We call the attention of those who are reading for the next examination for certificates, or are preparing others for it, to the official letter which contains important information upon the general, as well as special, subjects of examination, and their relative value as they tell upon its result.

Educational Intelligenre.

AN EDUCATIONAL TEST, AS A QUALIFICATION FOR
REMUNERATIVE EMPLOYMENT.

The great social question, popular ignorance, with its unfailing concomitants, vice and ungodliness, still continues to occupy and perplex statesmen and philanthropists. It is not obvious that any real progress has been made towards providing a remedy for this evil.

Two facts may be noticed in connection with the subject:

1. There are in this country myriads of children growing up without any adequate instruction.

2. Existing school buildings are not sufficient to receive all the children who ought to be in school.

From these two facts a conclusion is drawn, which is the foundation of most of the efforts and plans of the theorists in education, who have the car of the country both in and out of Parliament-namely that if a sufficient number of Schools were provided and could be maintained, the problem of National Education would be solved.

This conclusion is, unfortunately, a mere groundless assumption, the fallacy of which may be proved from numberless instances of good schools which are not filled.

The practical difficulty of providing for the maintenance of schools, when built, has caused the failure of all schemes for the extension of National Education.

While, then, the theoretical educationists are occupied with devising plans, which, if successful, would probably issue in disappointment, it may be well to view the question in another aspect.

Managers and Inspectors of Schools throughout England concur with scarcely a dissentient voice, that the great educational want at the present moment is not so much the want of additional school rooms, as the means for bringing children into existing schools, and retaining them there for an adequate time.

Prodigious efforts have been made within the last fifteen years to raise up a staff of able earnest teachers for juvenile schools; success has crowned those efforts. Teachers are dispersed by hundreds and thousands over the country, but they are to a great extent surrounded by mere infants.

Is the case hopeless? With the deep-rooted feeling of Englishmen, on the subject of individual freedom of action, any attempt by direct legislative enact

ment, to compel all parents to send their children to school may be regarded as impossible.

Cin the object be accomplished indirectly?

To expect that any scheme to enforce the attendance of all children of any prescribed age will at once be effectua, is visionary.

Any plan for this purpose can only be an experiment.

Lord John Russell, in his E lucational Resolutions of 1856, proposed to meet the case by requiring employers of children, between nine and fifteen years old to furnish half-yearly certificates of attendance at school, and to pay for their instruction.

Let it be borne in mind, that the leading object of his Lordship, and of all parties who are seeking to extend popular education, is to lay hold of, and educate that vast mass of children according to the census, 2.250,000) who are neither at work nor at school. Lord John Russell's proposal wou d not reach one of these children.

Again-it is probable that a majority of young children who are at work, but who ought to be at school do not remain half a year at a time with one master. The proposal would not reach them. Though it is comparatively easy to logislate for a few factories, over which inspectors are appointed, the difficulty of earrying the law into effect, even in re erence to those children, may be judged of from the number of precautions necessary to prevent evasion. enforce such a law on the employers of single children, over the whole country, is impossible.

Το

It may be worthy of consideration whether much might not be done by an Educational Test, to be applied as follows: To impose a penalty on every person employing any one who was, say, under ten years of age, at the time of passing the Act, and who has not a certificate of ability to write from dictation a simple sentence, and read with ease a simple narrative. This certificate to be given by persons, appointed for the purpose, for a small fee, and if lost, to be renewed at a like charge. The employer, also, to be obliged to take some specimen of the person's writing-say name, age, date of certificate, &c. The existence of such a law would give school managers great influence with parents of all idle or irregular children now under ten years of age; they could say to them, your child will never get employment till it can read and write.

In a few years the Educational Test might be raised.

It will be observed that this plan, indirectly, but effectually, meets the case of parents employing children to assist a little at home; for though they incur no penalty at the time, they will see that ignorance will preclude their getting em · ployment afterwards. The number of this class in London is very great.

This plan will constrain the children to keep up their power of reading and writing, a matter of no small importance with a large number whose attainments on leaving school are so imperfect, that they are often lost in a few years or even months.

It has been suggested, that the restriction above referred to, must not be applicable all through life; and perhaps it will be sufficient, if limited to persons under 21 years of age. A certificate from the examiner, of natural inability to learn, would exempt from the penalty.

20, Bedford Row, London, W. C.

9th February, 1857.

JOS. J. ALLEN.

RESULT OF CHRISTMAS EXAMINATIONS, 1856.

[We have received the following results of the late Examinations for Certificates: we shall present a tabular statement in our next.]

WHITELAND'S.- SECOND YAR.

Candidates 42 :-Class I, 18; Class II, 18; Class III, 6; Total passed, 42. CLASS I.

Brice, F., Broadbent, E., Dowland, A. S., Freeman, E. M., Grindley, S. A. Higginbotham, S. A. Hughes, M., Morgan, S. A., Nicholls, J. M., Pedlar, A., Purchase, E. J., Sly, S. A., Sproston, A., Stanley, C., Taylor, E., Walton, H. E., Weeks, M. A., Wilmot, S.

CLASS II.

Addison, A. A., Atkinson, M. H., Bayles, E., Beames, H., Bottemley, M., Chambers, L., Elwig, E., Harding, S., Harvey, L., Henderson, I, Hollidge, S., Jones, E.. Martin, S. J., Maskell, R., Pitson, S., Powys, E., Walker, M. A., Wheeler, E.

CLASS III.

Heighton, E., Kendrick, E., Mottram, H., Porter, E., Weeks, R. J., Wright, E.

