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Cousin's J< Report to the French Government on Public Instruction. /^ MONTREAL: PRINTED BV J. C. BECKET, 211^, St. Paul STakiT. MDCCCXLVIII. 4/ ^ \" H O Si* •3^ 7f4 TO TH! THEE TMH m THE 1 THE SUBJE( ▲RTICL! FUTURE ^ IS I THEIR 1 — .^^....^aisiSiac^ TO THE VAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION OF HIS EXCBLLINCT THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARL OF ELGIN AND KINCARDINE, GOVEIKNOR OBNERAXi { AND TO THE 0ERIOUS ATTENTION OF THE HONORABLE TMH IRJfllB^liJill^i ©IF TIMli I!=l©llgILAT(iD[^[i 5 BUT MORE PARTICULARLY OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF CANADA, Now Assembled in Parliament : THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE FOLLOWING REPRINT OF TWO RECENT ARTICLES IN THE BRITISH AMERICAN JOURNAL, ON A SUBJECT OF VAST — NAY, VITAL — IMPORTANCE TO THE FUTURE MORAL AND POLITICAL WELFARE OF THE PROVINCE, IS MOST EARNESTLY ADDRESSED, WITH FEELINGS OF THE PR0F0UNDE8T RESPECT, BY THEIR MOST OBEDIENT AND VERY HUMBLE SERVANT, nM THE AUTHOR. It. havir loTving de Education *< The Bri steal Scier a connect considerah willingly s ing that tr thing like important unvarnishi cient evidi on the su main def( system so the attent taking fui complete n.ore reas second in public, — i like a m( part of tht in behalf and politic unite, — bi PREFATORY NOTICE. It having been suggested to the Writer of the fol- lowing desultory " Remarks on the Present State of Education in the Promncej*^ which lately appeared in •* The British American Journal of Medical and Phy- sical SciencCf^^ that their more extended circulation in a connected pamphlet form might be productire of considerable good, at this particular juncture, he has willingly acquiesced in the proposal ; — not, as fancy- ing that they possess any peculiar merit, or exhibit any thing like an elaborate exposition of the merits of so important a question, but simply as furnishing a plain unvarnished statement of facts, and containing suffi- cient evidence of the as yet unsatisfactory legislation on the subject, and at the same time pointing to the main defects of the otherwise promising existing system so clearly as to be likely to assist in rousing the attention of the Legislature to the necessity of taking further decisive, yet wary, steps to insure the complete success of so important an object. One n.ore reason may be permitted to be assigned for the second intrusion of these humble remarks upon the public, — in the hope of thereby eliciting something like a more generous concordant movement on the part of the public Press — French as well as English — in behalf of a sacred cause, in which all races, sects, and political parties, of whatever shade, may cordially unite, — but regarding which, as far as Lower Canada iP Tl. IS concerned, ^.ho two rival races seem to have as little common feeling, as if, instead of being intermingled fellow-citizens and subjects, they were " wide as the ipofes asunder J'* It may also be proper to add, with reference to its hav- ing been alleged that as the Writer has ventured so far ill his strictures on the present state of our Educational System, he might as well have gone one step farther, and distinctly submitted his own views on the subject to the test of public criticism, that Ihough he consi- dered it more advisable and respectful to the Legislature to refrain from so doing, he has no particular objection to it ; and that, if hereafter desired, he will willingly lay aside his aaonymous character, and contribute his humble mite of opinion or information, in propria persona, before any Parliamentary Committee that may he appointed to report on the subject. But he trusts that, his object being ^^prodesse quam conspiceri" — to do good rather than be conspicuous, — he may till then be permitted to raise his "st 11 small voice" in support of an undeniably great and good cause, without incur- xing the unnecessary and unenvied notoriety which would attend his name being before the public. Montreal, 11th March, 1848. Tl 1. Repor for U} 2. Sped for th carryh (for I Montr 3. Annu for 18 Chief 4. Lette: which ByCi 5. Annv for 1^ Meili Can ad Ofal the sta the Chi higher the ab( may be vails in the inti structi acquiei measu] at leng the Lei gess w ve as little crmingled ide as the to its hav- Jred so far ducational 5p farther, 10 subject he consi- egislature objection willingly ribute his n propria that may he trusts cere," — to y till then n support ►ut incur- ty which ic. REMARKS OM THE STATE OF EDUCATION, &c. 1. Report on a System of Public Elementary Instruction for Upper Canada. Montreal, 1847. 2. Special Report of the Measures which have been adopted for the Eatablishment of a Normal School; and for carrying into effect generally the Common School Act (for U. C.) of [)th Victoria, cap. 20/ with an Appendix. Montreal, 1&47. 3. Annual Report of Common Schools for Upper Canada for 1847. Montreal, 1847. By the Rev. Dr. Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada. 4. Letters on Elementary and Practical Education. To which is added a French Translation. Montreal, 1841» By Charles Mondelet, Esq. 5. Annual Reports of Common Schools for Lower Canada for 1845 and 1846. Montreal, 1846 & 7. By Dr. J. B. Meilleur, Chief Superintendent of Education, Lower Canada. PART 1. Of all the objects which can engage the attention of the statesman, the philosopher, the philanthropist, or the Christian, there is not one of deeper interest or higher importance than that which is embraced in the above-mentioned documents ; therefore, whatever may be the diversity of opinion which unhappily pre- vails in this Provmce regarding the modus operandi^ in the introduction of a system of public Elementary In- struction, every reflecting man must be prepared to acquiesce in the urgent policy and necessity of such a measure, and admit that the great initiatory step has at length been accomplished by the Government and the Legislature, and that the amount of practical suc- cess which shall be reaped, must henceforward depend i n ll it 8 (i on the cordial spirit witli which the people shall co- operate in the great work. Unfortunately for our noble Province, the rancour of party feeling, in conjunction with that curse of Canada, the ungenerous and uncalled-for war of races and sects, seems still destined to embarrass and retard for a time even the most unexceptionable attempts at improve- ment, be it either in our public or social organization. But we are not without hope that ])etter days are in store for us ; and we even trust that much will ere long be accomplished through the medium of the powenui agency of the system of popular education now in operation — though its value may yet, in some quarters, be ill understood or appreciated, and may for a time furnish a few heartless demagogues a fertile source of party strife. If, therefore, we shall, by our humble efforts in favour of the better understanding of so estimable an object, prove at all instrumental in ac- celerating "a consummation so devoutly to be wished," we shall ever rejoice in the perhaps rather rash but disinterested patriotic step which we have been induced to volunteer in its behalf, at a rather peculiar crisis.* We would, however, wish to observe, that in depreca- ting the mischievous workings of sheer party feeling, and the miserably undignified, and even unprincipled, opposition thereby frequently engendered to the best of public measures, we are not disposed to encroach upon or abridge the wholesome privilege of dispassion- ate, independent inquiry into the intrinsic merits of every public question, or to deny that much good is derived from these being viewed and examined with a critical eye and probing hand ; and, in proof of this, it is our intention to avail ourselves of this very privilege, in the course of whatever observations we may be in- duced to make in the present article. It is of the • It may be proper to state that the writer of this Essay is un- conscious of any unworthy party feelingB, and that he is equally free from any personal bias, being altogether unknown to the writers of the different documents which form the heading of ihn unicle. ; Ticioufl temper, coniplait such un express ous anir Havii mence o the head now 50 tion of a support trict," ai Universi final an imposing have yet — a fate sider th{ end, in structurf without, natural, mentary This i last disc wards, i classes i attentior ment, fo from th popular stantial assumed still susi be fount structur which tl upon. Didc shall co- rancour of »r Canada, and sects, for a time irnprove- anization. ys are in II ere long povveniji 1 now in quarters, for a time source of r humble ng of so al in ac- wished," ra^h but |i induced • crisis.* depreca- r feeling, incipled, the best encroach spassion- nerits of good is d with a )f this, it rivibge, y be in- of the )ay 18 un- 8 equally m to the ng of th'3 Ticious primum mobile^ and consequent uncharitable temper, alone, betrayed by certain writers, that we complain ; but, unconscious of being actuated by any such unv/orthy incentives, we trust that we shall so express ourselves as to escape without any very seri- ous animadversion? from our readers on that score. Having premised thus much, we proceed to com- mence our remarks on the two leading documents at the head of this article, by observing, that though it is now 50 years since that great questio vexata, the crea- tion of a public fund, " fior, first, the establishment and support of a respectable Grammar School in each Dis- trict," and, " in due process of time, of a College or University ^^^ was first mooted in Upper Canada, the final arrangements connected with neither of these imposing branches of a Provincial Educational System have yet been carried into permanent successful effect ! — a fate not much to be wondered at, when we con- sider that it was making a beginning at the wrong end^ in attempting to complete the ornamental super- structure of so vast and influential a national edifice, without, in the first instance, laying that necessary and natural, substantial foundation — a system of sound ele- mentary instruction for the great body of the people. This strange error or oversight, however, was at last discovered, and redeemed about 20 years after- wards, I.e., in 1816, when, the wants of the humbler classes of society demanding their legitimate share of attention, an Act was passed by the Provincial Parlia- ment, for the establishment of Common Schools; and from that date to the present time, that estimable popular foundation has been gradually acquiring sub- stantial depth and breadth, until It has at last happily assumed a degree of solidity and harn^^ony, that, though still susceptible of ver}* considerable improvement, will be found capable of supporting any ornamental super- structure, in the shape of Grammar Scho jIs or Colleges^ which the ensuing Parliament may choose to decide upon Did our circumscribed limits permit, we should bo a3 ' u n 10 