E.—l2.

REPORT UPON STATE EDUCATION.

STATE SUPPORT. The same grant regulations apply to both voluntary State-aided and Board schools ■} but the grant paid to the former is less, pro rata, than that to the latter, where the cost per head is greater. 2 The last return issued in May, 188G, 3 shows the proportion which endowments, grants, school pence, voluntary contributions, and rates, &c, bear to the total expenditure on voluntary and Board schools ; and that for the year ending 31st August, 1885, the private contributions to voluntary State-aided schools amounted to £756,828. So that a completely gratuitous system would have additionally cost the State in England and Wales alone («) £756,828, (b) the amount of fees paid by scholars in both classes of schools, 4 and (c) large sums voluntarily contributed by private bodies and persons in the shape of sites 5 for the erection, enlargement, and improvement, of school buildings. The opinion of the Secretary is that " free education is neither practicable nor advisable "G (he refers, of course, especially to Great Britain), "and to make education free would be to make it not only not valued, but a considerable drain on the revenue. Again, if free education were established, the necessary effect would be to destroy a vast number of voluntary schools. The grading of schools according to the means of the population can only be effected by means of a graduated scale of fees;" with which opinion Canon Cromwell concurs. Mr. M. Arnold also expressed himself to the following effect: That he did not at all agree in the necessity, or indeed the advisability, of free education; that there might be extreme cases of poverty, in which case, on representation made, the parents might be exempted from payment of the fees on that ground, but that these should be extreme cases ; 7 that the rule should certainly be that all pay, and on a fixed scale ; that there is a duty on the parent to educate his child, that it is only right that he pay in pursuance of that obligation, and that the State should not be called upon to pay unless the parent is clearly shown to be unable to do so ; 8 that, of course, there is no need for children so exempted to be educated apart from those who pay, and that they should obtain the same information and in the same rooms ; 9 that, as a further argument why parents should pay, he would urge that by paying for the education given they look more keenly after it; and that, according to his views, to make primary education free would be an unnecessary drain on the resources of a country. 10 Professor Huxley's opinion, however, is " that education if compulsory should be free, and the fact of the English system not being wholly free is a mistake. The fees charged are not worth considering as an element of a total cost." 11

Grant regulations apply similarly to Voluntary and Board schools.

Estimated extra of gratuitous education.

The Secretary's gratuitou" education.

Canon Cromwell's opinion. Mr. Arnold's opinion.

Prof. Huxley's opinion.

1 See Code, Arts. 87-105. 3 See G.R., 1885-86, pp. v. and xxxiv., and Scot., 1885-86, p. xxvii. 8 G.R., 1885-86, p. iv., and for comments see " Pall Mall Budget," 25 March, 1886, p. 27. < G.R., 1885-86, p. v. 8 See G.R., 1883-84, p. xi., and 1885-86, p. vii. " The average cost of erecting voluntary schools with residences for the teachers, has been about £5 7s. per scholar. This includes, as a rule, the value of the sites, very often given gratuitously."—G.R., 1885-86, p. vii. 6 Very eminent educational authorities in Scotland assured me of their concurrence in this opinion. One professor, having a long and extensive experience in national education, considered it to be more reasonable than free education, that in respect of elementary instruction, the parents should pay a portion of the cost, the district a portion, and the State a portion; and that in respect of secondary education, although the State should aid, the contributions of the parents should be greater. ' Free scholars 4-01, G.R., 1885-86, p. xxxv. B Noto Inspector Fitch's memo, on Dr. (now Sir) C. Brown's report (hereafter termed Mr. Fitch's memo.), p. 77. (c) 1.8.C., vol. xvi., p. 169 and seq., and espec. pp. 182, 183. (d) "N.C.," Nov., 1885, Art. by Lord Norton on " Free Schools," p. 804 and seq. For instance, Lord Norton writes, " the senseless and popularity-hunting cry of free schools for the people," p. 817, and (e) " Sat. Rev.," 7 Aug., 1886, " Elementary Education pn the Continent," and

(/) See note B. Mr. M. Arnold's (May, 1886) "Reports on certain points connected with Elementary Education in Germany, Switzerland, and France," should be carefully studied, especially pp. 4-10. " Of all feeble folk the feeblest are those who meander about asking to be educated." —" Macm. Mag.," March, ISB6, p. 378. But note Mr. Cumin's evidence (1886) before Royal Commission, and especially reply to Canon Gregory's question, "Is it not a fact that children go in their father's carriages, and have men servants in livery to carry their bocks ? " 9 Note G.E., 1882-83, p. 311. 10 See also— (a) G.8., 1882-83 and 1883-84, pp. 22C, 432, and 392. (&) Paper by Dr. Rigg on " Free Education." " See also " N.0.," Nov., 1882, pp. 784-786; " The Radical Programme," espec. pp. 12, 51, 52, 107, 108, 172, 223, and 225, Chapman and Hall, (Lim.), London, 1885; and Art. in " Macm. Mag.," March, 1880, by Hon. G. C. Brodrick, Warden of Morton College, on " The Socialistic Tendencies of Modern Democracy," p. 392 (in which, p. 395, is a review of the " Rad. Programme) ;" and Art. on the " Rad. Programme," by F. Harrison, " Contemp. Rev.," Feb., 1886, p. 277; " Edin. Rev.," Jan., 1886, p. 276; and " Fee or Free," by G. R. Sims, " P.M. Budget," 5 Aug., 1886; and particularly Dr. Philbrick, p. 104. On the difficulty of working a compromise between compulsion and school-pence, see decision of Croydon Petty Sessions, "Pall Mall Budget," 19 Nov., 1885, p. 23,

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