QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 1 August 1893)

* THE EARL OF MEATH

asked Her Majesty's Government whether on the occasion of the next revision of the Education Code they would lay greater stress on the teaching of physical exercises, of civic duty, and (especially in the case of girls) of the history and geography of the British Empire? He reminded the House that he had on two occasions introduced a Bill for facilitating and encouraging the teaching of physical exercises in Board and voluntary schools, and had on other occasions drawn their Lordships' attention to the necessity of teaching cookery, civic duty, and other subjects. He was glad to find, from the Vice President's interesting speech last night with regard to the educational policy of the Government, that the recommendations he had made from time to time had been adopted, and that the Vice President was in favour of teaching physical exercises in our schools. He hoped Her Majesty's Government would go beyond that simple expression of opinion, and would encourage managers and teachers by pecuniary inducements, and by putting these subjects on a compulsory basis. It was satisfactory to find, from the Vice President's speech, that 22,000 more girls than last year were being taught cookery; and he also rejoiced to find that a Bill was about to be introduced by the Government to prevent children being taken from school before the age—11—at which it was first permissible for them to enter factories. Having spoken at length on several occasions upon the necessity of physical education, he would only now express the hope that Her Majesty's Government would go beyond their evidently beneficent attitude on that subject. As to the teaching of civic 984 duty, he would like to have children taught what would be their duties as citizens, and what were the privileges which would devolve upon them and the responsibilities which they would have to discharge. An excellent book on the subject had been published by Cassells, the author being a Member of the other House, and he hoped that it would be recommended to the managers of schools for use. In reference to the teaching of the history and geography of the British Empire, it was a startling fact that the great majority of girls in Board schools were never taught geography. This was a consequence of the arrangements regarding class subjects, of which geography was one; and it was not permissible for teachers to take up more than two of them. Needlework was also included among the class subjects, and it was quite rightly taken up for girls by all sensible school-mistresses, leaving a choice between grammar, elementary science, and geography for the remaining subject. The result was that if history was taken up geography was dropped, and vice versâ. He had no desire in the least that these unfortunate children should be taught a larger number of subjects—they were taught quite enough; but he would like to see a better system and better arrangements adopted for teaching them what would be useful to them in after-life. The history and geography now taught them was perfectly useless to them, the former beginning generally at the Roman Invasion down to the time of the Stuarts, while some of the children only got as far as the Tudors. The rising generation should be taught the history of more modern times, dealing with the rise and progress of our Empire. That would be far more useful to them, as future citizens, than to know how the Ancient Britons painted themselves, or how the Romans acted when they got into Britain. He suggested that needlework should cease to be a class subject, and be made compulsory, as drawing was for boys. The removal of needlework from the list of class subjects would give girls the opportunity of studying geography or history in its place. They should be able to take up needlework and get 2s. a head for it, as boys did for drawing. He was glad that grammar was no longer compulsory. Grammar ought not to be compulsory. 985 Many masters of the English language had never studied grammar. He had never known any of the poor children in the Board schools any the better for it, either as regarded dropping their h's or the construction of sentences. He hoped, therefore, grammar would tie quietly dropped, and that the three class subjects would be history, geography, and elementary science. As he had said, the history taught ought to be the modern portion, which related to the growth of our Empire and the extension of our Colonies. Children ought to be able to answer such questions as, "What is the value to us of our Colonies?" But very few, indeed, could do so. Perhaps some of their Lordships might not be able to answer the question off-hand; but the majority would be able to give some good reason why our Empire had grown up, and why it was worth preserving. If it were only for the sake of the trade which followed the flag, that was a good reason. The children should be taught that we are dependent for food upon our Colonies and upon foreign countries; and why should they not be taught something of the productions of those Colonies, and the advantage to us in having purchasers abroad for our manufactures. No prudent guardians would bring up the heir to a large estate without telling him all about its extent and capabilities of development. In the same way the State ought to take care that the children of the country, who would be its rulers some day, did not grow up in ignorance of the vastness of the Empire, the responsibilities attaching to those who belonged to it, and the main principles of our foreign and colonial policy. His suggestions were, that the earning of the higher grant should be dependent upon the teaching of physical exercises; that needlework should be made a compulsory subject for girls as drawing was for boys; that boys and girls should be taught their civic duties; and that the girls, especially, should be taught the history and geography of the British Empire.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA(The Earl of KIMBERLEY)

