About twenty years ago several middle schools were set on foot in the western counties by members of the Church of England ; and some endowed schools have of late years been quickened, by the exertions of individuals, into considerable activity. There are also collegiate establishments in the district, founded by Dissenters, and connected with the London University. But we have no large establishment similar in its principles to King Edward's School at Birmingham or the Collegiate School at Liverpool, with systematic provision for the commercial classes. Visions of such institutions have been often talked of, but the requisite conditions for united action have been wanting. Of late, however, party-walls of separation have been gradually crumbling away, and the successful foundation and inauguration, followed by the no less successful and discreet working of the Exeter Diocesan Training College, have done wonders in the way of interesting the middle ranks in the improved methods of teaching promoted by the Committee of Council of Education.

Meanwhile another local agency has been at work; during the last six years the towns of Taunton, Plymouth, Bath, Tiverton, Yeovil, and Newton have been successively visited by the Bath and West of England Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, the members of which have gradually risen to above a thousand, while the visitors to its exhibitions annually exceed sixteen thousand. During the winter admirable lectures on agricultural chemistry have been delivered by Professor Voelcker. Reports on agricultural machinery, prize essays on various subjects have been distributed throughout the district in a Journal which appears to be popular, and to have awakened inquiry for further information.* The effect on the agriculture of the district may be estimated by the fact that one maker received orders for his prize chaff-cutters alone to the extent of 5007. at a single exhibition, and that local plough-makers and cart-makers now enter into successful competition for business with the first firms in England. But far beyond any commercial influence has been that of the brotherly and harmonious co-operation, and of the disinterested public service rendered by practical men in various ranks of society, for the purpose of promoting the success of the Society; it has

* Published by Ridgway, vol. v., pp. 552. Price 6s.

broken up the hard subsoil, and mellowed the ground for the growth of kindly feelings, laying a moral foundation for union in other matters. So at least it seems to the writer, and he is

grateful for the result.

During the same period, namely, since 1851, considerable activity has manifested itself in another quarter, the Society of Arts in London, producing the Exhibition of Educational Appliances at St. Martin's Hall, under the guidance of Mr. Harry Chester, and the Examinations open to Mechanics' Institutes, as explained by Dr. Booth in his pamphlet, 'What to Learn, and how to Learn.' Lord Ebrington called attention to these Examinations by his letter to Mr. Harry Chester, and, in conjunction with his excellent fellow-labourer the Rev. J. L. Brereton, * suggested a systematic county organization in the West for the distribution of prizes, providing a prize of 207. at his own cost; he took at the same time the important step (all honour be to him for it) of vindicating for the Christian religion a recognised place in examinations purporting to test the results of education. These plans were promulgated at a meeting of the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society, and to a certain extent taken up by the Council.

To Lord Ebrington unquestionably belongs the credit of having concentrated public attention on two points, viz., how we may best improve the existing means of education, and stimulate selfcultivation among juvenile adults in the middle ranks. It was evident, however, that difficulties lay in the way of establishing self-constituted county boards of examination, and that the Society of Arts could not supply the required conditions for central action, nor command the confidence of the great body of educators in the country. The practical necessity for omitting one most essential element in education from the proceedings in a body constituted as that Society is, and the absence of sufficient security for the educational character of the examinations, seemed to indicate that the proper sphere of the Society of Arts might lie among adult mechanics, but does not embrace schools.

The promoters of the West of England Examination looked at

* If any one desires to see a warm-hearted effort to do good among small farmers by a mixture of practical knowledge with fun on one side, and real Christianity on the other, let them order Mr. Brereton's West Buckland Year-book, published at South Molton, but to be obtained through the publisher of this book.

first in another direction, viz., towards the Committee of Council. It needed only a successful experiment to show that the same principles which had given scope and strength to the voluntary efforts of Committees of National and British Schools might be applied to schools of a higher description; and success would have been insured to the experiment, if success were not impossible, by entrusting its official direction to Mr. Temple, inspector of Church Training Schools, and Mr. Bowstead, inspector of Protestant Dissenting Schools. A debt of deep gratitude is due to Lord Granville and Mr. Lingen for their frank cordiality in this matter.

