L.— EDUCATION. 211 



To see the examination system at its worst it should be studied in the 

 common entrance examination to the public schools. This examines four 

 to five thousand candidates yearly, and is designed to ascertain whether 

 those thirteen-year-olds know enough English, scripture, history, geography, 

 Latin, French, arithmetic, algebra and geometry to be admitted to the 

 bottom form of a public school. Much of the boy's future depends upon 

 the result of this examination, for the doors to the schools which he desires 

 will remain locked if he does not qualify. The object, therefore, of what 

 is a most expensive form of education and of what should be the best, 

 carried out as it is with small classes and in good buildings, is to enable 

 little boys to answer questions on paper with great rapidity, and to switch 

 their small minds with accuracy from Genesis to Ivanhoe, from Henry VIII 

 to the causes of rainfall, from quotations to problems, from Latin to 

 French, and so on, for two momentous days. The bright boy finds it 

 easy, the average boy in many cases, the dull boy in all cases, finds it 

 terribly hard. The result on the teaching is remarkable, for there is a 

 handbook issued, which commands a large sale and a free use in many 

 schools, which has reduced the whole thing to cram by analysis of all 

 the past papers. I have in my possession a leaflet which bears the inscrip- 

 tion ' To the Preparatory Schools is dedicated this sample of the Common 

 Entrance Handbook in the sincere belief that the latter will prove a boon 

 to all who possess it.' David and Jonathan, Publishers, 60 pages, price 5s. 

 I turn the page and find all the sovereigns of England ranged in order 

 according to the frequency of their occurrence in the last thirty- three papers, 

 from Victoria, ninety-seven, to Edward V, who has failed to score ; the same 

 with English Literature, from Westward Ho ! with fourteen occurrences to 

 Eip Van Winkle with one. Idylls of the King, twenty-one, to John 

 Gilpin, one ; it is very thorough, for it treats languages and geography 

 in the same way. Truly the preface may well say that the handbook 

 was written not with a view to publication : it was written to supply a 

 need. That need was the necessity of cramming, and not educating — a 

 process degrading to the teacher, hurtful to the taught, and a cause for 

 hanging the head to all who are responsible for the system which has 

 produced this travesty of our art. It is no surprise to learn that there 

 are schools where the boys read no authors, but only do examination 

 papers ; read no history, but memorise answers about names, and treat 

 literature and geography in the same way. I conceive that there is no 

 method of reform save the abolition of so indefensible a system, and I 

 believe that it is, or ought to be, an educational axiom that there should 

 never be any examination of a child under fifteen save by his own teachers. 

 If anyone doubts this I would ask him to estimate the improvement of 

 elementary education in this country which has taken place since payment 

 by results was done away with and the inspector's examination was 

 abolished. 



I must draw to a close. Whatever reforms of administration, whatever 

 changes of curriculum, whatever increase of expenditure are approved, the 

 last word lies with the teachers, and all depends o.n the spirit which 

 animates them and the ideals which move them. This country is com- 

 mitted to the experiment of unrestricted democracy, ideally the highest 

 form of government if the quality of the citizens is good, in practice 



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