National education and national life

James Edward Geoffrey De Montmorency

Sujets

• Library
• Poor
• Éducation
• England
• History of education

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 8
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

^
AND
LIFENATIONAL
BY
E. G. DEJ. MONTMORENCY, B.A., LL.B.,
of St. Peter's College, Cambridge,
and of the Middle Barrister-at-Law.Temple,
AUTHOR OF "STATE INTERVENTION IN ENGLISH EDUCATION,
"THE PROGRESS OF EDUCATION IN &c.ENGLAND,"
Xondon :
SONNENSCHE1N &SWAN LTD.,CO.,
HIGH W.C.BLOOMSBURY,STREET,25,
1906.PREFACE
brief are intended to toessays chiefly appeal
the class of which the writer is a member thelarge
class of local educational asadministrators, who,
of Provided and asVoluntary schools,Managers
Governors of are inti-Endowed Secondary schools,
in touch with educational conditions. It ismately
true that the of schools haveManagers Elementary
thelittle direct and that of thepowerspower,
bodies of schools tend toSecondary slowlygoverning
as the control of local authorities and of thedecrease,
inBoard of increases theEducation ; but, fact, power
of influence of and Governors isby ,way Managers
of men andThis vast class unknownvery great.
their to local educa-women who of timegive freely
I a of far-tional believe,problems, plays, part reaching
of national education andin the evolutionimportance
it not for this administrationnational life. Were class,
mechanical andwould become bureaucratic,purely
and as to the elementthe human, official,opposed
would have in our educationalhardly any place
administrative The oftensystem. Managers very
but alsoknow not the teachers and the children,only
of allthe and to the minds directlyconveyparents,
3in theconcerned of the educationalworking machine,
the that is interested inknowledge somebody really
them and in the results Theproduced. great danger
that threatens the of our educationaldevelopment
is its to become mechanicalsystem, tendency purely
and ofunconscious the that out ofinspiration springs
a mutual esteem between administrators andexisting
thosewhom administration affects. If School Managers
and School Governors can into the actual schoolcarry
both and educational ideasbuildings sympathy high
and there ais work done for education thatideals,
no could ILegislation have, therefore,accomplish.
ventured to indicate in these brief certainessays
that underlie educational and Iprinciples advance,
that those will tothink, perhaps, principles appeal
some of the thousands of whoSchoolmany Managers
are the and small schools of thedaily visiting great
land. If of the which Iwith haveany questions
dealt the of this littlereach, through agency book,
discussionthe of between teachers andstage parents,
the end aimed at will have been attained.managers,
amI sure that should be devised for theopportunities
of teachers and atmeeting together parents, managers
intervals. All three classesfairly invariablyfrequent
and from suchgather strength hopefulness meetings.
I have ventured to add a final withessay dealing
' ' ' 'The of theEvolution Religious Controversy.
Public on the of infeeling question religious teachingschools is at so that it waspresent heated, perhaps
wise to do so. But it has seemed to me thatscarcely
itto would be useful to have at handmany probably
aat this time unbiassed outline of the courseperfectly
of the Ilong religious controversy. say unbiassed,
for I know that I have set down in malicenaught ;
but I am biassed if that is the termcertainly right
in one I am convinced thatrespect. any Legislation
which renders an betweenpossible organic separation
and secular would inflict in noteaching,religious long
time a terrible this nation. I look at theinjury upon
matter from and as the mustwithin, not, Legislator
look at from without. Both as a ofit, Manager
schools in and as a student of thevery poor districts,
of education in relation to the socialhistory English
amlife of the I certain that to divorcepoor, absolutely
from the inState curriculum schoolsreligious teaching
disastrous Towould have results. mind this ismy
not a as to ofthemerelyultimately question rights any
or as to the ofreligious body, pricking any particular
as andconscience consciences mustimportant rights
be to a Theever ultimategreat Legislature. question
is the State is to in itswhether say that,prepared
as a it is no the ofDefender theState,capacity longer
Faith. If it is not to it has nosay that,prepared
to or to render it for a localexclude,right possible
to from the curriculum of theauthority exclude,
schools the elements of TheState Christianity.I disavowed theGovernment, have, think, specifically
doctrine that the as a is concernedState State only
with secular matters. If this is theso, country may
such amendments in Bill as inthe will secure allexpect
acases to conscience clause(subject applying equally
to and the elements of Revealedparents teachers),
as of the State curriculum. That isReligion part
one most matter from the Schoolimportant Manager's
of view. isThere lesspoint another, only important,
that a final and settlement should be found forjust
the of and consciences.outstanding questions rights
While we are other countries arequarrelling, forging
ahead. The nation at cannot afford to have thelarge
remain to have thiscontroversy ;religious open
come to one andGovernment the next comedecision,
to another. The scare of uncertainty destroys efficiency
in the schools. The educationalist demands as a right
some settlement that no in the State willgreat party
feel on accession to tocompelled, power, re-open.
National life cannot be secure till national education
is on a basis outside the storm-areaplaced permanent
of local and imperial politics.
G. M.E. DEJ.
INN.LINCOLN'S