But Mr. Mann himself (who makes the net residue 3,663,261) only meant to describe the number of children who, in his opinion, ought to be at school, not those who are at school, or are likely to be there. : Yet a large party of educators appears to treat this supposition that 3,000,000 should be always at school as a postulate; and estimates have been based upon it as to the means of supplying commensurate teaching power, on the scale of 1 master to 100 scholars. Thus there is occupation, they say, for 30,000 'certified teachers supposing none other are employed: there are about 6000 already; and, they add, 'we are nearly in a 'position to augment this body at the rate of 1500 per annum, having now almost 3000 students in training,' &c., of whom 'half may be sent out in each year as teachers,' &c. and in 16 years the whole 30,000 might thus be supplied. Now the expense to be borne by the revenue is of course proportioned to the actual dearth of educational agencies, and the number of children still to be taught. The round sum of 800,000l. was voted for the year 1859, the number taught to whom grants apply being in round numbers 900,000; it is therefore clear that if the premisses are right, and also the statistics of the work to be done, it will, when completed, cost, according to the present system, about two and a half millions per annum. It is almost equally certain, that if these be the facts, and the prospective requirements of the case, no central Board, organised as the Committee of Council is organised, would be able to administer funds so large or powers so great. It is therefore worth while to see how far this assumption as to the 3,000,000 children is well founded. At present, according to every statement from experienced schoolmasters and clergymen, the maximum average duration of the stay of children at school, during their whole lives, is not twelve but four years *; but take it at the full amount of four years, and let us take also the widest possible range of children to whom this can apply,-namely the whole 3,000,000, together with the 1,000,000 † whom Mr. Mann deducts, as being from occupations naturally absent from school. But as these occupations can clearly only prevent them from going to school during the last half of their dozen years' school age, they ought to be included, at any rate in an estimate, based on the more than sufficiency of a six years' average duration of schooling. Mr. Mann himself justly says, that the average time among *See note to Mr. Mann's last Census Report,' p. xxx.; working children cannot much exceed four years."* If so, not 1,700,000 children were actually at school in 1851, as the census reported, but only 1,333,333, that being a third part of the whole four millions. This arithmetical necessity results, as we have shown, from the extension of each child's stay being limited to one-third of his school age. The truth is that the numbers returned from private adventure and dame schools, were grossly overstated by those who kept them; and as it requires a six years' duration of schooling to maintain a constant attendance of 2,000,000 children, from a total of 4,000,000, that is very far above the maximum which can be now at school. Now let us pause to inquire how far it is wise or reasonable to expect or procure a larger attendance than this for many years to come. The item of duration being inseparable from that of the number at school, the question becomes one of duration of stay. The great majority of agricultural labourers have less than twelve shillings per week wherewith to feed, clothe, and house themselves and families, averaging five in number; and if we take into account the more costly habits and modes of living of artisans, they are probably but little; if at all, better off. Directly their children attain an age when their labour can add to the family income, their increased cost to the parent both in clothing and appetite requires, as a physical necessity, that to work they go. It is only in exceptional cases that this is deferred beyond the eleventh year. Suppose the schooling begins at five: there are then six years only for the whole duration of stay. Again we ask, is it reasonable to expect more? That it is desirable no one doubts. So is it also desirable that the poor should earn twice as much as they do, and that there should be no such thing as a hard day's work for a poor day's pay. But are these things attainable? We fear not. We will go a step further, and affirm that the six years' schooling, if it be but efficient in quality, and carefully adapted in kind to the future wants of the child, will give nearly, if not quite, all the elementary instruction which we can give to that class of children, by means of public money. Is it not enough to teach the essential elements of instruction? It puts the child in possession of the most needful attainments, and it places all others within Census Report,' p. xxx. * See note to Mr. Mann's last Children might go to infant schools earlier, but such schools exist only here and there, and the number of children between three and five years would not more than counterbalance those who are sure to leave school before they are eleven. his reach; and this we hold is all that the State is bound to do, or to aid others in doing. But if these views are sound, what becomes of the necessity of giving these children so large a numerical increase of instruction, and training so very many teachers to accomplish it? Surely there has arisen a strangely excessive estimate of the demand upon us. The duration of stay being taken at six years, we have only 2,000,000 scholars in continual attendance ultimately to provide for: indeed we shall have fewer, because the dame and private schools will always have a quota, though a diminishing one. This being the maximum we have to provide for, for some years at least, and as we are short of it now by two-fifths, it is to the gradual supply of this incoming complement,- for nothing can be done per saltum, — that we have alone to direct our attention. This alters the aspect of the educational budget considerably. The 30,000 teachers,' collapse by nearly one-third, and the grant of 800,000l. (even supposing the present exact system