sJisposed to lay before our readers a preliminary con- nected sketch of the successive fitful attempts at legis- lation on this important branch of education ; but that being out of our power, we rest content with observing, that the first really decisive step in the improvement of Common Schools in Upper Canada took place *n 1841, ■when the outline of the present system was adopted by the Provincial Parliament ; that a second was at- tempted in 1843 — when the previous arrangements -were considerably modified ; and that the third and last took place in 1846, when other modifications were made, and incorporated in the revised Act then passed —and still in force — and to which we must beg to refer our readers for details. The same want of space also precludes our giving anything like a condensed view of the leading features of the system which has at length been adopted, either from the Reports before ^s, or the difierent authors from whom the Superin- tendent so copiously quotes ; and we do so with less hesitation, as, fortunately, the former has, very judi- ciously, been extensively circulated in every part of the Province. All that we can at present promise is a few unconnected extracts from the former — more in justice to the writer, than with any idea of criticising or elucidating the merits of the question — that we may thereby be afforded greater scope for the humble efforts which we intend to make, towards counteracting a few illiberal prejudices, and answering some unreasonable -objections which have been raised against various parts of the now promising foundation of our great educational edifice, — whether arising, on the one hand, from a sweeping political distrust of the principal workman employed, or, on the other, from baseless national prejudice against a few of the most useful materials, because, forsooth, they happen to be of foreign origin. It is unfortunate for the Reverend and certainly talented author of the two Reports referred to, that he has long occupied no inconsiderable space, as a public ^^dter, in the arena of political, sectarian, and even inary con- s at legis- ; but that observing, )vement of e n 1841, idopted by 1 was at- ngements third and ions were len passed ist beg to it of space condensed ivhich hoA >rts before Superln- with less i^ery judi- l-y part of romise is more in criticising t we may 3le efforts ing a few asonable : various )ur great 3ne hand, principal baseless st useful to be of certainly t that he a public nd even 11 educational controversy ; but, however that may have been, he having been at length selected to fill a most important experimental public office, aiming at the fur- therance of a transcendantly great and good object, and the appointment bein - in every respect in keeping with the character of his oacred calling, as a preacher of the Gospel, it behoved even his bitterest opponents to suspend their warfare for a season, and give him a fair trial, before they made any further attempt to con- demn either him or his labours. But, far from such having been the case, every casual opportunity seems to have been eagerly seized upon to lower his standing in public estimation, as well as to detract from the value or merit of his undeniably zealous exertions in behalf of the important iriatters committed to his in- vestigation. Nothing daunted, however, the Reverend gentleman appears to have held on " the even tenor of his way " unmoved, or, at most, to have been content with an occasional ejaculation of — " Strike, but hear tne," until he had an opportunity of, in some degree, defending himself, on submitting unreservedly to the government and the people, the result of his unwearied investigations in various countries, in his Report on a System of Public Elementary Instruction — a document, from the perusal of which, whatever may be its pecu- liarities, we have derived great satisfaction, and from which, we conceive, no unprejudiced man can rise, vs^ithout acknowledging himself materially instructed and better informed on the interesting and important subject therein discussed ; but which some of the reverend writer's opponents seem to have considered so meritless and objectionable, that they deemed it their duty to condemn it " at one fell swoop,'' without, apparently, taking the trouble of giving it a perusal. Of this wholesale antagonism, however, more here- after. In the meantime, we feel bound to allow the reverend writer to speak for, and defend himself, in the language of his prefatory letter to the Provincial Secretary, on transmitting his Report, and thereby enabling our readers to judge for themselves :«-• 12 ** I C8 not expect that an implicit and unqualified assent will be riven to every remark which I have made, or to every opinion I have cxpreescd ; but I trust the general principles of my Report will meet the approbation of His Excellency, and that the several ■ubjects discussed will be deemed worthy of the consideration of the public. In availingf myself as far as possible of the experience of other countries, and the testimony of their most enlightened Edu- eationidts, I have not lost si^ht of the peculia'ities of our own country, and have only imitated distinguished examples of other nations. Prussia herself before adopting any imporiant measure or change in her system of public instruction, has been wont to •end School Commissioners into other countries, to collect all pos- ■ible information on the subjects of deliberation. France, England, and other European