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Catastrophe of National Ignorance.

still unite Scotland against a common enemy. Romanism and infidelity, since Calvin embodied in a system of ethics and theology the doctrines of the Reformation, have nowhere foes so stern, so united, and so defiant as the Scottish nation. That Scotland should submit to the imposition of a Secular School, or, which is equivalent, of a School under purely civil government, is a vain imagination.

To the adoption of one or other of the two plans for the religious constitution of Schools to be supported by public rates in Scotland, there is one fearful alternative. The reign of ignorance, brutish habits, crime, and heathenism may be indefinitely prolonged. This cloud may brood with the gloom of hell over the destinies of a heroic race, nor can any human prescience foretell what may be the catastrophe, when its dark womb struggles with the throes of a new birth amidst the lightnings of social convulsion. If the monarchy and the representative system of Great Britain are to perish, it will not be from any conspiracy of the nobles. Magna Charta and the revolution settlement secured and limited their influence in the Constitution. Nor will it arise from the rebellion of the middle classes, who acquired their due share of political power by the Reform Bill. But the dominion of an ignorant and demoralised democracy is scarcely more fatal than the growth of popular discontent, — the inevitable consequence of the waste of national resources by a people who multiply without forethought; purchase misery by improvidence; and exchange the frenzy of inebriety for the madness of political fanaticism. The sure road to socialism is by a prolongation of the contrasts between luxury and destitution; vast accumulations, and ill-rewarded toil; high cultivation, and barbarism; the enjoyment of political privileges, and the exclusion from all rights by ignorance, or indigence. The means of solving these great social problems lies in the Christian civilisation of the entire people by the Public School.

APPENDIX (A.)

I. Character of Pupil Teachers and their general Demeanour.

HAVING made special inquiries from the clergy, and other friends and supporters of the schools, as to their conduct, I have great satisfaction in reporting the favourable accounts that I have received. I believe that there is no other class of persons of that age, whose conduct, subjected to the like careful observation and scrutiny, would be found more entirely free from blame. Report of Rev. H. Moseley, Minutes, 1850-1, vol. ii. pp. 2, 3.

Of only one apprentice have I received from the clergy and school-managers a decidedly unsatisfactory certificate of moral and religious conduct. — Rev. E. D. Tinling's Report, Minutes, 1850-1, vol. ii. p. 204.

I am glad again to bear testimony to the excellent conduct and character of all the pupil-teachers of the district. There have been only two or three at all found fault with, and these only in trivial matters; and I cannot say there is any one of them of whom I augur any but the happiest results from their training and their knowledge; and every successive year only increases the conviction of myself, with all the managers and clergy, that the pupil-teacher system was one of the most valuable inventions, for its purpose, that ever was devised. - Rev. M. Mitchell's Report, Minutes, 1850-1, vol. ii. p. 268.

The number of pupil-teachers in this district is 164 (116 boys, 48 girls). Their progress, attention to duty, and general steadiness of conduct is highly satisfactory, and augurs well for their future usefulness. — Rev. J. J. Blandford's Report, same vol. p. 331.

I turn with very great pleasure to the next column (M), which records that 310 apprentices in my district have received their stipends for the past year upon my favourable report on their good conduct and attainments, backed by the approbation of their clergy. Nor is this pleasure materially diminished when I advert to the two succeeding summaries (N and O), from which it appears, that while two have forfeited their payments for deficient attainments, and two for dishonest copying, of the 24 whose apprenticeship has terminated, nine have been promoted to Queen's scholarships, or to other advantageous appointments under circumstances highly creditable to themselves; six have been removed for incompetency; five, I am grieved to say, by death or illness; but only three through causes morally discreditable to themselves — and even these not of a very heinous character. - Rev. W. H. Brookfield's Report, same vol. pp. 380, 381.

