we impart the desire for knowledge and train the 
necessary mental appetite, the knowledge which will 
come by the bucketful in after life will be absorbed 
and utilised. 
It is, I know, easy to tall platitudes of this kind. 
We have, in justice to the teacher, to remember that 
character depends on home life, as well as on school 
life; but, nevertheless, if we could educate public 
opinion on this matter progress might be possible. 
We want to introduce the spirit of our much-abused 
public schools into all schools, namely, a sense of 