governmtnts, have done the same. Three en- lightened Educationists from the United States have lately made similar tours in Europe, with a view of improving their own sys- tems of Public Instruction. One of them spent upwards of two years in Europe, in making educational inquiries, — aided by a Foreign Secretary. I have employed scarcely half that time in the prosecution ol my inquiries; and without having imposed one farthing's expense upon the public. Though the spirit of cen- sure has been \n some instances indulged on account of my ab- sence from Canada, and my investigating, with practical views, the Educationul Institutions of Governments difTerently constitu- ted from our own, I may appeal to the accompanying report as to the use which I have made of my observations ; and I doubt not bui that His Excellency, and the people of Upper Canada gene, rally, will appreciate the propriety of such inquiries, and respond to the spirit of the remarks which that distinguished philosopher and statesman, M. Cousin, made un a similar occasion, after his return from investigating the systems of public instruction in se- Teral countries of Germany. 'The experience of Germany, (says M. Cousin,) particularly of Prussia, ought not to be lost upon us. National rivalries or an. tipathies would here be completely out of place. The true great, ness of a people dots not consist in borrowing nothing from others, but in borrowing from all whatever is good, and in perfecting whatever it appropriates. I am as great an enemy as any man to artificial imitations; but it is mere pusillanimity to reject a thing for no other reason than that it has been thought good by others. With the promptitude and justness of the French under- standing, and the iiidestructable unity of our national character, we may assimilate ail that is good in other countries without fear of ceasing to be ourselves. Besides, civilized Europe now forms but one great family. We constantly imitate England in all that concerns outward life, the mechanical arts, and phy- sical refinements ; why, then, should we blush to borrow some, thing from kind, honest, pious, learned Germany, in what regards inward life and the nurture of the soul ?' But I German have res but that good, an dition, w Havi self, w( compre of the primary from w adoptio and sta able to prised t portion the title proach conside pride in should I have m regard the me tion, an terials Parliar port 01 combe, us real as well misled blindly contini been a sent m admitti might stance one wi 18 isent will be ■y opinion I my Report the several ideration of ce of other ened Edu- of our own les of other mt measure en wont to eel all pos- !, England, . Three en. atcly made ir own sys- rds of two aided by a lat time in mposed one rit of cen- of my ab- tical views, y constitu- eport as to doubt not lada gene- id respond hilosopher 1, after his tion in se- articularly ries or an. rue great. )m others, perfecting any man o reject a t good by ch under, iharacter, huut fear ope now ngland in and phy. )w some. t regards But I have not confined my obfiervations and referenees to Germany alone ; the accompanying Report is my witness, that I have restricted myself to no one country or form of Government ; but that I have Ixirrowed from all whatever appeared to me to be good, and have endeavoured to perfect, by adapting it to our con. dition, whatever I have appropriated." Having so far allowed Dr. Ryerson to speak for him- self, we consider it but justice to add that we cannot comprehend how, with such direct evidence on record of the great working merits of the valuable system of primary instruction lately introduced among us — come from what country it may — as evinced in its successful adoption in so many other differently ruled kingdoms and states, it should for a moment be regarded as unsuit- able to Canada alone ; and we are also not a little sur- prised that its principal opponents should be among that portion of the provincial press which assumes to itself the title of liberal, and as such, advocates every ap- proach to the doings in the neighbouring republics, considering that so many of these very States take a pride in having adopted its leading features. Nay, we should even think that a feeling of consistency might have made that portion of " the fourth estate " rather regard it with no small degree of respect, since it has the merit of being raised on nearly the same founda- tion, and composed, for the greater part, of the same ma- terials as found such favour in the eyes of" the Reform Parliament " of 1836 ; through the medium of the Re- port on Education by that noted reformer. Dr. Dun- combe. But our surprise is still greater, and it gives us real pain to find a portion of the conservative press, as well as respectable wardens of municipal councils, misled by these ignes fatui of pseudo-liberality, and blindly launching forth their anathemas against the continuance of so promising a system, before time has been allowed for either the different parts of its pre- sent machinery working smoothly into each other, or admitting of the adoption of such improvements aa might ensure its more successful operation. As in- stances of what we complain of, we may mention that one writer, in the face of the explicit quotation above 1; * 1 I 14 {( I'. given, unblushingly asserts that Dr. Ryerson, *» on finding that he could not saddle the Prussian system at once upon the province, had resolved to accomplish it by little and little ; and that his aim was to