to continue), would increase to 1,600,000l.; instead of to the two or three millions contemplated. But is it necessary that the present system of grants should continue? May it not be much reduced with great benefit? This is a branch of the subject which we trust the Royal Commission will carefully scrutinise. Here are the proportions in which the entire expenditure of the Committee of Council has been distributed among its different objects during the year ending 1858: 'Building, enlarging, &c. schools 140,286 Thus one-third of the whole of this expenditure goes to pupilteachers. It is now a question among school-teachers themselves, how far pupil-teachers are beneficial. However, on this vexed question we express no decided opinion, aware how difficult it is to collect general results from individual experiences, varying probably as they do, of the character of the pupils by whom each master happens to have been blessed or afflicted. The number and extent to which this branch of the system is being carried, is, however, more within the test supplied by the report of the Committee. And it results from the figures, that if pupil-teachers are to be multiplied at the rate at which they were going last year, and that if each year is to turn out at the termination of their training only two-thirds of the number who were admitted in 1858 (that is 2,242), in four years there will be enough of these young teachers to take possession of all the 9,384 schools and departments of inspected schools, and to turn adrift that number of existing teachers. Nor is this all: for in another four years there would be another crop of 9,000 or 10,000 ready to oust and replace them. And four years would be the average duration of a school-teacher's professional career. Of course this is a rough sketch. A slight deduction must be made, because, by a recent Minute of Council, four is to be the maximum of pupil-teachers allowed to any one teacher, a number however which few masters exceed. Possibly in this direction a retrenchment of expenses might be made. As far as we have had the means of forming an opinion, we are inclined to believe that stipendiary monitors at yearly payments of 51. or 67. would supply all the assistance gained from the worst half of the pupil-teachers. When found intractable or inapt, they would be easily got rid of, which pupil-teachers bound for five years are not, and they would cost less than half the money now spent on the former. Where the schoolfunds could afford it, assistant teachers (now liberally aided by the new minutes) would probably prove vast additions to the teaching power in schools. They, unlike the pupil-teachers, come to the school with their training finished by the colleges, instead of entering it as raw recruits, whose training is yet to be begun. They come ready to give their matured powers to the elementary school, instead of requiring the elementary school to give those powers to them. The difference seems to us to be worthy of more consideration than it has yet had. There is another item capable of being readjusted. We refer to the capitation grants. It is difficult to say what their appropriation now is. It is easier to decide that they have scarcely answered their object. The general opinion is, that they have not to any material extent prolonged or increased the attendances, and it is certain that in some cases they have merely replaced local contributions, and that in others the condition on which they are granted, namely, that the school pence shall not exceed 4d. per week, prevents the managers from exacting from parents payments which they are well able to make. So that, instead of increasing the school fund, they substitute public assistance for private benevolence or parental duty. If it be thought inexpedient to withhold them, might they not be well appropriated to the payment of stipendiary monitors? Let them go to the teaching power of the school, and, in sums large enough to be appreciated, to children selected for their superior merit and intelligence. This would again reduce the expense of pupil-teachers. It is not improbable that the building grants are capable of reduction. Is due care always taken by the inspector, as a preliminary, to ascertain that the size and simplicity of the building are adapted to its uses? We believe not: we could adduce instances of superfluous expenditure. Another point which we apprehend will engage the attention of the Commissioners, is how to increase the efficiency of inspection. Its great utility is undoubted. Mr. Lowe has called the attention of Parliament to the extra cost resulting from the present plan of having a separate staff of inspectors exclusively attached to each church or doctrinal denomination. There are distinct staffs for National schools, for Union and Certified Industrial schools; for British and Foreign schools; for Roman Catholic schools; for Scottish Episcopalian schools; for schools connected with, and also for those not connected with, the Established Church of Scotland. This certainly appears to be carrying the desire to humour sectarianism at the public expense a little too far. The inspectors of dissenting schools are laymen, but they are not necessarily dissenters; in point of fact, they are nearly all members of the Church of England, and graduates of Oxford or Cambridge. The necessity of inspecting Church schools by clerical inspectors is by no means manifest, and we have ground to think that the Church at large does not require it. It is a relic of the old clerical opposition to any government interference in education, which was softened only by concessions to the prejudices or to the fears of the Establishment. The efficiency of inspection must always depend on the character and special capacities of the inspectors. We are willing to believe that they are chosen solely on the score of their peculiar aptitude for an office by no means easy to discharge. It does not follow, however, that sufficient means are taken to ensure not only that the best possible modes of examining schools are adopted by the inspectors, but that there be as great a uniformity as is practicable in the standard of their judgment and decisions. Perhaps this important object might |