I have pleasure in speaking in favourable terms of the apprenticeship sys

tem, as far as my experience extends. The apprenticed pupil-teachers seem in very many cases likely to become valuable masters and mistresses, and they are already of great use in schools, being far more efficient than the unapprenticed and unpaid monitors whom they have superseded. — Rev. W. J. Kennedy's Report, same vol. p. 440.

That some tendencies would be developed which would call for watchful care, and some unfavourable cases would arise, might have been anticipated in the progressive operation of a system so extensive and novel. But the most careful inquiry into the matter has satisfied me that whatever tendencies to evil might exist they have been effectually counteracted, and that the cases of comparative failure have been immensely outweighed by those of decided success. During the past year only one pupil-teacher in my district has been dismissed on the ground of immoral conduct; and the clergy and school managers generally assure me that the exemplary character both of the boys and girls produces the most important effects upon the children and the neighbour. hood. I attribute this partly to the religious instruction and training, which is peculiarly complete and effective in most cases, partly to the good sense and rightmindedness of those who have selected the pupil-teachers, and partly to the powerful incentives to good conduct and the severe penalty attached to moral delinquency by the practical working of the Minutes of Committee of Council. I believe that, as a class, the pupil-teachers are equal in these most important respects to the most favoured of their countrymen; and I reiterate this statement, because an impression appears to exist in the minds of very influential persons that they are likely to be deficient in those moral habits which are generally found in connection with such cultivation and refinement as they can hardly be supposed to acquire in the houses of their parents. Rev. F. C. Cook's Report, Minutes, 1851-2, vol. ii. p. 46.

With regard to the conduct of the apprentices, both male and female, I am glad to be able to speak in very satisfactory terms. Rev. F. Watkins' Report, Minutes, 1851-2, vol. ii. p. 123.

Pupil-teachers. If there is one part of the present measures in operation for the improvement of the labouring classes more satisfactory and full of hope than another, it is the system of apprenticeship by which a large body of teachers are now being trained, and in the course of a short time will be ready to take charge of elementary schools. It is most satisfactory to be able to report favourably of the continued good conduct and steady progress of the apprentices. I think it would be difficult to find a number of young men and women who have given greater satisfaction, or whose conduct has been more exemplary; and this, too, at a very critical part of their lives. There are, it is true, many concurrent circumstances, in reference to the apprenticeship, which in themselves have a natural tendency to promote steadiness amongst the apprentices, by keeping them out of harm's way. They have plenty of work to do. They are thoroughly occupied, and under the eye of their respective teachers the greater part of the day. After school hours they are not left to themselves, but are again under the control and guidance of their teachers, who have thus abundant means, both in school and out of it, of ascertaining the dispositions and forming the characters of their apprentices, by encouraging what is good and checking that which is. evil. Both masters and mistresses require constantly to be reminded of the serious responsibility they have incurred, not simply in regard to the intellectual attainments, but what

Inspectors' Reports on Training of Pupil-Teachers. 419

is of far higher moment, the moral training of their apprentices. Rev. J. J. Blandford, p. 291. of same vol.

Of the progress of the pupil-teachers themselves I have also to report favourably. Individual cases of misconduct or incompetency there have been; and they have, I hope, served to warn all those on whom rests the responsibility of their training, how vigilant and judicious must be our care of them during the later years of their apprenticeship. — Mr. Norris, p. 376. of same vol.

The spirit of one remark which I made last year I must be excused for again bringing forward now, to the effect that the influence for good of the pupil-teachers upon the future destinies of our country cannot but be great. The religious, moral, and intellectual training they are now receiving — the habits of order, cleanliness, and persevering industry which they are daily forming, will, when they become men and women, act imperceptibly but certainly upon all with whom they come in contact; and they will be the means of spreading social comfort and Christian civilization through all the corners of the land. — Rev. H. L. Jones' Report, Minutes, 1850-1, vol. ii. p. 514.