take the management of the common school education out of the hands of the many, and put it into those of a few — one feature of the Prussian system; whereas he (the writer) had always insisted that if there be any subject which more than another claims the supervision and watchful care of parents, it is the education of their children." And, further, in commenting on the special Report on normal schools, (which we regard as furnishing a good deal of interesting matter, besides forming an unerring common school vade-mecum or guide, as containing a well digested body of useful information and instruction for all the officials connected with the working of the system, from the chief superintendent down to the trus- tees of a school section,) the same writer unhesitatingly observes, that that document " displays some of the doctor's most interesting peculiarities, but that there is very little in it ; and that the superintendent has the signal bad taste to occupy more than one half of that short Report with a covert attack (risum teneatis!) upon his opponents, &;c., and with the same delicacy impugns the motives of the head of the government !'* Nay, more ; the same journalist, in concluding another charitable article, in which he coolly taxes the worthy superintendent with having accomplished little or nothing during three years, piously ejaculates : — "Well, we have a prodigy of a superintendent ; will govern- ment suffer this man to dishonour the situation he holds any longer ?" While a still more "Christian advocate " "Extinguisher" goes so far as to denounce "the provi- sions of the Education Bill as the bane and curse of our fine province." Such language might be all very well, considering the particular political quarter from whence it emanates; but when we find the editor of a respectable journal in this city condescending to an acknowledgment of some educational pamphlets in uncourteous flippant terms like the foil ness cl Educal postagj presui had al| be the I of thos any oi tem ot Britisl Norl Upper counci either sent s^ less to the stance ing as and " ( occupa be era better Nov ing ob the inj so rec fore st tical s that tl in the * Tl time aj Canad] say a violati( and fai t In and th Difltric 15 irson, " on I system at 3omplish it take the lout of the , few — one the writer) ject which id watchful children." Report on ing a good 1 unerring fitaining a instruction ing of the the trus- esitatingly me of the that there nt has the If of that teneatis /) delicacy rnment !" another le worthy little or -« Well, govern- he holds dvocate " he provi- curse of isidering Tianates; ournal in of some rms like the following, we are at a loss what to think : " Polite- ness compels us to acknowledge the receipt, from the Education Office, Toronto, of several blue books. The postage was also paid, some seven or eight shillings, we presume, at the expense of the people of Canada. We had always supposed the blue books of Dr. Meilleur to be the greatest bore in the province, until we laid hold of those of Dr. Ryerson. It will be a long time before any one will make us believe that the compulsory sys- tem of Prussia and the German powers is suited to a British people."* Nor have matters stopped here, for, — to return to Upper Canada, — we find more than one municipal council gravely stultifying themselves by praying for either the total repeal or entire modification of the pre- sent system, on account of the expensiveness and use- lessness of its superintendency, and its inapplicability to the circumstances jf the country ; and in one in. stance recommending, as an improvement ! the engag- ing as teachers of men whose " physical inabilities," and " decaying energies," render teaching a suitable occupation for them ; and further, that emigrants may be employed until " their character and abilities are better known, and can be turned to better account !"t Now, while entering our protest against such sweep- ing objections as these, and more particularly against the injustice of at once visiting the defects of a system so recently sanctioned by the Legislature, and there- fore still new and untried, upon the heads of the prac- tical superintendents of the day, we are free to admit that there is still room for considerable improvement it school bill : but far from resfar V.-' pres »8 * The above was no doubt induced by the sad evidence at the time afforded of the unsatiafactory working of the last Lower Canada School Bill, of which we shall hereafter have occasion to say a few words ; but that, surely, could not justify a gratuitous violation of courtesy towards either Dr. Ryerson or Dr. Meilleur, and far less towards these gentlemen conjointly. t Instance the alleged memorial of the Gore District Council, and the circular letter of the warden of that of the Newcastle District. ^ ■ \i . ■ 1 1 I 16 superintendents, whether provincial or distiictal, as either expensive or useless, we look upon th^r.i as in- dispensable, and, in fact, the very life and soul cf the system; and, even go further, (following the example of more than one enlightened European statesman) in considering national education a matter of such pa- ramount importance, that we conceive that far from the chief superintendence resting, ex-officioy on an already oyer-burthened provincial secretary, as with us, it should be vested in an officer having no other duties to perform, and who ishould be recognized as a ^^resporm- 6/e," though, for obvious reasons, unpolitical member of the