Reviews.

pitying condescension , Avhen Ave hear our nei ghbours , on one side and another , boasting of their civilization ancl the enlightened education of their people . When our German Connexions used to tell us of their wonderful Normal schools and of every child born in the country

being compelled by its step-father , the State , to attend them , Ave used to think of a certain quality knoivn as ' bombast '; and Avhen our American Cousins were boasting that , notwithstanding the large importation of ignorant 'Britishers' there

, Avas no natural born citizen of 'The States ' that could not read and Avrite , we Avere apt to give them credit , if not for strict veracity , certainly for a considerable use of the figure of speech called by them ' high-falutin . '

As for ourselves 1—Well ! Ave had a free and open Bible , a Bible so free , so open , and Avithal so cheap , that Ave put it , if it were not there alread y , iuto the hand of every man , Avoman , and child in the kingdom . One thin g Ave quite forgot to ask or even think about—could they read it ] Of course Ave pooh-poohed any such absurd question , and should probably have

gone on pooh-poohing it till the end of time if certainphilanthrophic individualsamongst Avhose names stands prominently forward that of a distinguished brother , Mr . Bernhard Samuelson , M . P . for Banbury , — had not have kept their eyes open Avhen travelling abroadancl casting aside our

, insular prejudices , have been ready , not only to recognise , but to introduce any really good points in ouv nei ghbours' educational modes into our OAVU system of national teaching . It is quite true that before this time

there Avere numerous schools , chiefly maintained by philanthropic bodies or individuals , scattered up and doAvn the country , ancl a capital work they did , and doubtless a thoroughly good work so far as it Avent , or rather so far as it reached ;

but it did not reach far enough , and hence arose the necessity for the Government taking up the question and supplementing the then existing Voluntary Schools , by so many compulsory ones , that no child should be born and giwv up in this land of ours Avithout being provided , either at the costs of his parents or the State , Avith at least the rudiments of a sound education .

At first , ot course , as m everything else exaggeration Avas the order of the day . Existing Schools were not only inadequate to cope with the numbers of the younger members of the community , but the education was worthless to a degree ; and , therefore , the most Avonderful schemes Avero

mooted of making all our little Toms Dicks , ancl Harrys , senior wranglers at least . Existing Schools too were mostl y supported by either some self-denyino individual , or some Avell-intentioned religious denomination ; of course that

individual exercised his right of "Shibboleth , " and equally of course in any such denominational school , nothing Avas taught but the bitterest of sectarian " envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness ;" therefore religion must be altogether banished , and , so far as the State was concerned , a generation of polished heathens was to succeed the effete

Denominationalists . Just as these exaggerations of scheme Avere rife amongst some of the first advocates of a National Education , so Avhen this became an accomplished fact , Avas there a tendency to exaggeration in the details of the scheme .

The time , however , of such exaggerations seems noAV to be to a great extent passed by , and the ' Education Department' seems to be adopting a really rational ancl Avertable scheme ; and Avhilst the Board sets forth reasonable requirements it offers to Schools a fair compensation for the good

Avork of the scholars educated in them . It is a good sign that the department is beginning to recognise that a mere fancy education is not the best schooling for the embryo servant or future poor-man ' s Avife ; other tongues than our own Avith the

history ancl description of the lands in Avhich they are spoken may be all A'ery Avell in their way , piano-playing and tissuepaper mats may also , in some places , be a recognised Avant ; but surel y in Schools supported by the State , in which the few ,

very feAV , too feAV , years that can be spared of the future worker ' s life , must be employed in putting into the mental edifice a concrete foundation of sound information ancl useful knoAvledge , such fancy lessons are a little out of place . Forbid it that we should for a moment say that true genius , Avhen found , should not have every opportunity given it of developement ; for such