English." He also adopts the old and wholesome practice, recommended by Ascham, and strongly advocated by Archdeacon Denison in a letter to the Commissioners,* of viva voce translation of English passages into Latin: and he attaches considerable value, in the formation of a good Latin style, to the frequent repetition of passages from Latin prose authors. These are two points of training far too little attended to in most of our public schools, and the neglect of which may in some degree account for the lamentable quality of the Latin writing which comes under the notice of university examiners. The Shrewsbury exhibitions are abundantly sufficient for the encouragement of even a larger school. On an average not less than two -frequently more-varying in amount from £37 to £63, and tenable from three to eight years, are open to competition annually, and any boy whose scholarship would at all entitle him to one is pretty sure to obtain it. When they are said to be " open to competition," it seems very strange at first to read amongst Dr Kennedy's answers that "only once, as far back as 1840, has any contest for an exhibition taken place at the school:" "frequent examinations and daily lessons have taught the boys to know each other's strength, and they do not offer themselves as candidates when they have no hope of success." "They tell Dr Kennedy who is going up to the university," says a younger witness, "and he states what exhibitions there are, and the boys themselves arrange who shall go in." This unusually amicable arrangement became the subject of particular inquiry upon the part of the Commissioners, as was very natural and proper; but it was made quite clear to them that everything was perfectly fair and straightforward. The places in the Sixth Form change every six months, as the result of an examination, and VOL. XCVI.-NO. DXC. this was held to be so thoroughly decisive of the comparative merits of those who were claimants for the exhibitions, that without any actual competition, as many as were vacant used to be awarded to the seniors in rotation who were going up to the university. If a candidate were challenged, the trustees would appoint an examiner. There are, however, certain boys who have preferential claims ; first, the sons of burgesses; and secondly, of any person born in Shropshire: in the cases of such candidates, the head - master has merely to certify competency, which, however, in some instances, he has not hesitated to refuse, though "rather an invidious thing to do." The Commissioners very properly recommended that in all cases there should be an examination of the candidates "by examiners specially appointed;" a course which was at once adopted by the trustees. They also recommend-consistently with their general principle-that all local preferences shall be abolished. Dr Kennedy has made at Shrewsbury the most decided effort to which any of the old public schools have condescended, with a view of meeting the demand for a 66 middle-class education based less exclusively upon the classics." He has established within the last few years (entirely upon his own responsibility, for some of the trustees disapprove of it) a "non-collegiate" class in the school working side by side with the rest. Boys not intended for the universities, and to whom, therefore, high classical scholarship may not be considered so important, are allowed at a certain point to give up Greek entirely, and Latin composition, and to take their place in this noncollegiate class, where they employ the hours thus taken from the regular school-work in learning additional mathematics, with modern languages, physical science, and * See Appendix, p. 50. 3 B 66 English composition. They keep hand, that if this "modern" sub- as "We are not prepared to advise the establishment at the older public schools of a system resembling either of these. It may be very desirable, and we think it is, that the experiment should be tried; it may be desirable that schools organised upon this principle should exist; but we do not recommend the introduction of it in those which form the subject of this inquiry."- Report, p. 39. The Commissioners have drawn up no less than thirty-two "General Recommendations" in what they conceive to be the interest of public education, besides the special reforms and modifications recommended in detail for each separate school, and which are subjoined in each case to the special reports. They have not erred, as has been remarked already, on the side of generalisation. The draft of their educational reform bill is elaborate enough; but we can only here touch upon its leading features, and we shall not even follow the order in which their recommendations stand. They maintain the classics as holding rightfully the principal place in the course of study; but they recommend that mathematics and arithmetic-"so taught as to make every boy thoroughly familiar with it"-should form a necessary part of the school course, as indeed in most public schools it professes to do; and that every boy should learn also at least one mo Dr Kennedy holds, upon the other dern language, one branch at least *See Answers 863, 954. of natural science, and either drawing or music; so that the curriculum is to be fivefold. To those who think that to learn many things is more desirable than to learn one or two things well, such an enlargement of the course of study will no doubt seem a step forward in education. It has been fairly answered, on the other hand, that there are at present but twentyfour hours in the English day. Dr Temple of Rugby, who loses no time in putting himself in the