(NO. 88.) SECOND READING. (Hansard, 13 July 1869)

THE MARQUESS TOWNSHEND

, in rising to move that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that its principle was that of compulsory education, which he was persuaded was essential to any efficient measure on this subject. As to the religious difficulty, it would be best met by giving secular instruction in day schools, leaving it to the ministers of all denominations to provide by Sunday Schools or otherwise for that religious teaching which should form an important part of education. His proposal was that wherever free schools existed within reach of the parents they should be required to send their children for at least twelve hours' teaching a week. This would not interfere with the employment of children of ten or twelve years of age, whose earnings might be important to their parents, while it would in most cases lead to children being allowed to remain at school the greater part of the day. Compulsory education was already the law of the land with reference to children employed in factories and workshops, and there could be no objection to extending the principle to those who were in a more disadvantageous position. Parents were bound to provide proper food and clothing for their children's bodies; surely, therefore, the law ought to require them to provide for their minds.

EARL DE GREY AND RIPON

said, he thought no one could doubt the excellence of his noble Friend's object, but it was doubtful whether this Bill would further it. The Government had promised their serious attention to the whole question of public education, and he appealed to his noble Friend and to all desiring the spread of education whether it was well to deal with the question piecemeal, especially with that most difficult part of it, the mode of securing the attendance of children at school. It would be improper for him now to state the opinion of the Government on the question of popular education, and as at this period of the Session 1739 no practical result could be expected, he trusted that his noble Friend would not press the measure.