schools, has, in one sense, ruined small ones; surely then let these last find, in their present supposed decay, an urgent call to meet a pressing want in the lower middle classes. Let them throw themselves into the system of the age, and be the local centres of middle education in their several counties, as Eton and Harrow are the centres of a higher class, through the whole country.

In large towns it will still be compatible with this object, to retain the system of day-scholars in connexion with such endowments, for the population is all at hand. Much good also has been done of late, in making town grammar schools really useful to the middle classes. King Edward's School, in Birmingham, is a noble instance of the practical carrying out of this work: Every morning there pour in through its gateway about 400 town boys, sons of tradesmen, who there receive a free education from highly educated university men. There are also about twice that number in other schools, situated in different parts of the town, but supported by the same foundation. In rural districts, however, it would be necessary to establish cheap boarding-houses in connexion with such schools, as there would not be a sufficient number of boys, within daily reach of it, to take full advantage of its usefulness. By this means the sons of small farmers and country tradesmen might, at a comparatively small expense, perhaps not much exceeding 201., receive a really sound education, under circumstances far more advantageous than any at present enjoyed.

There is no class so little able to choose proper means of education, as those slightly removed from the lower. Nothing is supplied to them in an official and natural manner, as parish schools are supplied to the poor, and, therefore, they often give their children a sort of inferior home or day-school education, with an occasional quarter at a small private boarding school, about the character of which they know but little. These second-rate private boarding schools are, generally speaking, neither cheap enough, nor good enough, for the purpose (or we should have no wish to interfere with them); they are not cheap enough to retain scholars for any great length of time, and they are not good enough to impart any improved tone into the class of society that feeds them. Yet nothing is so desirable as to encourage boarding schools for this class. Boys are by their means taken out of reach of home prejudices, and of the faults which are but too common, in the every-day affairs of life, among the striving and somewhat worldly class of small traders. A higher tone of moral training can thus be imparted, than is possible in the short visits of a day-school. The mind is enlarged by intercourse with others of the same age, and the

conceits of a little shopkeeper's or publican's boy, (which are great, in the home neighbourhood, over the more humble labourer's son,) are brought to their proper level in that great tussle of school life, which a large school prefigures as the best preparation for the trials of manhood.

The ignorance of this class is at present universally acknowledged; and any clergyman who has prepared much for confirmation will have discovered, that the pupils of the parish school far exceed, in religious knowledge, the sons and daughters of the classes above them; who come, nevertheless, with the air of persons that are conferring an immense favour on a clergyman by condescending to be examined by him in common with the children of the poor. Middle class life, as such, is immersed in the cares of business, thinks only of what produces an immediate return of tangible worldly advantage, and, therefore, its whole atmosphere is the worst possible for the training of youth. Yet this is the class which is said to constitute the strength of a community like that of England. It is the active, rising, and energetic element which creates the wealth and supports the power of the country, nay, even governs the House of Commons. Of what vast importance, then, it is to provide good education for this class, is obvious. Everything that can be done to facilitate this end, ought to be adopted as a national good, not only for the sake of benefiting the individuals. For this reason, we think that foundation and grammar schools, where not left with other express injunctions-as they were originally intended for the lower middle class-should now also be so managed as most to aid them in providing good education for their children. They are specially capable, we think, of forming the common ground, on which the necessity for cheap middle education can meet the highest class of instructors, and on which the work can be conducted upon the highest principles of moral and intellectual training.

Unaided private enterprise has, however, begun this great work, and already shown that, whether the old foundations of the country can, or cannot, be freely engrafted into the educational spirit of the age, middle class cheap schools, conducted by men of the highest university distinction, are a clear want of the age, and, as such, are in process of being supplied. Hurstpierpoint is the most striking instance in point; we have not at hand the details of this establishment, but, from all we know, it answers in every way to the idea we have marked out. In many other counties the same plan is being adopted, with more or less success, sometimes in connexion with agricultural colleges, and sometimes as general schools, without any special object. There is no class of English society more in need of educational and social improvement than this, and there

are no means so likely to conduce to these ends, as the partial introduction of a collegiate system to the training of their children.

The present use made of endowed schools may be gathered, in some measure, from one of the numerous tables which Mr. Mann has worked out. He divides endowed schools into collegiate and grammar schools, and other endowed schools. Under the former head it would appear that the highest kind of instruction is given, denoting that they are reserved for the higher classes. Ancient languages are taught in 71 out of every hundred, and mathematics in 67; while, under the latter head, ancient languages drop down to 7 per cent., and geography only numbers 51 per cent., thus signifying a very low standard of education imparted. Endowments seem thus divided between the high and low, while the middle classes have but little share in them. Surely this is just the reverse of what it ought to be; and, therefore, we would suggest that the Charity Commissioners, whatever their power may be, which seems a doubtful question, should, at any rate as long as they act at all, direct their attention to the best way of using the endowments for the benefit of that lower middle class, for whom we think they were generally meant.1

That very many of our school endowments were intended for the middle classes, we think may be gathered, in some measure, from the date of their foundation. The last century produced no fewer than 1,334 of such endowments. Now, during that time popular education was hardly known; learning was thought of as the means of making a good apprentice, and of finally becoming Lord Mayor of London. Social elevation was the grand idol of the century, and in not a few memorable cases did the noble struggles of youth to obtain some share of learning, end in successful wealth and rank. Is it not, then, most probable that those endowments were meant to assist these efforts after social advancements, rather than to give the first elements of reading and writing to the very poorest. It is, indeed, specially provided for in many founders' wills, that children shall not be admitted into the benefit of the endowment till they know the first rudiments of learning, such as plain reading and writing.