van of the educational march, has already given notice of his adoption of this part of the Recommendations. Every boy at Rugby will be required hereafter, for at least two years after his admission, to learn "natural science," and either music or drawing; modern languages already form part of the necessary Rugby course. Dr Temple regards this as "an experiment," which he believes will succeed, though some of his assistant-masters "are not so sanguine." Other head-masters will do well to wait the result; it is but justice to say that the experiment is in able and honest hands; and if it fails at Rugby, it will hardly succeed elsewhere. But the pressure of work already in some parts of that excellent school is a subject of anxiety to many parents; and this new movement is not altogether popular "at home." The addition of seven guineas to the school charges, which Dr Temple proposes in accordance with a recommendation of the Commission, is hardly likely to be more so. The Commissioners, in their zeal to secure thorough efficiency, have sought to fetter the head-master with a double check upon his proceedings-from above and from below. They suggest that he should be superintended by the "governing body" of trustees or others, who are to regulate the studies, and "advised" by a "school council" of his under-masters, who are Recommendations III. and VI. to "address the governing body' whenever a majority of them see fit to disagree with their chief.* On this particular item of reform the head-masters, so far as they have spoken, both in their evidence and since the issue of the Report, are tolerably unanimous in their opposition to the Commissioners, against whom even Dr Temple here lifts his voice. They have proposed in the case of Rugby to leaven the existing board of trustees (local gentlemen of influence, who have exercised their trust with a wise forbearance) "by the introduction of four gentlemen of acknowledged eminence in literature and science," a recommendation which applies to most of the other schools under the inquiry. Upon this Dr Temple raises his protest at once in no hesitating language. "This recommendation seems to rest on an entirely mistaken supposition in regard to the true nature of the services which the trustees can render to the school. What the school needs in the trustees is good sense and knowledge of the world. The four gentlemen elected for their eminence in literature and science would be perpetually tempted to justify their election by doing what the head-master ought to do, and, if he is fit for his post, can do better than any one else. They would often be tempted to push the interests of their own particular study, to the detriment of general education. They would be almost certain to encourage an amount of interference, which, if it hastened or even introduced improvements at the time, would purchase them at the dear price of diminishing the head-master's sense of responsibility and freedom of action."+ Dr Temple is probably aware of what his great predecessor, Dr Arnold, thought and said upon this question. "The remedy of the trustees," he said, "if they were dissatisfied with him, was not interference, but dismissal." He would never have accepted the post but upon the condition of perfect independence of any such + Report to the Trustees of Rugby School, 1863-64.' By the Head-master. control; and he felt bound to resist it, "as a duty not only to himself, but to the master of every foundation school in England."* Dr Moberly was once discussing with him the question of the control occasionally exercised by the warden at Winchester; "I am better off than you are," was Arnold's reply; "my trustees never hear of anything I do until it is done." The head master of Eton and Winchester, when under examination, had naturally some delicacy in speaking out upon the question; but we have seen that it was possible for the opinion of the latter to be overruled by the warden; and 66 one of the most sensible of the Eton witnesses declares that the headmaster was 'simply crippled" by the interference of a late provost there. Dr Temple makes no remark upon the recommendation as to the formal "advice" to be tendered by the council of under-masters, and their right of addressing the governors. Perhaps he is wise not to discuss so invidious a question. The Commissioners appear to have been led into this grave mistake partly by what transpired in the Eton evidence as to the difficulty in that particular school (and probably there only) of the assistantmasters obtaining a hearing for their suggestions, and partly from the success of the system introduced by Arnold at Rugby, and practised more or less by nearly every head-master at present, of holding periodical consultations with his staff. But the whole value of such councils consists in their being a voluntary and cordial proceeding on the part of the chief. Dr Kennedy, in a paper read at York, dissents strongly from both the recommendations in question. His remarks deserve a fuller report than they have received, and our readers may thank us for extracting the following from a copy in private circulation : "The difference between the principle propounded in the Report and that which I venture to advocate, has an importance which can hardly be exaggerated. My principle claims for the man who is intrusted with the head place in a school that freedom of thought and action which I believe to be essential to the effectual discharge The principle of the of his duties. Report vests the architectonic functions of education in the governing body, making the head-master only their chief counsellor and