taking the Oath, would lapse at the end | therefore, that we shall be in a position of the Session?

able to submit to the House, and which ing year 1881-2 occurs almost entirely I should be quite prepared to submit in under the head of annual grants. The the usual way. But it will be in the re-amount of the Votes is £2,362,142, an collection of the House that in the other increase of £144,794 for the grant. It House of Parliament, when the Code will be necessary that I shall show the under which the conditions of the grant House the expenditure for annual grants, for education are made was carried, a and the comparison of this special head distinct pledge was given to both this for the past three years shows that the and the other House of Parliament that increase asked for is not an extensive before the close of this Session we would one. The annual grant made to the submit proposals for the reform of the elementary schools in 1878-9 was Code, and it is upon that ground, before £1,961,000, or an increase of £267,000 going into Committee of Supply, that I on the preceding year. In 1879-80 it shall make a double Statement-the one was £2,093,000, or an increase of relating to the ordinary business of the £132,000; in 1880-1, £2,213,000, or past year, and the proposed financial an increase of £120,000; and in 1881-2 statement for the coming year, and the it is £2,362,000, or an increase of principles on which we propose to revise £144,794. It will be noticed by the the Code. All that relates to the expen- figures set forth that there is a very diture of the past year I shall endeavour large increase in 1878-9, and that was to condense into as short a space as pos- occasioned by the passing of the Act of sible, in order not to trespass upon the 1876, which only came into practical time of the House. The expenditure in operation in 1878-9. Amongst the 1880 was as follows:-The sum granted other items, there is an increase of was £2,535,967, and the expenditure £7,670 for expenditure this year, caused £2,525,769, the result being a saving of by the addition of six Inspectors and £10,308 upon the Estimates. The charge nine Inspectors' Assistants, and by the for annual grants, which was estimated usual number of Inspectors being enat £2,217,348, reached £2,213,673, an titled to the increment. The Inspectors increase of £120,231 on the previous were appointed after the details of the year, the details of which are as follows: Estimates had been made for last year, -The estimate of average attendance and they come into the present year. was 2,800,480 children, and the actual There is only one more item in reference average was 2,814,000; the estimated to the expenditure that I ought to grant was 158. 8d., and the grant really trouble the House with, and that is the made was 158. 73d. The estimate for building grant on the Act of 1870 for the evening schools for the average £670, and it is the last year of that attendance was 52,530 children and an grant. I now invite the House to conestimate of 98., and the result was 41,500 sider the real educational progress of at 88. 61d., a falling off in numbers of the past year. I may say, before going 11,000, and in the grant of 5d. in the into that part of the question, that there year. Now, Sir, I come to the Estimates is no new or striking feature in the that the House will be asked to vote to- course of the year. There have been night for the current year 1881-2. The no new forces brought into operation sum required this year is £2,683,958, during the year; we have been working as compared with £2,535,967 granted in steadily and quietly under the Acts of 1880-1. This is an increase of £147,991, 1870 and 1876, and, as the Act of 1880 and it produces a difference of £93,000 as to general compulsion did not come increase on the Estimates of 1880-1. into operation until the 1st of January Although at first sight this difference this year, the statement of progress that will appear to be considerable, it will be I have to make is the more gratifying, understood that the increase in the ex- because the same steady, continuous, penditure was really an over-estimated and unbroken progress of education has expenditure in the year 1879-80. The in- been going on since the passing of the crease on the Vote for 1880-1 would have Act of 1870. The principal features stood £140,000, instead of £55,000 on which I have to mention are as follows:— the Estimates; therefore, the increase Accommodation is now afforded 4,240,000 on the Estimates 1881-2 is £144,794, children, showing an increase of 98,000 and it is a little more than an increase school places during the year; in the last year, which was really scholars on the register, 3,895,000, £140,000. The increase on the com- showing a remarkable increase of 185,000;