Among the pupil-teacher apprentices to be found in Wales there are several of great talent, and of knowledge much beyond what could have been expected; while as a body they form a strong guarantee for the future intellectual advancement of their country. Although indentures have been cancelled by mutual agreement in one or two instances, yet I have not heard a single complaint of any serious misbehaviour on the part of those young people, made by either managers or teachers; whilst, on the contrary, though their progress in mental cultivation has been various, their moral and religious good conduct has been uniformly attested by all persons with whom I have had occasion to converse upon the subject. Some have now completed the terms of their indentures, and have gone to training schools, where they are now completing their studies, several after obtaining Queen's scholarships, all, I believe, with satisfaction to their respective principals. — Rev. H. L. Jones, Minutes, 1851-2, vol. ii. p. 471.

II. Pupil-Teachers religiously brought up.

The schools in which pupil-teachers have been appointed are generally schools fortunate in the supervision of active and zealous clergymen; and I cannot convey in adequate terms the sense I entertain of the importance of this fact. I believe that the success which has up to this period characterised the working of the pupil-teacher system is mainly to be attributed to it. — Report of Rev. H. Moseley, Minutes for 1850-1, vol. ii. p. 3.

I am happy to say that the examinations in Holy Scripture and other branches of religious knowledge, especially in the liturgy and formularies of the Church, have been even more satisfactory than in former years. I expressed some doubt last year whether the course of religious instruction, after the commencement of their apprenticeship, is sufficiently comprehensive — whether it keeps pace with the progressive development of their minds. In most cases I am now satisfied that any such apprehensions are groundless. The clergy assure me, and I have had ample opportunities of ascertaining the fact, that a fair proportion of the pupil's time is regularly devoted to the study of the Bible, and such books as are calculated to explain and illustrate its

precepts. A course of religious reading, comprehending some important books in the Old and New Testament, is generally proposed at the inspection, upon which I have felt no hesitation to undertake that the examination shall be principally confined at my next annual visit. I have been much struck with the clear and accurate knowledge of the historical and prophetical portion of the Old Testament, and of the evangelical narration, as well as the more practical epistles, which the greater portion of these youths display, in the oral and written examinations. It is because I am convinced that these boys and girls are thoroughly conversant with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures, and because I hope that they are to a great extent practically affected by its precepts and doctrines, that I look forward trustfully to the results of the great experiment which has been made through this instrumentality to raise up a body of well-trained teachers, and to provide for the elementary instruction of the working classes. -Report of Rev. F. C. Cook, Minutes for 1850-1, vol. ii. p. 34.

III. Pupil-teachers make salutary Progress in Religious

Knowledge.

It is a source of much real satisfaction to me to be enabled to report favourably both of the religious and intellectual improvement of these apprentices and teachers as a body during the past year. They appear to realise more fully, as far as my judgment goes, the importance of their position as teachers and trainers of immortal souls they are more simple in thought and language and more apt in imparting their information to the children.

I am anxious to bear testimony not only to this intellectual improvement, but moreover to the moral and religious progress which is no less evidenced by the continuance of their apprenticeship.

The characters given to me, not only in the written certificates, but in conversation with the clergy and school-managers, of the apprentices are highly gratifying. I am assured that theseʼyoung persons are individually, with very few exceptions, striving to do their duty as those who must give account at the day of God. - Rev. E. D. Tinling's Report, Minutes, 1850-1, vol. ii. pp. 203, 204.

IV. Attainments of Pupil-Teachers.

With regard to the progress made by pupil-teachers in their own studies, by which their future prospects will be so materially influenced, I feel it my duty to record the following facts. When the master and mistress have done their duty faithfully, and have been truly competent to instruct the pupils in the subjects of examination, no failures have occurred or are likely to occur, nor are the pupil-teachers likely to fall short of that standard of attainment which will secure them admission into normal schools with the advantage of exhibitions from the Government or other sources. - Rev. F. C. Cook's Report, Minutes for 1851-2, vol. ii. p. 42.

The papers of those pupil-teachers both male and female, who have reached the third year of their apprenticeship, generally speaking, indicate a far higher