THE EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.
WmurnEn or • not the Educational Conference, which is to be opened on the 22d of June by Prince Albert, shall result in a new impulse to popular education, or only a new impulse to the advertising of particular plans, will depend upon the course taken by the working members of the Conference. As yet, we have too little information, too little of a programme, to know what the Conference is really intending to do. Professedly, it is
"1st, To inquire into the fact, causes, and results of the early removal of children from school in this country ; 2d, to constitute similar inquiries with reference to foreign countries ; 3d, to consider the expedients which have been proposed for keeping the children of the working classes longer at school ; and 4th, to inquire into the merits of such other expedients as shall he proposed for the consideration of the Conference, and particularly those known as 'half-time' schemes."
Is the Conference really to inquire, or is it only to suggest? We observe among those who are named as the most conspicuous supporters of Prince Albert in the chair, gentlemen who are familiar with the organized attempts to promote education, and who may indeed be regarded as representatives of vested interests. We see that the system of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is strongly represented ; the British and Foreign School Society has its principal men, past and present ; it is said that Dr. Lyon Playfair will bring forward suggestions from Germany; and it is announced semi-officially that the Department of Practical Science and Art is about to open an educational museum almost simultaneously with the opening of the Conference. It looks very like a union of existing projects; and if so, the Conference may have some useful results, but it can scarcely accomplish the main object with which it professedly starts. We are quite convinced that some of the persons who have originated this Conference—for we have had previous intimation of their proeeedings—are actuated by the most sincere desire to discover the present obstacles to education, and from a consideration of those obstacles to contrive a plan of surmounting them. This would indeed be to solve the educational question of the day as far as regards the working classes ; and it would be a most valuable service. But the first stage of that service is to ascertain matters of fact; What are the causes which prevent the working classes from availing themselves of existing means when offered to them ? Why is it that they withdraw their children prematurely from school? and how is it that no representations to them of advantage for their children, and ultimate advantage for themselves, can induce them to amend their practice ? According to strict reason, the advantages to the working classes from permitting their children to be a little better educated are so obvious, that self-interest should induce them to forego the small temporary advantage of weeklywages for children of tender age, in order to obtain the inestimable advantage of weekly teaching for children ; and the sense of parental duty should move them still more strongly, since they may thus aid their children to reach a higher grade of society, if indeed the acceptance of education by the whole class did not proportionately elevate the whole class. We must remember, however, that when we are talking of classes, we are not talking of individuals ; we are talking of commonplace men, who are seldom capable of receiving exceptional ideas. They are governed, as many of the most sensible among us profess to be, principally by experience ; and experience leads them to go on with the very system that we are desiring to supersede. They are indeed not only commonplace men, but they are uneducated .commonplace men ; and it is scarcely possible to conceive a mind which reason and new ideas would be more incapable of reaching than the commonplace uneducated mind, especially under the influence of depressing circumstances that appear to be irresistible. We may be provoked at the "stupidity " ; we may say that as they make their bed so they must lie upon it: but this indulgence of temper will do nothing to attain the object in view ; we may remember that this stupid class is the victim of antecedent circumstances, and also that it stands between education and those whom we desire to benefit—the next generation. If .we desire to benefit the growing generation, and not to let the evil perpetuate itself to the end of the chapter, we must ascertain the circumstances which induce the working classes not to avail themselves of educational opportunities, and we must adapt our efforts to those circumstances. In other words, we must present education for the children in such a form that, even consistently with the early employment of youth, the grown parents may accept it. That appears to be the condition essential to a beginning.
But there is another branch of inquiry which comes under the heading of the " expedients " that ought to be devised for extending education among the class—that is, the inquiry what to teach? It has already been pointed out, that one strong inducement for the working classes would be the instructing of children in the practical labours likely to obtain them employment. Nor is there any objection to such instruction. It might fall in well with the system of apprenticeships, and would increase the chance of every child to obtain employment. The commonest rudiments of teaching applied to the right execution of practical work would form one of the best courses of education for the business of life. If a boy is instructed to be a carpenter, he should at least be taught reading, writing, the use of the pencil, the measurement of lengths, proportion, and something of mechanics. These things, taught in connexion with practical pursuits, would constitute the very best training that an infant carpenter could have, and would fit him, perhaps better than any other form of instruction, not only to grapple with his business in after life, but to seize passing opportunities for promotion into other employments ; while most certainly they would instruct him how to teach himself other forms of knowledge. But this kind of education would not require a great absorption of time in each day. Most systems attempt to teach too much. Take the best with which we are acquainted—the Irish system : look at the books that aro used in the curriculum, and you will see that they constitute a library— a library through which the most lively scholars may travel, but which terms a field of hopeless extension for the average commonplace mind ; and to teach that is the object of the present effort. One labour the philanthropist who is anxious to render education coextensive with the people needs—to select out of the whole mass of elementary instruction those portions which can be best used as a commencement for the different sections of the community, and perhaps even for the different trades. The selection should always ho so made that the moderato amount taught may be the key by which the pupil will be able hereafter, if he has the mind, to acquire more. When the eduoationists have performed that part of their own preliminary labour, they will be able to use the scanty hour which they oan persuade parents to give up, and really to begin the whole work of education ; and then the problem of popular education will be solved.
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