Mr. Mundella

the

scholars in average attendance, 2,751,000, operation, the numbers will not be far being an increase in attendance of 156,000 short of 5,000,000 children. The next for the previous year; the scholars indi- question to which I must call attention is vidually examined, 1,904,000, being an that we have gone from 1,793,000 to increase of 144,000 in one year. The above 4,000,000; and we are calculating percentage of passing in the three R.'s, on something like, after this year, a conwhich is one of the real tests of the work tinual increase of 200,000 children a-year. done, is 81-2 as against 80-4 last year. The average attendance has now reached They have now touched the highest 70-6, and this includes infants-the vast point they have ever reached in the his- number of children who only attend halftory of the Department. The proportion time, and who are permitted by the of scholars examined in Standard IV. School Board when they pass the Standand upwards, which is very interesting ard to be employed half-time. If they to several Members, and my hon. Friend were full time they would not detract the Member for Wolverhampton (Mr. H. very much from the average of the whole, H. Fowler), who, I am glad to see in his and it must make a difference in the usual place, is 24.61 as against 22:1 of average of the year. Considering that last year-a very large amount indeed. every year we are passing in more of We do not bring the children up to the the children of their regular class, and higher standard; we are doing very that the compulsion reaches the more little in the arrears of thorough educa- neglected of the lower classes, it is more tion. I am as dissatisfied as any man satisfactory to find that the average atin this House about them; but still it is tendance is higher to-day than it has gratifying to find this year that the pro- ever reached before. That is an indicaportion of scholars examined is increas- tion of real and substantial progress. ing. Well, we have 41,426 masters, We have not reached, by any means, being nearly 3,000 more than heretofore, what we hope to, and may, attain, and and we have 33,733 pupil teachers, and the best proof of that is what Scotland that gives an increase of 538. The cost has already done. Scotland has already for maintenance for scholars in Board reached 76 per cent average attendance, schools is £2 18. 11 d., being a decrease including half-time; and there is this to of 1d. per head; and voluntary schools, be said about Scotland, that the Scotch £1 148. 7 d., or an increase of 1d. per children go to school later, but stay head. The rate of the grant earned is, later than the English children. That for Board schools, 158. 73d. per head, is owing to climate, and that infant an increase of 41d. on the previous year; schools are not so general as in Engand for voluntary schools, 158. 5d., or land; and it is a most satisfactory rean increase of 1d. per head. It is sult in the School Board in Scotland the first time since the passing of the that they have already brought up the Act of 1870 that the Board schools have average attendance to 76 per cent. Now, shown any substantial increase over compulsion has done this. It has sucthe voluntary schools. Now, in these ceeded in bringing a larger number of figures there are two or three points children to attend schools for at least a we have of interest, and the first is the portion of their time, and has improved number of scholars on the registers. the average attendance to the point to Although these have gone on increasing which I have stated. I have a table year by year from 1,693,000 in 1870 to here which shows that it has had the 3,895,000 in the past year, it shows a effect of causing a very considerable substantial increase of 185,000 during increase of the number of scholars who the past year. Now, the normal in- attend sufficiently regular to bring the crease according to the growth of the grant to the schools. population will be about 70,000 in the 100 scholars on the register in England year; but we continue to receive into and Wales there were 62 per cent, and our schools nearly three times that they were qualified by attendance in the increase every year, and, at this mo- proportion of 40-2. In 1880, at the ment that I am addressing the House, same stage, 68.3 on the register, and the probability is that there are over they were qualified by attendance to the 4,000,000 of children on the registers of extent of 52.2. This shows a number the schools, and we have every reason to of children who get the grant in Scotexpect that within the next 10 years, land. I am bound to say the result is when the Act of last year comes into full much better. They had been in 1874

;

Out of every

64.9, and, at the present moment, they | are from II. to IV., or III. to V., for have reached 73.6, who make full school half-time and full time respectively. attendance. I am approaching that The progress which had been made in which I regard as the most satisfactory the higher Standards was one of the feafeature of the year, and that is the re-tures in the year the most gratifying. I sult of last year's examinations, and it is have made out statements which show to this point I invite my hon. Friend the the number of children presented in the Member for Wolverhampton. The chil- higher Standards since the passing of dren examined did better in the three the Act of 1870. In 1870 the number R's than in the previous year, the per- who passed under the Old Code was centage of passes having risen from 191,663 to all schools. Practically, it 80-4 to 81-2; whilst the proportion of was 102,630, taking it as compared with scholars examined in Standards IV. to the Code, as we have since that time VI., compared with the total number of raised the Standards. In 1871 we have scholars individually examined, rose no record because the Code changed. from 22.1 per cent to 24.61 per cent. Then in 1872, 118,000; in 1873, 131,000, Now, in order to show the change which being an increase of 13,000; in 1874, was gradually coming over our educa- 155,000, being an increase of 24,000; tional experience, I will ask the attention in 1875, 194,000, an increase of 39,000; of the House to this fact-that the per- in 1876, 234,000, an increase of 40,000; centage of passes to the number of chil- in 1877, 270,000, an increase of 36,000; dren examined fell steadily during the in 1878, 324,000, an increase of 54,000 ; first six years after the passing of the in 1879, 388,000, an increase of 64,000; Act of 1870. The number of ignorant and last year 468,000, an increase of and neglected children brought in, and 80,000 children in the upper Standards. the number of elder children who were The increased number passed through unable to pass the Standard, was so the upper Standards IV. to VI. since large that there was a steady fall in the 1870 was more than 400 per cent. percentage of passes through England That is the best test of the work that and Wales. In 1872 the following were is really being done. However well the percentages:-Passes in 1872, 81-1; we may be doing with the English schools, in 1873, 808; in 1874, 80; in 1875, the Scotch are doing better; and in Scot79.7; in 1876, 78.8; and here in 1877 land this is much more remarkable than we ended the trouble. There had been among ourselves. The numbers for a steady fall; then came the rise, and Scotland-where they have had the comthe recovery was due to this, that more pulsory system in full operation since attention was paid to the teaching of 1872, while ours has just come into full the infant children. The interest taken operation shows that in 1872 they in the schools had begun to effect a great passed 35,502 children, and they finished change in the children's passing in the in 1880 by passing 102,259 in the upper upper Standards, and the number of Standards-that is to say, out of 304,000, backward children grew less and less. the average attendance was one-third of In 1878 the number rose to 79.5; in the whole, or 33 per cent in Scotland, as 1879 to 80-4; in 1880, 81.2. This is against 24 per cent in England. I should the highest point at which the number like to give a single illustration of the has ever stood in Standards IV. to VI. way the Scotchmen manage their schools, Now, the test is, what do you pass in the showing the wonderful results that are upper schools? There are bye-laws and accomplished. I was struck with the Factory Acts which affect these. The case of a school which was placed in my bye-laws and the Factory Acts take half hands some few months ago, and it gives our children in the Fourth Standard out an illustration of what could be done of schools every year. That is to say, under the most adverse circumstances. that 50 per cent of the children who pass It was a school in the village of Easdale, the Fourth Standard in any year pass at in the Island of Seil, in the county of once out of school. That is one reason Argyll. The chief industry of the place why we cannot pass our children to the is slate quarries. Well, in 1874 the higher Standards, because the Standard Report was exceedingly unfavourable. of the Factory Act is the Fourth Stand- In 1875 the School Board began a new ard, and the Standards throughout the school, and they appointed a new country, especially the rural districts, teacher, and this is the sort of progress Mr. Mundella