THE NATIONAL SOCIETY ON RATE SUPPORTED SCHOOLS. THE Committee of the National Society have expressed their views on the measures in contemplation for the support of elementary schools by means of rates in the form of a MEMORANDUM, which has been forwarded to the Lord President of the Privy Council by the Archbishop of Canterbury, as the President of that Society. The Memorandum is as follows : "MEMORANDUM. "The committee of the National Society have heard with much regret that a strong effort is to be made in the next session of parliament, by a powerful combination of parties, to establish a system of rates for the support of elementary schools. The committee cannot but regard such a measure with unqualified alarm. They leave to statesmen, legislators, and ratepayers the consideration of the question, whether it is either wise or just to impose upon the rateable property of the country a burden to which it is at present no more liable than property invested in the funds or stock in trade-a burden which, however small in the first instance, is likely soon to increase, and ultimately to become oppressive as well as unequal. "What the committee desire especially to urge, is the tendency of a school rate to supersede voluntary contributions. For as soon as it becomes known that in proportion as voluntary contributions fall off, the ratepayers will be compelled to supply the deficiency, the chief motive to contribute will be withdrawn. Accordingly, in none of the numerous states of North America, in none of the British colonies, and in none of the kingdoms or states of Europe in which school rates and taxes have been established, has it been found practicable to support elementary schools by voluntary contributions in conjunction with compulsory assessments. Another great discouragement to voluntary contributions under the proposed system would be, that along with the school rates it is intended to establish conscience clauses, not merely in the case of villages and hamlets where there is only one school, but in the case of all schools aided by the state, even when the parents and guardians of the children have the alternative of Church or Nonconformist teaching. The discouragement thence arising is very serious. The great inducement of the promoters of education to give voluntary contributions is the desire to diffuse their own religious principles-those principles which they consider best adapted to promote the wellbeing of the rising generation both in time and throughout eternity; and in proportion as they are thwarted and impeded in that all-important object, their zeal and energy will be relaxed, and their liberality curtailed. "As the movement in favour of school rates has been much promoted by exaggerated statements as to the existing deficiency in the means of elementary education, the committee of the National Society earnestly request the attention of the Committee of Council to the returns which the society is now obtaining from all the parishes of the kingdom, to show the actual amount of Church school accommodation and attendance. The returns from several counties have been already printed, and the whole will soon be completed. The committee are glad to find that in some counties the proportion of children in Church schools alone, not including British and Foreign, Nonconformist, Roman Catholic, and adventure schools, or schools for the higher classes, is one in 8.2 of the population. These returns have been obtained and tabulated with the utmost care by secretaries of great experience in school statistics, and may be confidently relied upon. Both the queries and the returns may be inspected at the office of the society by any individual desirous to ascertain their accuracy. Some, perhaps, of the schools to which these statistics refer, may not be in a satisfactory state, especially in thinly-peopled districts; but the committee hope to see continual improvement, and they are using their best endeavours for that purpose. They would rejoice to see elementary education raised to the highest standard compatible with the early age at which the children of the poor in this country are under the necessity of leaving school. "While it thus appears that great progress has been made towards establishing in this country a national system of education, interwoven with morals and religion, the committee of the National Society would respectfully urge the Committee of Council to consider whether it would be a wise policy to destroy or endanger this indigenous system, the result of great care and a vast expenditure, in order to transplant from the neighbouring continent, or from America, a foreign system, which may prove in this country a costly and irreparable failure. It would surely be a sad result of the immense efforts and sacrifices which have been made in England and Wales during the last fifty years to promote elementary education, if, at the very time when the most thoughtful patriots in America are anxiously considering whether it be possible to introduce religious teaching into their common schools, and are actually subscribing for the support of parochial or religious schools, the policy of this older country should be, to throw down the religious system which it has gradually during more than half a century been building up at the cost of millions.' CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATION FOR GIRLS. THOUGH the establishment of University local examinations for girls was attended with considerable difficulty, owing to circumstances which we shall presently indicate, the success which has already attended them throughout England is sufficiently encouraging to give their promoters incentive to extend the beneficial influences of this admirable movement. Many were at first deterred from allowing their children to enter for these examinations lest the class of competitors with whom they would have to associate should not be respectable, and the fear