government,* Lest, after all, the foregoing observations should not prove sufficiently convincing or explanatory, we further beg to refer our readers to the following unobjectionable quotations from Dr, Ryerson's special Report of the measures adopted for the establishment of the Provincial Normal School, (which has since so auspiciously taken place at Toronto) as well as for taking into effect, ge- nerally, the common school system, — intended, as it evidently was, in reply to a fewofthe objections which had been so unsparingly raised against the system placed under his superintendence. It is not possible to pass a law against which objections would not be made from some quarters, and the introduction of the best law is necessarily attended with some inconvenience. When the Common School Act of 1843 superseded that of 1841, so se- rious was the derangement of the whole school system of Upper Canada, that many of tlio provisions of the Act of 1843, cf such pa- ar from the an already I'ith us, it 5r duties to (( responst- 1 member should not we further 3ctionab]o irt of the Provincial isly taken effect, ge- led, as it ms which 3 system iona would 3f the best 3. When ^41, po se- of Upper , could not oe; Trus. Bd by the he Gover. try diser*. it/iout re. ' for 1843 ce of the iplated by ■ Legisla- 1 circuin. hifl is the Minister IT stances, there was much embarrassment and confusion, and in some cases, serious lo^s to individuals. It would not have been surprising, then, if some confusion had attended the transition from the late to the present School Act. But 1 am not aware that such has been the case. The machinery of the new Act has gone into operation without occasioning any derangement of our School affairs. When the School Law in the neighbouring State of New York was firtit established, many School districts, and even counties, re. fused to act under it; but I know of no example of the kind in Upper Canada, notwithstanding the effurtsof a section of the pub. lie press to create such opposition at the time the Act was about to come into operation. The dissatisfaction created at the time was not against the pro- visions of the School Act, but against what certain parties reprc. Bcnted to be its provisions, before its general distribution ; not against its operations, but against what certain parlies represented would be its operations. However, the circulation of the Act itself, and its actual operations, have corrected most of the false impressious which had been produced by misrepresentations. It has been found, that so iar from the Trustees having no power to employ a Teacher without the permission of the Chief Superintendent, they have more power than had been conferred upon School Trustees by the former Act, and can employ whom they please, and in what manner and for what time they please ; that so far from the Board of Education interfering in matters of conscience between parents and children, and compelling parents to forego cheap, and buy dear school books, the Board has no au- thority of the kind, and has employed its best exertions to bring within the reach of all parents cheap as well as good books ; that so far from the Chief Superintendent of Schools having authority to introduce what books he pleases into Schools, he has no autho- rity whatever in respect to introducing books, and so far from having power to employ and dismiss School Teachers at his plea, sure, he has no power to employ a School Teacher at all, or even to give him a legal certificate of qualification ; that he has no power to interfere in the affairs of any School Section, unless ap- pealed to by Some party concerned ; that his decisions have in no case the authority (vf a Court of Law ; that both his power and his duty relate to seeing the conditions imposed by the Legisla- ture fulfilled in the expenditure of the Legislative School Grant ; that his power is much less than is given to a similar ofHccr in the neighbouring State of New York, and is an accumulation of labour, and not an exercise of any arbitrary authority ; that every act of the Chief Superintendent of Schools is subject to the autho. rity of a G(»vernment responsible to the Legislature of the coun- try. But wt ile the constitution of the Board of Education has been ostensibly objected to, I believe the real objection is rather against that with which the Board has been identified, namely, the prohibition of United States School Books in our Common Schools. V^ I •' 1^1 I« J} It Bccms to bo supposed that if there were no Board of Education to recommend booku to be used in Schools, there would be no ex. elusion of American Books from the Schools The fact, however, is, that American School Books, unless permitted by the Board, are excluded by the 30th section of tho Statute ; whereas the Board of Education is constituted by the 3d Section. In regrrd to the exclusion of American Books from our Schools, I have explained, as I iiave had opportunity, that it is not because they arc foreign books simply that they are excluded, although it is paf.riotic to use our own in preference to foreign publicatic.iH ; but because they arc, with very few exceptions, anti-British, in every sense of the word. They tre unlike the School Books of any other enlightened people, so far as I have the means foist off the system, advocated by him, as original, and emanating from himself, some offence might have been fairly taken at his presumption ; but, «o far from this being the case, he took the very oppo- site coui in all