Mr. Mundella on Tuesday made a speech on education, marked
by a good deal of courage. He hinted that the 100,000 teachers employed by the Department were far from being contented, but said that payment by results must be maintained, that the lot of the educators was made as little unhappy as might be, and that Lord Spencer had used none of his patronage, in order that the reorganisation of in- spection,—which includes the cieation of a class of sub-inspectors who have been teachers,—might be thoroughly carried out. This part of his speech was evidently addressed, not to the public,. but to the teachers, who are rapidly becoming a force in the State, and an unknown one. No class so numerous and power- ful is so little understood. Mr. Mundella held out no hope of a reduction in the education rate. He expected and approved more expenditure, and told his audience, who, to judge by newspaper comments, felt a little aghast, that whereas the London School Board expended 3s. for each head of the population, and Sheffield 2s., Massachusetts expended 15s. a- head on education. That is not a pleasant suggestion, but if the State ever takes up secondary education, as Mr. Mundella evidently thinks it should do, it may prove a true one. The Department will be a very powerful agent iu forcing on that thorough revision of the incidence of rating which must come some day.
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