A hundred years ago
From the 'Spectator', II January /868—Mr. Forster made a very able speech on education at St. James's Hall on Tuesday night. He declared himself for State interference to enact "ignorance laws" against the starvation of the mind, analogous to our "poor laws" against starvation of the body. He put the standard of primary education tolerably high,— speaking of its three stages,—the educational "necessaries" of reading, writing, and cyphering,— the educational "comforts" of a little sound know- ledge of physical geography of the earth, and the history of the people upon it, at least of our own English history,—and the educational 'luxuries" of an elementary knowledge of political economy, of the general principles of science, and of one foreign language—French. All this, up to the highest standard, is given in the Swiss primary schools, and why not in ours? Mr. Forster did not propose to interfere with voluntary foundations, or with denominational schools.
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