The Press. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1913. EVENING SCHOOLS IN LONDON.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14836, 29 November 1913, Page 10

The Press. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1913. EVENING SCHOOLS IN LONDON.

There are 270 evening continuation schools in London, with an attendance of 195,000 of all ages. Tnis only includes the institutions under the control of the Education Committee of the London County Council. In addition, there are a number of institutions giving evening instruction under separate management —such as Toynbee Hall, the Passmore Edwards' Settlements, the Post Office, and individual commercial firms, ■which provide evening teaching for their own employees. These would add a few thousands to the total, bringing it up to about 200.000. This would appear to be a large number; and go it is, if looked at in the mass. But the County Council is not satisfied, and its recent report on this class of school shows that the whole system is confronted with serious difficulties. In fact, the Council is faced with the necessity of reducing the number of its evening schools to 250. The main problem is that of attendance. Of the 195,000, only 49,000 are between the ages of fourteen and eeventeeen, the period of life, of course, at which this continuation teaching might be expected to be most beneficial. And oven of these only a certain proportion last year attended the qualifying number of hours per week.

This recent report of the London County Council is very interesting, and the light which it -throws on this class of school may not be without guidance for us. These evening echools are intended to provide for all persons wifo have left the primary schools, and are prevented by the fact of their being engaged in occupations from going on to the secondary schools. These schools fall roughly into two divisions, vocational and non-vocational. Schools of the former class train for certain specific occupations, mainly commercial. The scone of their work is not unlike that of our own commercial colleges, only wider, bringing in, in addition, foreign languages and literature, and the higher commercial subjects, 6uch as the Stock Exchange and money market, the economics of Listory and geography, ' mathematics, etc. The non-vocational schools provide" for general education.or culture, in literature, ari, science, and practical matters of interest in daily life. Instruction is conveyed partly by lectures, partly by tutorial classes. . Both these classes of schools seem to be very much alive. The vocational classes are described as hives of industry and energy; and with reference to the non-vocational, the Council Jays down the principle that what is wanted is interesting and well-illustrated talks on living facts and events; a "live" point of contact between the student and the world in which he lives. The best teachers are tempted to give their work in these institutes. Twenty-eight schools possess teachers whose work is entirely given up to tho evening classes; and by the offer of good salaries teachers who devote half their time to tho work may be tempted to take if up altogether. It is the aim of the Council.to eliminate the tired teacher, who tries ,to devote his day to the primary school, and his evening to the evening school. The London County Council claims, probably with justice, that it is not behind any other educational authority in the world in making provision for continuation schools. And yet the problem of attendance at such schools is much more-acute in London than it is in

"Germany. . In its perplexity, the Council turns to •the principle of compulsion. ' But the proposal to have recourse to compulsion for these schools has aroused strong opposition. The Women's Co-opera-tive Guild—an organisation of 80,000 women, thoroughly' representative of the mothers of students concerned—has opposed it strongly on the ground that it makes an excessive demand on the energies of the growing boys and girls. The Chairman of the Guild, Margaret Llewelyn Da vies, writes to "The Times," pointing out that the London. County Council has taken the first step in appointing whole-time teachers for continuation school-work, as it has learned the lesson that evening schools are badly taught by tired teachers. "Bat," she adds, "evening "lessons are equally badly learnt by "tired students." The Council itself points out that foremost among the causes of- irregular attendance are fatigue, late business hours, ill-health, and the ups and downs of employment. It is not easy to see how these drawbacks would be remedied oy making attendance compulsory The Women's Guild pleads that to make continuation classes a success the work hours of youths under eighteen must be reduced to the extent at least of tho time to be devoted to study. This would appear eminently desirable provided that the conditions of trade and employment rendered it possible. In Germany the compulsory system for continuation schools holds full sway, and appears to be an unqualified success. At first there were serious difficulties in tho way, due to the opposition of large employers of labour; but that opposition seems to have disappeared. The system has won its way, and is now accepted ■with, enthusiasm by teachers, by employers, and by the young people themselves. The limit of hours of compul-

fiion is low; generally six a. week, in a few oases, for special reasons, five. But if the enthusiasm is as great as it is represented by the Germans themselves to be, it is difficult to see why compulsion should be necessary at all. However, it is the- German way to make a system a matter of drill and necessity, and then laud the warmth of its acceptance by those who cannot help themselves. "We shall watch -with interest the issue of the London County Council's proposal to follow suit.