My noble Friend has hardly, in his Notice, prepared me for the wide discussion he has entered into, which is really a discussion of the Code as regards class subjects. I happen to 986 have that document here. It is very interesting, and if I thought your Lordships would like to listen to my particular views in addition to those of the noble Earl, I might make a very long speech. Before I answer the noble Earl's question, I will make an observation upon one or two points which he has alluded to. A great deal of what the noble Earl has said is well worthy of attention. With regard to the teaching of history, I must confess I somewhat sympathise with him. When I look at the Code I find the children are to be taught 12 stories or episodes from early English history; they learn about the Ancient Britons, the introduction of Christianity, Alfred the Great, Harold and the Norman Conquest, Hereward, Becket, the history of the Crusades, Magna Charta, De Montford and the House of Commons, the Black Prince, and other subjects of early English history; and, therefore, I am not astonished that they seldom or never get to the most useful part of the programme—namely, the Hanoverian period. With regard to teaching them the history of the acquisition and growth of the Colonies of Great Britain, and of the eminent persons and citizens and prominent events of modern times, I certainly think that education is not complete without a knowledge of our English history. We should, if possible, give the children an education in these things. As to some of the teaching of early history, it rather puts one in mind of Alice in Wonderland when they wanted to dry up the pool of water, and she suggested that the driest thing that could be found for the purpose was the history of Edwin and Morcar. Indeed, I rather expected to find the Merovingian Kings referred to here, that being practically the chief knowledge which a good many get of French history. The chief difficulty in these matters is to select the most important subjects. The children should be taught those subjects which are more immediately useful to them; and great care, I agree with the noble Earl, should be taken to employ their time on the subjects which it is more important for them to know. I must guard myself, however, against it being supposed that I am such an educational reformer that I should wish to criticise this elaborate Education Code; and the question what subjects should be taught must, after all, 987 be a matter for educational experts; it is beyond my powers. As to the desirability of physical exercises for children in towns, there can hardly be two opinions. I do not myself approve of the extraordinary and exaggerated devotion to physical and athletic exercises prevalent in our schools. Indeed, I think it is a great misfortune that those exercises are carried to such an absurd excess. But that, probably, is not the kind of physical exercise which the noble Earl desires. Children in great towns, however, are certainly the better for a certain amount of physical exercise, which is necessary for the development of their bodies. I cannot give the noble Earl any special promise in the matter, except to say that in the preparation of the New Code the subject will not be lost sight of. That girls should learn useful needlework is a matter admitting of no doubt. As far as I understand the matter, it is less useful to girls at the present day to learn embroidery, or work at which they cannot earn a living, than that they should be taught to do the kind of needlework which is required in the family. I have beard constant complaints that while they are taught a great deal in the elementary schools about the Norman Conquest and such things, instruction in matters of this kind do not receive sufficient attention. I do not, however, wish to confine the education of the poor to elementary subjects; but where there is very little time it is wise to give them that kind of education which will be useful to them in after life. As to instruction in civic duty, as my noble Friend is aware, there has been a movement on the subject; but it was thought better to confine it to the rather older children. At present the Code provided for civic duties being a subject of optional instruction under the Night School Acts, which apply to older children. With regard to the smaller children, I am not prepared to say we can introduce it. Then, with regard to geography, there is no distinction made between hoys and girls, and I am not sure that it would be possible to make it compulsory, as some discretion must be left to the teachers. The Department fully recognise that special stress should be laid on instruction in the geography of our own Colonies and Empire. I am inclined to think myself that a far more in- 988 telligent study of geography would be introduced if the children were given practical lessons in the geography of their own localities. They would then understand better what geography really means than by merely being shown maps which they are not well versed in, and which do not convey much to their minds. The noble Earl has made some most interesting remarks, and I can assure him that they will receive the attention of the Department.