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Some Prize

scheme in

coal dis

I regret to say that I have met with little success. of them have answered that there was not the same need of it Yorkshire in Yorkshire as in the Midland coal-fields, and that our mining tricts. population was both better off and more advanced in education than theirs. This may be the case to a certain extent, but it is no answer to the real question; which is, whether such a scheme be needed at all, and whether it would be useful. My object is not to make a comparison between different coal-fields, however interesting such a comparison might be, but to make some improvement in the education of our own miners.

state of

That improvement is needed the following notice given me Educational by a considerable coal-master in the south of Yorkshire may colliers. show. He tells me that this is the formula used by the men in his employ when they wish to quit it, written always by the same scribe, as the best writer and speller of the whole company. I only regret that the handwriting cannot be shown, as well as the spelling and the style.

"Octoder 17, 1853.

"Master willam higgen hi hear dy giv you Won month notis to leav you imployment.

"RODAT RIGHT."

Perhaps it may be unnecessary to say that this is a month's notice from Robert Wright to Mr. William Higgins. But probably there are few persons who, in reading it, will not share my astonishment that some of the chief coalowners in South Yorkshire do not think that their colliers need further education. The schoolmasters of the neighbourhood, as may be seen from the resolutions of the Sheffield Schoolmasters' Association (Appendix B.), are of a different opinion, and, as practical men, wish to try what has been successful elsewhere.

I add also (Appendix C.) three letters from candidates for a colliery-school in South Yorkshire, as I think they show the class of men that compete for such offices, and, therefore, the character of education that may be reasonably expected in them. It is only fair to state that these writers were not successful in this instance.

children.

I regret that I cannot report any decided progress in the Progress of attainments of the school children in general. The Table (8.) in Appendix D, which gives a comparison between the last two years, is not satisfactory. It does not show any marked or important improvement; a little increase here, a little falling off there, is the tale which it tells. Nor, when I compare my district with those of other Inspectors, is the result more gratifying. The comparison is made in Table (7.)* Yorkshire, which has the character of nourishing an intelligent, almost

* Page 445.

State of school buildings.

too clever, race of sons, appears there very low in the list of intellectual attainments. I am persuaded (as I have before said) that this appearance is in a great measure fallacious. But the majority of readers are deluded by it. And the positive results, as observed by Mr. Moncreiff and myself, are, in our opinion, far less than they ought to be.

The general state of the school-buildings is satisfactory. I have to report that new schools have been erected at Hoyle Mill, near Barnsley; at Bankfoot, near Bradford, much aided by the liberality of Mr. Hardy; at Tankersley, by the liberal assistance of Earl Fitzwilliam; at Sheffield, belonging to the Parish Church; at Marske, by the Earl of Zetland; and at Doncaster, by the Great Northern Railway Company. These last, though not aided by your Lordships' Committee, desire to partake of the benefit of your annual grants, and to be placed under inspection. It is, perhaps, not out of place for me to mention here the judicious liberality and the earnest care of this Railway Company for its work-people, in providing them with excellent schools and well-furnished reading-rooms, and in their intention of erecting a church for them at their New schools. "plant" in Doncaster. There are schools in the course of

New buildings needed.

erection-some of them being nearly completed-at Boroughbridge, Marsden, Wyke, Hull (St. Stephen's), Pocklington, and Wykeham; whilst considerable improvements, either additions to existing rooms or class-rooms have been made at Sheffield (St. Mary's), Elsecar, Bierley, and Dodworth (Town). There is also some prospect of new buildings at Leeds (St. Peter's), where they are much needed. At Wortley (near Sheffield) new schools are to be built by Lord Wharncliffe. At Doncaster (St. George's) where the rooms, though spacious, are inconvenient and ill-lighted, considerable improvements are to be made immediately. At the following places new schools are much needed to suit the requirements of the day :

West Riding. Barwick-in-Elmet, Heath, Rawmarsh, Selby, Worsborough, Wilsden, Buslingthorpe, Linthwaite, Clifford, Grimstone.

East Riding.-Burythorpe, Hull (St. Mark's), Hull (Trinity), Malton, Sunk Island, Welton, Yedingham.

North Riding.-York (Manor), Whitby, Osmotherley, Brompton-on-Swale, Hutton's Ambo, Kirby Misperton, Dalton (endowed), Snainton.

The following are insufficient in size for their present attendants Pittsmoor, Goole, Halifax (Cross Hill), Longroyd Bridge, Thornes, Hull (St. Stephen's), Beverley Minster (girls), Bradford (St. James'), Sheffield (St. Mary's, infants).