assistant in the execution of the work. Herein seems to be involved no less a question than this: Is it for the greater good of society that education should be raised more and more to the rank of a distinct profession, with powers, sanctions, and safeguards analogous to those of other professions, or that it should be reduced below its present rank, to the level of a merely ministerial occupation, like the pedagogy of I know ancient Greece and Rome? not whether the Commissioners had such an issue present to their minds when they gave to the governors of schools the power of regulating the several studies. But I see no logical escape from the conclusion, that the withdrawal of this power from the head-master does really lower his professional character, and impair the dignity of education as a profession. The second recommendation concerning government which I find myself unable to regard with satisfaction is Head VI., which suggests the legal constitution in every public school of a council of assistant-masters having certain rights and powers. Now, I cordially admit the propriety and value of the prac tice on which this recommendation is grounded-I mean the frequent consultation of the masters in common on matters affecting the welfare of the school. But I likewise believe—nay, I instrument of good will be much feel very sure that its value as an impaired that it will be always dangerous, often mischievous if it were legally established as a kind of imperium in imperio, instead of being left altogether to the discretion of the ant-master for six years; I have been a I was myself an assisthead-master for eight-and-twenty; and I can truly say that I should as little have desired such a constitution in my former post, as I now desire it in the latter." head-master. *See Stanley's 'Life of Arnold,' vol. i. p. 105. + Winch. Evid., 377. Eton Evid., 4207. The Commissioners would send out their reformed head-masters as the French Convention sent out its generals, watched and hampered in every movement by "representatives of the people," but with the additional drag upon them of a council of subordinates ready to "advise," and, if overruled, to rebel. By Recommendation xiii. every boy is to be permitted, "on arriving at a certain place in the school, and upon the request of his parents and guardians," to drop some part of the classical work (e. g., Greek and Latin composition), and to give the time thus gained to mathematics, modern languages, or natural science; in fact, something like Dr Kennedy's non-collegiate class is to be adopted in all schools by authority. We should be very willing to see this tried; yet it would seem open to very nearly the same objection as the "Modern School" of Marlborough and Cheltenham, which, as has been seen, the Report does not recommend to the old foundations. "For instruction in arithmetic and mathematics, in modern languages and natural science respectively, the school should be redistributed into a series of classes or divisions, wholly independent of the classical forms," with a separate scheme of promotion in each subject. (Recom. xix.) Of this recommendation their friendly critic Dr Temple quietly says that "with all their pains they have recommended what is physically impossible;" he means that there would not be language or science masters for half the forms. Dr Kennedy says, in the paper already quoted-" The very attempt could not be rationally made without such an increase in the staff of masters, as well as in other means and appliances, as few, if any, schools could hope to achieve ; and, even with such aid, I think it would be unsuccessful as an educational discipline." The attempt was made and continued for some years by Dr Arnold at Rugby, to the extreme discomfort and confusion of the school generally; and he only made it possible by requiring all his masters to teach more or less of French or mathematics. It failed in his hands; and it might have been a warning against a rash renewal of the experiment. Yet if French and German are to be made a part of the regular schoolwork-to be "promoted by an effective system of reward and punishment," and to have "substantial weight and encouragement" given to them, as the Commissioners desire-we believe that the only really successful method will be to have them taught upon Arnold's planby the regular classical masters in their several forms. It is true that in his day the system could not be said to be successful. It limited seriously his choice of masters, because the best classical scholars were by no means found generally qualified to teach modern languages. For this reason—which will become gradually less applicable as such studies become more popular Dr Tait, when head-master, went back to the old plan of appointing foreign language-masters, and this system Dr Temple continues and approves. Dr Moberly says in his evidence that he "took a leaf out of Arnold's book" at Winchester, but was obliged to give it up for the same reason. But that a foreign teacher, however able in his special department, can very seldom enforce the necessary discipline, without which there can be no effectual teaching, is admitted very generally. Mr Tarver-the French master at Eton, an Englishman by birth, but a perfect French scholar has "had as much trouble in teaching a Frenchman to keep order as in teaching the boys to speak French." Mr Butler of Harrow thinks the difficulty may be overcome in some cases by ability and tact; and, very naturally, some of the foreign masters who were examined conceive that they possess these requisites sufficiently. But the fact remains, that a Frenchman |