EDUCATION AND THE RURAL FRANCHISE.
[To THZ EDITOR OF THE "SpEcTATors."] Sin,—The article in the current number of the Spectator on Mr. Mundella's speech at Glasgow on the rural franchise, and its future bearings on the Rural Education Act, will be read with interest by many rural school managers. It is one of these, who has long been familiar with the management of small country schools in a district bordering on one of our great coalfields, where rural wages are abnormally high, that now ventures to bring forward some considerations on the working of the Educa- tion Act.
And in considering the probable opinion of the rural folks regarding the Act, it is well to remember how education was regarded before that Act was passed, for in many rural parishes excellent schools were then already to be found where a good education was supplied to the population at the expense of the squire, the parson, or other wealthy persons who took interest in the people. The teaching in many of these schools was fully equal to that now given by the Board schools, except that no "extra subjects " beyond needlework were taught; but the results were not equally satisfactory, because there was no power by which managers could compel attendance. No compulsion was used, but the strongest persua- sion was generally brought to bear, in order to encourage good attendance, and ensure a high grant from Government. Indeed, a good deal of mild bribery took place, in the form of attendance- rewards, school pence returned, school treats, &c. Now, how did the people regard these schools P Doubtless they were highly valued by a large proportion of the population, for they cost the people nothing beyond the penny or twopence weekly charged for each child. The managers would always find certain families in the parish regular attendants at school, and such were always the children of the more industrious and intelligent labourers or the country artisans. The small farmers generally sent their children very irregularly to school during the spring, summer, and early autumn, their work being valuable about the house and farm ; and the lower and more nnthrifty class of labourers could never be persuaded to regular attendance by any form of persuasion, one main cause of irregularity being an unthrifty or sickly house-mother, who would not start the little ones, duly provided with their dinner, in good time for school. Those labourers who sent their children regularly to school did so in the hope that their education would enable them to rise in life,—to better themselves. And these children have very gener- ally done so, whilst those who had been irregular attendants, and were consequently imperfectly educated, have generally remained in the class to which they were born, whether labourers or farmers. The Education Act did not excite much opposition in the rural districts till the compulsory clauses were put in force and since that time education has certainly declined in popularity both with farmers and labourers. The farmers cannot hire a. boy to lead horses, pick stones, scare crows, or any of the other light occasional jobs so plentiful on a farm ; the labourers miss the wages of the boys, which in this district would never be less than ninepence a day for a boy of eleven or twelve, or a shilling a week and three good meals a day (no small consideration, to a growing boy). Then the cottage house-wife detests having to do all her own work, instead of being able to keep one or more of the elder children at hometo help her, whenever she might please, to nurse the baby, fetch water, pick sticks, &c. Finally, many of the better class of labourers think that when every one is compul- sorily educated, their children will lose the advantage which they had gained for them by their self-denial. It is possible that the- next generation may see a considerable reaction against educa- tion—as represented by school work—for the great aim of the working-classes has been to raise their children above manual labour by education. But when Mr. klundella's task is done, and every one can read and write, there will no longer be the artificial inequality caused by unequal education, natural ability will again assert its full supremacy, and " scholars " who can read, write, and sum will have to plough, and hedges. and cart muck again. Still, it is difficult to believe that the world will recede in this respect. Education is a real benefit to a man, whatever his occupation may be ; but if a serious re- action should ever take place against it, it will arise from forcing it too fast down unwilling throats.
Where the way has been paved by a well-managed "National school," the compulsory clauses are already regarded as no- great hardship, for by their aid the managers have generally succeeded in doubling the attendance, with the pleasing re- sult of passing the children through the terrible Standard V. at eleven years old, or twelve at the latest. Then the farmer gets his bird-boy, the labourer gets the boy's summer wages (sending him back to school for three or five months in winter), and the mother gets a daughter in reasonable times. though, indeed, she would have been glad of a nurse for the baby two years sooner. But where a neglected agricultural dis- trict sets up a new Board bchool,it is generally badly managed by illiterate (though shrewd) small farmers unfriendly to the Act.- There the school inspector should visit with impossible frequency, to compel a good attendance, for the majority of the population will be against it. The children are always sick, or the weather too wet, or they are " wanted " at home on three days out of five, or they are doing stray days of work for neighbours, and no one will give information about the matter, although every one knows it to be illegal, and the employer will frequently be a member of the School Board ! The consequence is no grant, and the schoolmaster changed yearly, and the school- rate exorbitantly high. such a district might be relied on to vote as one man for a reduction of the Standard to No. III. If such considerations have force even in a district where no able-bodied man gets less than fifteen shillings a week, if employed by the year, or a much higher rate of pay if employed by the day or the week ; where no woman does any field labour whatever (with the exception of a few Irish women quartered in the towns, who will get as much as 3s. a day at harvest work), and where boy-labour consequently fetches an unusually high price, what may be expected in districts less wealthy and less intelligent P If the labourer were at present polled on the subject, it is probable that, in the southern and western counties, at least, he would vote for "no compulsion by a small majority, and the farmers to a man would go against the Act as a whole, and return to the voluntary system. But it is likely that the labourer, when he gets the franchise, will be guided by some one in whom he will have more confidence than the farmer,—by the squire, the parson, or the Dissenting minister ; and as these will all be found on the side of education, the compulsory clauses may survive.—I am, Sir, &c., N.
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