The Educational List and Directory of the United Kingdom, 1887 - 88.
Edited by William Stephen. (Sampson Low and Co.)—If this Educational List is to be of any value, it mast be thoroughly remodelled. Oxford and Cambridge have less than a page between them, and Victoria University as much as the two, while Durham has to be content with eight lines. The Professors of the two con- stituent Colleges of Victoria are given, but not those of Oxford and Cambridge. Similarly the Council and Professors of University College, London, are given (the latter with unnecessary repetitions), but the Council only of King's College. In the lists of schools, all is confusion. Quite insignificant private ventures and foundations of the greatest importance are ranged in simple alphabetical order. If the owner of one of the former will only pay for the distinction, he may overshadow the most famous. For the small sum of two shillings, for instance, a gentleman is made celebrated for "forty years' successful effort to meet modern educational wants with thorough training." ("Descriptions of schools one shilling for every six words."—Publisher's note, p. 4.) This is very good value for his money. In the list of "London Colleges and Schools," we cannot find Merchant Taylore' at all, and St. Paul's is located in the E.C. district, from which it has been long since removed. As for this volume being "a guide for the use of parents and guardians," the pretension is nothing less than absurd. No such inquirer can get any good from it ; but he may get a good deal of harm,—if be takes the self-praise at twopence per word for gospel.
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