RLEMENTARY EDUCATION IN ENGLAND. 81 
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Others soon followed, and between 1839 and 1846 several were established. It is curious 
shat, while it was considered necessary to train teachers for primary schools in the art 
of teaching, more than half a century ago, such training is not even now believed to be 
essential for those teachers who give instruction in secondary and higher grade schools, 
who too often are compelled to acquire their power of imparting knowledge by trying 
experiments on their unfortunate pupils. 
The pupil-teacher system was also introduced as a cheap method of obtaining com- 
petent instructors. These young persons of both sexes, who must have attained the age 
of thirteen years, already possessing some education, were apprenticed for five years to 
the head teacher of their school, and spent their time in acquiring more knowledge, 
but chiefly in teaching, under the supervision of their head master or mistress. Many 
of them afterwards finished their training in the colleges, which, though founded by 
roluntary effort, were largely assisted by state aid.* 
These measures systematized and assisted voluntary effort, thus largely increasing 
and improving popular education ; but as the state aid was only given in furtherance 
of local effort, it left untouched those parts of the country in which the people either 
sould not or would not help themselves. The need for further extension and improve- 
ment was shown by the report of the educational conference, held to consider ¢* the 
juestion of the imperfect attendance of children at school, and their early removal 
therefrom,” under the presidency of the Prince Consort, in 1857. This report states 
shat of the two millions of children at school, forty-two per cent. remained at school for 
less than a year, while only four per cent. remained for more than five years and less 
shan six.t The facts brought to light by the conference led to the appointment of 
a royal commission in 1838, called, from its president, ‘The Duke of Newecastle’s 
Jommission,” to inquire into the state of popular education. 
The report of the Royal Commission presented in 1861 showed that ¢ One in eight of 
the population was at some time in some schocl or other ; that somewhat more than 
three-fifths of the two and a half millions of children of school age were not in public 
schools of any sort; and that of pupils in inspected schools not more than one-fourth 
were receiving a good education, the instruction given being too much adapted to the 
:lder scholars to the neglect of the younger ones.” } 
The condition of popular education brought to light in this report led to a great 
change in the administration of the government grants. The Revised Code which came 
nto force in 1862, demanded only three Rs—Reading, ’Riting, and ’Rithmetic. Class 
subjects, such as geography and grammar, and specific subjects. such as French, 
mechanics, ete., were included in later codes. 
Until 1862 it had been the custom of Her Majesty’s Inspectors to examine schools in 
classes. But from that date, under the Revised Code, every scholar underwent an indi- 
vidual examination in successive standards of knowledge, and the grant largely depended 
on the scholar’s success in passing these examinations; while, to encourage managers to 
nduce the children to come more regularly to school, a grant was given on average 
attendance. Individual examination insured a more thorough drilling in the three Rs, 
“hree subjects in which the scholars earned grants on individual passes, but on the other 
aand, it led to the children being crammed rather than educated. * The children have 
* In 1881 the school board for London withdrew their pupil-teachers from the instruction of the head 
ieacher, and placed them in schools specially established for their instruction. The pupil-teachers from 
‘hat year have divided their time between the schools to which they are apprenticed, learning practically 
the art of teaching, and the pupil-teachers’ schools, increasing their stock of knowledge. The period of 
ipprenticeship has been lately shortened from five to four years. A considerable portion of the pupil- 
.eachers still finish their education in training colleges. 
+ Report of Educationai Conference, 1857. 
¢ Report of Roval Commissioners. 1888.