Educational Needs of Industrial Classes.

moral, and physical evils of the new conditions of labour; in short, what is generally understood by elementary education. If these people could complete their elementary education by some instruction in the principles of science, so much the better. But for them, the first thing essential was not a knowledge of the principles of science, to say nothing of the fact that such a knowledge cannot be acquired, as was proved by the failure of Dr. Birkbeck's experiment, without the preliminary training afforded by the elementary school.

But, in the second place, there was that class of persons who would be called upon to control the new forces introduced into industry. This class may be divided roughly into two divisions: those who, in their capacity of masters or managers, are the leaders of industry, and the heads of great enterprises, and those who occupy a position corresponding to that of a foreman. The knowledge required by the former is evidently much greater than that necessary for the latter. In fact, while the leaders must have had the best scientific training possible, and have mastered all the higher branches of science bearing on the manufacture or industry with which they will be concerned, the latter cannot be expected to afford that expenditure in time and money demanded by so arduous a course of studies. It is certainly more difficult to decide what should be the education of the

latter class than what kind is best suited to the requirements of the former.

It is the custom to select a foreman from the best of the workmen, in much the same way as a noncommissioned officer is selected in the army. His position is not always one which requires superior knowledge so much as a certain natural talent for managing and directing his fellows. If, therefore, it is essential that he should rise from the ranks, it is difficult to see how he is to be provided at the outset with a better education than the ordinary workman. If opportunities are within his reach for continuing his education in his spare time, after he has begun to earn his living, he will be sure to take advantage of them if he intends to rise. His need of special knowledge beyond that of the ordinary workman is so slight that it can hardly be worth the nation's while to provide special day-schools, directly in continuation of the elementary school, to complete his education. And, it is hardly necessary to add, no education will ever bestow the qualities of command.

It must be remembered that it is to the nation's interest to give every opportunity to talent to reach its natural high-water mark; there is certainly no reason, or at any rate, no justification, for its spending money in checking the rise of talent by premature specialization. In this

The Preservation of Talent.

connection the fact is sometimes overlooked that, although the science of education is still very largely based on hypotheses which have not been finally proved, it is beyond doubt that the process of education must conform to the course of the pupil's natural development. Starting from a broad basis, it gradually narrows its limits until, to use, for the sake of illustration, a geometrical figure, it closes in upon, and finally proceeds along, a line of specialization, naturally selected by the pupil. It generally happens that the greater the talent, the longer is the point of specialization delayed; and consequently the broader is the sphere of general culture which the course of development embraces. If education can have any effect whatever on this development-and that it has a very great effect can hardly be deniedit can certainly stunt it by forcing a pupil to specialize before he has selected his natural line. And, if existing social and economic conditions. make it impossible for all talented children of the poorer classes to receive the highest education for which they are fitted, we can at least bring some redress by refusing to sanction any attempt to kill talent by an artificial stunting of natural development through education; we can at least offer a broad, general elementary education for the child. who is compelled to earn his living at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and allow him to continue this.

education in the evening school according to his natural taste. To attempt to supplement his elementary education by a course of specialized training, extending over two or three years, so as to fit him for the duties of a foreman, is morally wrong, a financial extravagance, and will incur an ultimate loss of talent to the nation.

How this has been done in France as a check on social aspirations will be seen in a later chapter; in England, with our present social organization, such a check is unnecessary. If any education higher than elementary is to be provided for those children who can afford to stay at school until the age of sixteen, but not later, it should be of such a kind as will promote and not retard the general development of talented pupils. The technical day school for children between the ages of thirteen and sixteen has, therefore, no place in a system of national education which is built up with due regard to natural laws and national economy. And yet the English Government attempted to provide such schools alone, when it did at last begin to consider the educational foundations of trade and industry.

CHAPTER III.

THE ATTEMPTS OF THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT TO LAY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS.

WHEN the struggle between oligarchy and democracy was at its height, an event happened which warned the English people of the existence of other nations competing with them in trade and industry. In 1851 the first International Exhibition was held in Hyde Park. To this exhibition foreign countries brought the products of their industry, and we were able to compare them with our own. The effect of this comparison seems to have been to warn us that the taste and training of our manufacturers was sadly deficient. Owing to the influence of the Prince Consort-who, when all is known, will probably be found to have seen deeper into our educational needs than any one else of his timethe profits from this Exhibition, amounting to £186,436, together with a parliamentary grant of £150,000, were devoted to the purchase of land in South Kensington. The Prince Consort, in a letter