Sir Charles Reed's annual review of the operations of the
London School Board, given on Wednesday, shows that the means of education has not yet overtaken the numbers of London children. There are 614,857 children who ought to be taught, and of these 278,923 are provided for by voluntary effort, and 186,468 by the Board, so that 465,891 can receive an education. The Board intend immediately to bring their supply up to 240,000 school "places," thus leaving still 100,000 children unprovided for. The great difficulty is to enforce attendance, which seldom exceeds 75 per cent. of the number on the rolls ; but something must be allowed for involuntary absence, and the willingness to attend increases every year. Something seems to be needed in the way of rewards for good-conduct, regular attendance being made an indispensable condition, and alto- gether the notion of reward is too much forgotten. One would hope that, as time goes on, the public round each school will supply a few prizes, rewards of assiduity, and scholarships, for Which last the Board express great thankfulness. Every such re- ward becomes an object of ambition to hundreds, and creates a tone in work which gradually becomes contagious.
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