But although some faint hopes were entertained that the Government system might be safely expanded, so as to give to the middle classes a direct interest in the results of the training system aided by Parliament,* further consideration showed the great inconveniences which would result from such a step, and the far greater advantage to be expected from throwing the middle ranks on their own resources when once they were enabled to understand clearly the point they had to work for. The presence of Mr. Temple and Mr. Bowstead at Exeter meanwhile gave the best public pledge for the fairness with which the experiment would be tried, and of the deep interest which the Government took in the subject; and as soon as it was far enough advanced to give materials for a judgment, Mr. Temple furnished the solution of the question, how such examinations were to be permanently conducted, by his letter to Dr. Jeune (see p. 75). What has since happened at the Universities is before the public, and may in great measure be learned from a perusal of the letters which are appended to this publication (see below).

The success of the Examination conducted at Exeter may be inferred from the fact that the candidates were supplied from schools of various descriptions, grammar-schools, colleges, and private establishments. The concurrent action of independent teachers, and the opposition of none, placed beyond doubt the fact that the want of some such public support to the intelligent teacher is actually felt. If I were at liberty to reveal some of the private communications which I received, they would melt the hearts of many by the tale which they tell of the

* See the letter addressed to the Committee of Council, below, p. 105.

hopeless discouragements and cruel parsimony of which masters are sometimes made the victims after doing their best. It was truly said, in a very powerful article on the results of the Examination in a local paper, "The root of the whole evil lies in the insane desire of the public for cheap education.”

If the West may be taken as a fair sample of other parts, it is evident on the one hand there is abundant teaching power in the country; on the other, that it needs direction and support.

The results elicited by the Examination have been so well explained by Mr. Temple that at first it seemed to the writer only necessary to refer to his Report (p. 180), and to the comments on some parts of the Report contained in the letter which accompanied it.

When work is done, it seems almost idle to recount the steps by which each difficulty was removed and doubtful point cleared up; the building being erected, the scaffolding-poles should be removed, until they are wanted again for a similar purpose: so it seemed to the writer that most of the local details worked out with some care at Exeter, having served their purpose, might be forgotten, except in their fruits. But he has been reminded that, in point of fact, the work is not done, the building is not yet erected. The Exeter Examination was a model, but only a model. Oxford has taken up the plan on an extended scale, but acceptance of the plan has yet to be worked out in detail by every fresh district; and the more thoroughly practical a plan is, the more trouble is needed to bring it into full play, for at every turn it comes into contact with real living work already existing, and those who are engaged in such work have not much time or attention to spare for new plans, and are apt to turn a deaf ear to them.

I am advised, therefore, to state from the beginning the steps taken in Devonshire.

Shortly after the announcement of Lord Ebrington's prize for young farmers between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three, accidental circumstances gave the author the means of testing by actual examination the condition of more than one school frequented by boys in the middle classes, and at the same time an opportunity for estimating the effect on the minds of the boys, their parents, and their masters, of a few small prizes awarded by independent judges.

The effect was even greater than might have been expected,

especially in the interest created among the parents. It was evident that, whatever difficulties might stand in the way of subjecting youths already in business to examination, none stood in the way of school examination, provided that reasonable prudence was observed on certain points, especially the independence of private establishments, the social status of the parent, and their sacred feelings on religious subjects. The knowledge gained by personal communications with masters and with parents led to a clear understanding of the points to which they respectively attached most importance, and on these data the Prospectus and Proposals published in the Appendix were drawn up. They were first submitted to persons universally respected and likely to be well informed as to the sentiments of the laity of different shades of opinion.

It appeared that the two points requiring to be guarded within the Church were, on the one side, that the integrity of the Church of England system should be respected; on the other, that the examination should be placed in the hands of laity as well as clergy; these two points being agreed upon, it was decided to give to Dissenting parents a pledge of entire fairness by accepting as evidence of religious teaching a certificate from any one in whom they might individually place confidence. Attempts were made from opposite quarters to induce the Committee to require one uniform and comprehensive examination in Religion. Some persons hoped by avoiding any reference to Church doctrines to take away all excuse for recognizing the Dissenting certificates; others (not Churchmen) asked for a Scriptural examination as a means of getting rid of the Prayer-Book. But the Committee adhered to their first principle. They disclaimed all interference with the integrity of the Church examination, taking care, however, that the responsibility should be vested where it would be discreetly used, and they refused to make their own examination compulsory. The result proved the wisdom of the course pursued. The examination was satisfactory to Churchmen, and no serious complaint was made by Dissenters; pupils from several dissenting establishments appeared; and out of 107 boys 100 passed the examination in religious knowledge.

The proposals so matured were issued on the 23rd December to about thirty persons, including magistrates in town and country, merchants and bankers, tradesmen and farmers, with a request that they might be returned with remarks. Several im