a 'National Education BstahlisJiment, 695 



wards attain the requisite degree of cultivation in the adult schools; in which, 

 also, the infants should enter after a certain period, and continue, whatever 

 might be the degree of progress they made, till the time of puberty ; or say, 

 in Britain, fourteen years for the girls, and fifteen for the boys. It is an 

 essential part of our plan that both sexes continue till the age of puberty, 

 because, before that age, we do not consider that their faculties, under any 

 system of education, can be fully developed. At that age, we conceive, they 

 may; but to educate to any period short of it, would not be just to the 

 poor, because the children thus incompletely educated would not have a 

 fair chance with those of parents who could afford fully to develope their 

 children's faculties. 



We know very well that the capacities of individuals are so very dif- 

 ferent, that probably no two persons are capable of deriving equal benefit 

 from instruction | but still we would give the same opportunities to, and 

 take the same pains with, all. Supposing education to be a fluid, we would 

 immerse every male and female child in it, not only for the same length 

 of time, but in order to let the rich become persouallj- acquainted with 

 the poor, and the poor with the rich, in the same vessel: in short, we would 

 wish, as far as should be found practicable in the state of society which we 

 contemplate, to keep the children of the rich and the poor on the same 

 level in the public school in all respects. If in some minor details, such as 

 equality of pocket money, and of the ornamental part of dress, we would 

 borrow from the school system of the Jesuits, it must not be supposed on 

 that account that we would wish to extend this jurisdiction beyond the 

 limits of the school, and the age of puberty. At that age, those parents 

 who could afford it might cultivate their sons and daughters by private 

 teachers, or in superior schools, colleges, or universities, as much more as 

 they considered necessary for the profession or part in society which their 

 children were intended to fill. The children of the poorest, on their part, 

 would iiave imbibed a sufficient degree of elementary instruction to enable 

 any one of them of extraordinary capacity to pursue any subject, by the aid 

 of books, as fin* as he chose. 



The subjects to be taught as essential may be stated, as reading, writing, 

 arithmetic, geography, drawing, geometry, anatomy, physiology, vegetable 

 culture, the care of live stock, natural philosophy, political economy, morals, 

 and natural theology, with a knowledge of French, and the rudiments of 

 Latin. The accomplishments for the boys alone should be, the manual 

 exercises, military tactics of every approved kind, swimming, wrestling, and 

 self-defence, with and without weapons ; those for both boys and girls, march- 

 ing, dancing, singing, music *, and, to a certain extent, even horsemanship. 

 Works and accomplishments for the girls alone may be, the principles of 

 cookery and housewifery, tailoring, hair-dressing, mantua-making, millinery, 

 embroidery, lace-making, knitting, straw-plaiting, and such other female 

 works as are useful in familie;^, and for the ornament of individuals, f 



We will not stop to reply to the objections which will be made to teach- 

 ing girls who may never rise higher than maids of all work, and men 



* We would not omit this even in the case of pauper children : the 

 guitar might be taught to boys as well as girls. It is of all musical instru- 

 ments the most easily learned, and one which more than any other en- 

 courages and calls forth the exercise of the vocal powers, which after all 

 form the most charming and agreeable part of the musical art. 



f With the exception of horsemanship, swimming, and one or two other 

 articles, all these branches are taught to the children of even the commonest 

 labourers and paupers, in the public school in Carlsruhe. We saw the school, 

 and received the printed half-yearly account of the progress of the pupils, in 

 November, 1828. See Des E'tablissemens, &c., p. 18. 



Y Y 4' 