of overwork has also conduced to prevent many from presenting themselves at the competitions. Indeed, the novelty of the experiment was not without its influence in retarding the progress of the scheme, but now that that novelty is wearing off there are indications that these examinations will shortly meet with a more general appreciation from those for whose advantage they have been instituted. During the competitions which have recently terminated, 232 candidates presented themselves at the various centres appointed— namely, London, Bristol, York, Cambridge, Brighton, Manchester, Wol verhampton, Norwich, Reading, Cannock, and Leeds. In London the number of competitors was in excess of that of last year, and although 62 may seem to constitute an indifferent list, it must be remembered that but very little time has elapsed since the inauguration of the movement. The examinations in London were held at the Architectural Museum, Conduit Street, Regent Street, and the arrangements made for the conduct of the necessary business were admirable in every particular. In the room in which the examination took place there were present two ladies, two members of the local committee, and the examiner, who was a married Fellow of the college, and every provision was made for the comfort of the candidates. The examination continued for six days, but as each of those who presented themselves was required to take up only a certain number of subjects, every one had an interval of rest during the week. Some subjects were compulsory, and deficiency in these made the failure of any candidate inevitable. The compulsory subjects were arithmetic, English composition, history, geography, and English grammar. The optional subjects were various, but those generally chosen were the Scriptures, French, and drawing. Here it may be necessary to state, for the proper understanding of the subject, that there were two classes of candidates, one consisting of young ladies under 16 years of age, and the other of those between 16 and 18. In the senior class two competitors were examined in Latin, one in Greek, three in German, three in algebra, three in Euclid, two in trigonometry and conic sections, two in mechanics, and three in political economy. In the junior class five were examined in German, two in pure mathematics, eleven in zoology, three in botany, and six in music. With regard to the examination in Euclid, it may be interesting to state that the examiner has observed that the girls who sent in papers on that subject seemed to be able to distinguish with far more logical acumen between the essential and formal portions of a proof than any of the boys who had entered in similar competitions. It may be added that this gentleman is the examiner in Euclid for the whole of England. The necessary subjects are manifestly suited to all, and the same papers are used as the tests of proficiency throughout all the centres we have enumerated. The utmost delicacy is observed in the conduct of these examinations. Publicity is entirely avoided, for in the University report neither the names of the successful nor unsuccessful competitors appear. They are represented by numbers which are allotted to the candidates previous to the examination. To those who wish to obtain a true test of the capabilities of girls, the University local examinations form an admirable criterion, inasmuch as but little reliance can be placed in the results of examinations in private schools. All information regarding the University local examinations for girls can be obtained at 17, Cunningham-square, St. John's-wood, from Miss Davies, to whom the success of these competitions hitherto may be in a great degree attributed. EXAMINATION FOR CERTIFICATES OF MERIT, BOROUGH ROAD AND STOCKWELL. THE FOLLOWING IS EXTRACTED FROM THE CLASS LIST OF STUDENTS IN TRAINING COLLEGES EXAMINED BEFORE HER MAJESTY'S INSPECTORS IN DECEMBER, 1867. The letter (D) after a Student's or Teacher's name, indicates that he has obtained a Memorandum of Competency as a Teacher of Drawing. A Prize for proficiency in Drawing has been awarded to every Candidate to whose name a double asterisk (**) is prefixed. A single asterisk (*) means that the Candidate has passed suscessfully in one subject at least out of the five necessary to a Memorandum of Competency as a Teacher of Drawing. STUDENTS OF THE SECOND YEAR. First Division. **Chapman, Frederick (D) Gibson, Thomas (D) Hayman, John (D) **Headley, Robert (D) Hopkins, Joseph W. (D) **Kemp, George W. (D) **Lightbown, Joseph **Smith, Edgar (D) Stone, Josiah (D) Tucker, William L. (D) Wright, Richard J. (D) Second Division. *Bailey, Stephen W. *Basford, David D. Dorsett, William (D) Edgar, William McC. (D) **Elliott, Thomas C. (D) Harris, Frederick G. (D) **Hicks, George **Inchbold, William (D) **Jenkins, George STUDENTS OF THE SECOND First Division. *Alexander, Margaret **Armstrong, Elizabeth J. *Beales, Harriet *Bennett, Clara **Bennett, Mary S. *Broadbent, Ellen **Carpenter, Charlotte *Nicholson, Rachel **Stuart, Catherine (D) *Todman, Jane C. Turney, Mary (D) Second Division. *Clarke, Eliza A. **Davies, Ann **Davy, Betsy *Davy, Mary **Edwards, Emma *Foster, Margaret BOROUGH ROAD. Third Division. **Horswill, John (D) STUDENTS OF THE FIRST First Division. Haines, Edward J. (D) *Lakin, Robert Spafford, William A. (D) *Thorne, James C. *Hosier, John E. *Mawer, Samuel *Moorhouse, William J. **Yerbury, Walter STOCKWELL. **Healey, Mary Susan *Heap, Fanny **Jones, Jane *Puttock, Elizabeth *Wilson, Tabitha STUDENTS OF THE FIRST YEAR. First Division. **Barter, Bessie M. Second Division. *Garard, Maria *Gibbins, Lucy J. **Glover, Jane **Goodall, Eliza **Howarth, Elizabeth E. **Stothart, Mary I. **Stott, Ellen Strickland, Mary (D) **Toope, Sophia *True, Sarah J. *Waters, Elizabeth *Watson, Angelina **Whitehead, Kate **Williams, Elizabeth Third Division. *Brock, Emily H. **Pearce, Agnes Revett, Annie C. *Toms, Mary A. **Wood, Catherine |