c knowle( sayings, enlighte him, yd themseh his own have til operate Havii proceec in cand sions of the peo as fallii this we remarki 1st. claims deratioi respect 2nd. moral j educati almost And ment c founda instruc elemei tion, tl been i an en either the pn to SU{ of a 1 the hi afford Juch pood. ities which > education witivc con* ir Trustees V will imi. ion (ho 80. contribute al welfare. <»rd urged 't'ln it will em what, duced by !h, it is to coed from In the pro. eslublish. d Towns, think ac- istruclion changed require, Sj'stcm ; most im. think the erection >f time as >r(ing the w School otice the f its pro. ncreased Province ovement manage, scline of and in- in sub- xertions ost vital 1 act of isly at- im, as fffence ; but, oppo- 81 site course, nearly oiie-halfof his general Report being, in all candour, composed of unwearied thankful ac- knowledginints and quotations from the writings, sayings, and doings of the most experienced and enlightened educationists of every country visited by him, with the view of enabling his readers to judge for themselves^ while he contented himself with avowing his own conviction, that if the system is allowed to have time to be well understood, it will be found to operate to the entire satisfaction of the country. Having so far done justice to Dr. Ryerson, we now proceed to the discharge of a similar duty to the public, in candidly pointing out wherein we regard the provi- sions of the Legislature, as well as the disposition of the people in favour of successful general education, as falling altogether short of the desired mark ; and this we shall endeavour to excmpliiy in at least three remarkable instances, namely : 1st. The utter neglect, still manifested, of the just claims of common school teachers to far greater consi- deration and more substantial remuneration, as a highly respectable, influential, and important class of men ; 2nd. The extraordinary manner in which the urgent moral propriety of, as far as possible, providing for the education of the female sex, in separate schools, s almost entirely lost sight of; And drd. The remarkable fact that the establish- ment of district grammar schools, on a suitable liberal foundation, as the higher of the two branches of primary instruction, and the great connecting link between an elementary or common school, and a university educa- tion, though the first to be provided for, should have been shuffled off for half a century, and still remain in an embryotic state, — for it cannot be supposed that either the late generally miserable district schools, or the present contracted grammar schools, were intended to supply their place, — while the less urgent claims of a university, de jtined for the exclusive benefit of the higher and richer portion of society, who can best afford any extra expense, should have been unceas- W 22 I '■ h inglj agitated and forced on to precocious maturitj, until, becoming the bone of contention among rival political and sectarian parties, it has more than once convulsed the province, and threatened to shake the Yery government to its centre. As these are rather serious charges, it would have been very desirable to have been able to take a rathei extended view of the grounds on which they are based, although only partially connected with the documents before us ; but our space not allowing of such a step at present, we are constrained to refer our readers to such parts of the widely circulated Reports on educa- tion as bear upon them, and to content ourselves with prefacing our first objection by a brief outline of the noble scope of the otherwise highly ;>romi8ing ele- mentary system now in progress, and then proceeding to the demonstration of the impossibility of the ex- pected results being realized from the inadequate means and instruments at present employed. In few words, then, be it remembered, that it is in- tended that our provincial system of primary instruc- tion should be universal, i.e., embrace the whole body of the p ople ; that it should be practicable ; that it should be founded on religion and morality ; and that it should develope all the intellectual and physical powers, and should therefore provide for the efficient teaching of the following subjects, viz. — 1st, biblical history and morality ; 2nd, reading and spelling ; 3rd, writing ; 4th, arithmetic ; 5th, grammar ; 6th, geogra- phy ; 7th, linear drawing ; 8th, vocal music ; l/th, history; 10th, natural history; 11th, natural philo- sophy; r2th, agriculture; 13th, human physiology; I4th, civil government ; and 15th, political economy. So vast an array of branches of mere elementary education, may perhaps startle those who have not been accustomed to look deeply into such matters, and may even be considered by some as altogether vision- ary ; but whatever doubt may exist in this colony of the practicability of so comprehensive a course of in- struction being realized, must be at once set at rest .' br th« con intendont- nected wi should the common to be pro\ tion, surel; the countr means of further, tl have been many othe of Switze wealthy c( in many o and in a Middle St and is doi elemental Canada. Taking of the cas be expect it become how far tl are likely the noble tate not man will long as tl degraded ments of status in tion of thi As ve Prime M primary 1833 : " All the if we took niAturitj, long rival than once shako the vovild have a rathei arc based, locuinonts 1 a step at readers to on educa- Ives with ine of the ising ele- roceeding f the