PUPILS OF THE FIRST YEAR.

Candidates 61:--Class I, 13; Class II, 14; Class III., 24; Schedule, 10; Total including Schedule, 61. CLASS I.

Adams, E., Baily, S., Bird, S., Dowland, M. J., Evans, A., Furnell, E. Green, M. A., Jones, E., Lincoln, E., Millington, M., Otter, M. E., Scrivener, S., Warwick, E.

CLASS II.

Bailey, F., Beverley, E. A., Ekins, L., Fisher, E. C., Graham, J. I., Gruncell, E., Marshall, H., Maynard, E. E., Mitchell, A. W., Morley, A., Pither, A. M., Purviss, A. E., Rowe, L., Schutze, A. M.

CLASS III.

Blackmore, L., Cecil, J., Chandler, E., Cochrane, J., Colliugwood, E. A., Edwards, S. A., Elliott, E.. Harlow, J., Home, E., Kimber, S. G., Kitching, A., Lipscombe, F. A., Maten, C., Matthews, S. A., Mould, C., Norman, S., Owen, E., Richards, F., Sapcote, F., Sibley, M. A., Smith, L. C., Tait, A. W., Toovey, L., Usherwood, M.

SCHEDULE,

Dodinson, S., George, M., Hickman, M. A., Jarvis, M. D., Parrott, M., Presnail, M. M., Priest, M., Reeves, M., Rowlands, G., Thompson, M.

CHELTENHAM (MALE.)-SÉCOND YEAR.

CLASS I.

Allcock, C., Briggs, W., Bryant. W., Cole, G, Charnock G., Gardner, W., Leeming, W. B., Meeson, J T., Morley, W., Pittway, E. J. H., Priestland, W., Sharpe, T. T., Vick, W., Webb, J.

CLASS II.

Appleby, W., Ball, T., Boyd, J., Crookham, W., Davis, H., Ducker, G. T., Dutton, W., Fancourt., G., Genner, B., Husbands, R., Lightburn, J. W., Littlewood, T. M., Prinsep, J., Roberts, J., Smith, E., Welch, T

CLASS III.

Davies, J., Davenport, C., Ground, J., Hornby, N., Samuels, W., Smith, A H., Stead, W.

FIRST YEAR.

CLASS I.

Blanchard, H., Chambers, S., Greenway, E., Lister, J., Reid, H., Satchwill, J., Smith, W., Watson, J.

CLASS II.

Allock, W. W., Baldwin, R., Blackshaw, W. J., Bryan, J. A.. Colchester, M. Dyer, S., Elworthy, R., Jenkin, M., Johnson, B., Lister, W., Packer, M. W. Stodd, E., Stubbs, Twite, C., Wat ers, B.. Wade, A.

CLASS III.

Hele, G., Jones, T., Knight, E., Lott, J., Perry, I., Price, T., Stibbs, J. E., Tate, R., Togwell, J., Wroughton, J., Wyatt, H.

SCHEDULED.

Lord, S., Morris, W., Moss, J., Norfolk, A., Saxty, E., Taylor, J. B. E., Taylor, W. C.

CHELTENHAM (FEMALE).-SECOND YEAR.

CLASS I.

Booth. L., David, M., Devereux, E., Dore, E., Griffiths, S., Hampson, S. Ae, Morris, E., Titterton, M., Tomlinson, M. F., Wilcock, E., Wright, M. J.

CLASS II.

Davies, E., Dyer, A. M. S., Ellworthy, A., Fillingham, E. H., Gibson,E. A., Halling, E., Ingram, H., Parsons, A., Roberts, E. J.

CLASS III.

Ellis, C., Lloyd, E., Nolan, E., Sanderson, A., Steer, M., Thompson, E., Trobridge, E., Woodhouse, E.

Cobb, E. L., Nelson, M., Schulen, S., Thornten, M. A. S., Turner, S.

CLASS III

Beale, E., Jenkins, C., Joy, A., Wark, C., Watson, A., Wood, H.

SCHEDULED.

Bromage, J., Charie, C., Cole, F. E., Elworthy, E., Golightly, C., John, A. Jones, F., Northeast, M., Pillar, L., Stanley, E., Taylor, L., Walton, E.

CLASS I.-Pember, J.

SALTLEY.-SECOND YEAR.

CLASS II.-Smith, G., Long, J., Mercer, T., Miller, J.
CLASS III.-Caldicott, Cullins, Finney, Humphris, Payne.

CLASS I.-Holder, Jackson.

FIRST YEAR.

CLASS II.-Joens, Miles, Smith, W.

CLASS III.-Lloyd, Tompkins.

EXAMINATION FOR CERTIFICATES OF MERIT.

(CIRCULAR TO PRINCIPALS OF TRAINING SCHOOLS.)
Education Department,

Downing Street, London,

S.W. January 22, 1857.

REV. SIR,-I have the honor to enclose a revised copy of the syllabus (1857) of studies in the Male Training Colleges under inspection by H. M. Inspectors, and I am directed, at the same time, to request your attention to the following observations.

It has been represented to the Lord President that the authorities of the Training Schools under inspection would find it useful in the regulation of the work of the students, to know the marks which are given for the different subjects at the annual Christmas Examination. I have the honor to communicate to you the List of Marks accordingly.

In this List it has been thought better to give the marks assigned for "Good" in each subject than those assigned for "Excellent," because "Good" represents a point frequently attained, and the word, therefore, appeals to the