A few addresses have already appeared from candidates for election
for the Metropolitan School Board. All had, however,
been singularly colourless, talking vaguely of the wish for unsec- tarian teaching, but not specifying in detail the policy to which the writer is attached, till the appearance of Mr. Edward North Buxton's address in the Daily News of Friday to the electors of the Tower Hamlets. Mr. Buxton's address seems to us very sound and wise. He opposes too much centralization, remarks that it will "be impossible for the Central Board to attend to the details of management in all the schools in London," and hopes, therefore, that a the managers of existing schools will still retain a large share of the control to which their experience entitles them." On the religious question he is very explicit :—" I believe that it is possible to give religious teaching founded upon the broad Christian principles of the Bible, which at the same time shall not favour one sect above another. This is proved by practical experience in the 'British' schools, and it is in the main their system which I hope to see adopted in all the newly created
schools I am a Churchman, but I do not ask for your votes on that ground, as I expect that on the religious question there will be no radical difference of opinion between members of the Board who are Churchmen and those who belong to other Christian denominations." Best of all, Mr. Buxton believes that " compul- sion may be safely adopted in London and other large towns,"— an avowal of the greatest moment, which will, we hope, bring him the warmest support. Where London leads, the great towns of the North will be ashamed not to follow.
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