Attempts have been made, in some parts of the country, to bring the children of the lower middle classes into the same school with the poor, charging them a higher fee, and giving them some few advantages. By this means, it has been hoped

In consequence of some fault in the Act of Parliament, the Charity Commissioners are now obliged to make the humiliating confession, that they are not empowered to enforce the recommendation. We hope this will speedily be

remedied.

that parish schools might be self-supporting. Mr. Kennedy, however, Inspector of Schools, strongly condemns this plan, as injurious to the interests of both, and opposed to the feelings of the middle class. He is not unconscious of the wants of this class, but he would supply them in other ways. His remarks are so much to the point that we extract them from the Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, for 1853-4, just published:

Though I have deprecated the proposal of throwing open our national schools for the poor for the reception of the children of tradespeople, who can afford to pay higher school fees, I desire to add, that I am fully alive to the importance of the education of the middle classes, and of there being better schools for them than there are. What is wanted for the children of the small shopkeepers and skilled artizans is the converse of what is now needed for the poorer classes. Religious zeal, aided by the Parliamentary grant, has provided school-buildings for the poor, and there is a tolerable supervision of such schools; what they want is proper sustentation. Whereas, I have no doubt but that the lower middle classes would duly support good schools for their children; and their great want is suitable buildings and proper supervision. It appears to me that it would be a very great boon to these classes, and to the country, if the Committee of Council on Education would help them, not to support their schools, but simply to acquire suitable buildings, requiring the right of inspection as the condition of the grant towards the school-buildings.'-Minutes, pp. 756, 757.

Partial success has, nevertheless, attended the plan of mingling classes, and in some places there is no choice for farmers and tradesmen, who must either send their children to the national school or nowhere. The kind of separation, however, that is often allowed, sometimes absolutely marked by a curtain, is adverse to good discipline, and to the growth of right feeling. Except, therefore, in the case of very young children, it would certainly be productive of much good education, if all those classes, who can pay for their own schooling, should be provided with middle schools, and that, where possible, the children of this class should be trained up away from the associations of home.

It is time, however, that we now turn to the question of what influence the Church possesses in the present educational movement. Mr. Mann speaks with enthusiasm of the inexhaustible resources and illimitable enterprises of religious zeal ;' he continues to state that This insatiable benevolence has 'almost wholly reared, and is now in greater part sustaining, upwards of 10,000 day-schools, in which more than 1,000,000 children of the poorer classes are from day to day instructed.' It is a natural object of regret that the good work of education should be the battle-field for sectarian oppositions. Her Majesty's Inspectors evidently repine over the great hindrances thereby caused to the establishment of a more effective machinery.

How simple, for instance, would it be, to improve the education of any given town, if all parents in it were agreed on religious questions? There might then (a want which is much felt) be schools for different ages and degrees of proficiency; and the superior children might thus be assembled together from various smaller districts, and receive an education from such a wellqualified master as might perhaps be obtainable at the scale of one to each town, but cannot be had in every small parish or sect. At present, each parish and sect must begin and finish with all their pupils, and have a complete organization in itself. There is no cooperation, or division of labour, according to the qualifications of respective masters. The loss thereby incurred must, however, be endured with philosophy. These inconveniences form part of the data on which we have to act; the very causes of them are also the stimulants for much of the voluntary assistance which is obtained. If, therefore, the agents of government education, enraged, as they may justly be, with the folly of local disagreements, that cause so much waste of funds, and so much embarrassment of plans, should attempt to ride over these prejudices, they will, we fear, discover that voluntary aid is in a great measure withdrawn; and that they are no longer able to cooperate in a friendly spirit with the undoubted tendencies of the age on the subject of education.

The country is in fact now smarting for its religious divisions. We have boasted of toleration and freedom of opinion, and of the inestimable value of religious liberty. We do not question the soundness of the national judgment in wishing for these advantages, only let it be remembered that, if we are divided, we can no longer enjoy the many facilities and conveniences which are the reward of unity.

'The extent,' Mr. Mann says, 'to which religious bodies are assuming the control of popular education is continually and rapidly increasing.' Within the last ten years, no fewer than 4,604 school-buildings have been raised by religious bodies, which educate, probably, about 450,000 scholars; and the total voluntary contributions to schools of this nature are calculated at about 400,000%.

The number of schools under the head of Religious Denominations is 10,595, excluding schools, in which any endowment they may have is greater than the voluntary subscriptions of their conductors; and, with these, 12,708. The scholars belonging to this last number of schools are 1,188,786; and as the scholars are the real objects of interest, we shall take this number as the one by which to judge of the relative influence of different religious bodies. The whole number, then, of scholars under this head, is reckoned at 1,188,786, and of these the Church of England has no less than 929,474. The next largest number