It is a pleasing part of my duty to make particular mention List of good of some schools, which, if not in all points excellent, have at schools. least reached a good standard, and are like beacon-lights, plainly visible above the level of the surrounding country. Amongst those situate in towns are--Beverley (St. Mary's and St. Nicho- Towns. las'), Doncaster (Christ's Church, (boys' and infants' schools), Hull Christ's Church (boys) and St. John's (girls), Pittsmoor (boys), Richmond (Corporation), Ripon (National), York (Practising school, males), York (Manor), Walmgate (girls), and Bishopgate (girls).

The village schools most worthy of mention are-Brampton villages. Bierlow, Croft (boys), Escrick, Gargrave, Gilling, Harewood, Maltby (infants), Methley (girls), Neswick, Roos (girls espe cially). Slaithwaite, Staveley, Walton, and Welton (boys).

Most of these have been honorably mentioned in previous reports. It strikes me that where a school has been reported on favourably for three or more years, your Lordships might aid the cause of education by distinguishing either the teacher or the school with some special mark of approbation, such as an additional gratuity in money, or an enlarged allowance of pupil-teachers, or increased grants of books and apparatus. There is another part of my duties which, however unpleasant, Bad schools. must not be left undone; it is to make particular mention of schools which are not remarkable for their excellence, but for their badness. Some of these have been watched, year after year, for more than ten years, and their only progress has been from bad to worse. In some there has been no attempt at improvement, in others the element of evil has been stronger than that of good, and after a short struggle the latter has asserted its superiority. Amongst these I must mention

Castleford (Boys) The only Church school for a large and rapidly increasing

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Ecclesfield
(Feoffees').
Guisley (Girls)
Keighley (Infants)
Knottingley (Boys
and Girls).

Laughton-en-le-
Morthen (Boys).

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population.

- A small village school in the agricultural district.

A manufacturing village, with considerable population.
Both boys and girls; the sole Church schools of a large
village in the mining district.

Large manufacturing village.

Manufacturing town.

The Church schools of a large and busy population.

Small agricultural village.

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A small hamlet in an out-of-the-way locality, under the
control of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Woods
and Forests.

Small agricultural village.

Worshorough - Populous mining village.

Good schools

Mr. Moncreiff furnishes me in like manner with a white and

by Mr. Mon- black list of those schools which he has inspected. He says

creiff.

The schools of which I can speak favourably are:—

Leeds, St. Andrew's, Infants.

Bad schools by Mr. Moncreiff.

Statistical

Minutes of

of Council.

Almondbury, Industrial.

Beverley Minster, Boys.

Bradford, St. James', Boys.

Danby, Mixed.

Halifax, Queen's Head, Mixed.

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St. Mary's, New Town, Boys.
St. Paul's, Boys.

Meltham Church, Mixed.

Sheffield, St. Mary's, Boys.

West Tanfield, Mixed.

Girls.

Market Weighton, Mixed.
York, St. Cuthbert's, Boys.

Nearly all of these may be called "good." In all there was good progress in the year now reported on.

My unfavourable list is unfortunately a longer one :-

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I have omitted the names of those places where I know that new arrangements have been made since my visit. In one or two cases, among those mentioned in this list, there are real hindrances in the way of improvement. This may be true in other cases also. I have simply looked to the fact that the schools were either absolutely bad, or unfit for important situations.

I have above remarked that the statistical returns of the returns in different Inspectors' districts given in your Lordships' Minutes, Committee though accurately drawn from the reports furnished by the managers of schools and Her Majesty's Inspectors, lead the generality of readers to very false conclusions as to the state of attainments, the progress of education, the remuneration of teachers, &c., in different parts of Great Britain. I have stated that the error arises chiefly from the difference in character of the schools inspected, and from the non-distinction between schools and the separate school-rooms in the same institutions. I am inclined also to think that the standard of attainments used by different Inspectors is not the same, and that consequently considerable error arises in the apparent state of the schools under this head. I have therefore drawn up a table of the comparative state of the different school districts (twenty in number) in Great Britain.

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this table.

Some of the results of this table are very curious and con- Results of flicting. For instance, one would suppose that the district which contained the highest per-centage of certified teachers would show the result of their attainments in the high standard of the children in this respect. But this (as will be seen from the table) is by no means the case. The Berkshire and Wiltshire district, which stands first in the number of certified teachers, is sixteenth in its state of attainments; the Free Church of Scotland is second in certified teachers and fourteenth in attainments; while, on the other hand, the Roman Catholic Northern and Western district, which is nineteenth in its number of certified teachers, is eighth in attainments of children. Indeed, this district is a perfect marvel. Excepting the Episcopal schools in Scotland, which cannot yet fairly be compared with those of other districts, it is lowest in the

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