ex- ladequate tt it is in- instruc- lole body i ', that it and that physical ; efficient , biblical ing; 3rd, ijgeo^ra- sic ; lyth, al philo- ^siology ; :onomy. imentary lave not ters, and r vision- 3oIony of se of in- at rest by the convincing reply made by the Provincial Super- intendent — that the whole of these subjects are con- nected wiih the well being of the community, and should therefore be made accessible to them in the common schools ; and that if the higher classes are to be provided with the means of a university educa- tion, surely the common people, the bono and sinew of the country, should be provided by the State with the means of the best common school education ; and, further, that as all the branches above enumerated have been and are taught in the common schools in many other countries — in the mountains and valleys of Switzerland, in the interior and not fertile and wealthy countries of Germany, in many parts of France, in many of the schools of Great Britain and Ireland, and in a considerable number of the Eastern and Middle States of America — surely what has been done and is doing in so many other countries in respect to elementary education, may and ought to be done in Canada. Taking for granted, then, that such is the true state of the case, and that such are the results that ought to be expected from a well organized provincial system, it becomes a matter of great importance to inquire how far the means and instruments at present applied are likely to prove adequate to the accomplishment of the noble end in view ; and, if such be done, we hesi- tate not to aver that the answer of every reflecting man will be — that it will be morally impossible,^ so long as the common school master occupies his present degraded position — whether we regard the emolu- ments of his highly important office, or his general status in society ; — and that, too, in spite of the mstitu- tion of the best Normal and Model Schools in the world. As very justly observed by M. Guizot, the able Prime Minister of France, on introducing the law of primary instruction in the Chamber of Deputies in 1533 : " All the provisions hitherto described would he of none effect^ if we took no pains to procure for the public School thus consti. i 94 luted an able Master, and worthy of the high vocation of instruct- insj the people. It cnnnot be too often repeated, that it ig the Master that mokes the School. What a well-assorted union of qualities is required to constitute a {rood Master ! A good Master ous[ht to be a nmn who knows much more tha;i he is called upon to leach, that he may teach with intelligence and with taste ; who is to live in an humble sphere, and yet have a noble and elevated spirit, that he may preserve that dignity of mind and of deport, ment, without which he will never obtain the respect and confi. dence of families : who possesses a rare mixture of gentleness &nd firmness ; for, mferior though he be in station to many individuals in the Commvnes^ he ought to be the obsequious servant of none ; a man not ignorant of his rights, but thinking much more of his duties; showing to all a good example and serving to all as a counsellor ; not given to change his condition, but satisfied with his situation, because it gives him the power of doing good ; and who has made up his mind to live and die in the service of Pri- mary Instruction, which to him is the service of God and his fe|. low creatures. To rear up masters approaching to such a model is a difficult task, and yet we must succeed in it, or we have done nothing for elementary instruction. A bad Schoolmaster, like a bad Priest, is a scourge to a Commune ; and though wc are often obliged to be contented with indiflferent ones, we must do our best to improve the average quality.''^ And how, let us ask, is this work of regeneration to [ be accomplished with us? — certainly not by the mere creation of Normal and Model Schools, unless the future emolumentary prospects held out be such as to induce men of a respectable station of life, and more than suffi- cient preliminary education to become candidates for the arduous and responsible office of teacher : yet, what has often hitherto been the tempting average income of the common schoolmaster, derived from the public bounty, local assessment, and school-fees, united ? — no lessa sum than irom £20 to £30 per annum ! — a pittance which the most illiterate field-labourer would spurn with contempt. The first grand step, then, towards elevating the teacher ',0 his true position in society, is, to be very particular in the selection of well qualified persons, through the me- diuna of either a Provincial or District Board, after hav- j ing gone through a proper Normal training ; but that ordeal passed, the next step is to encourage the success- ful candidate to regard the office of teaching with enthu- siastic attachment, and as the honourable profession of a life, by e mum remu same time reward of and that m and you a respectable man and tl On this i pointed by labours we the follow towards tl^ ameliorate is reason unfit for th rary or mo lieve to b< those who the wages undertake are unable duties of e( and impro should be and until ! feared it w competent In allusi (four yean Education, ^' as is the and lazy, trusted wi they woul( though thi be both sity of hi well pre pa fit models 9 ' J of instruct- lat it i» the ed union of good Master called upon 1 taste ; who and elevated id of deport- :t and confi. ntlencss end y individuals ant of none ; 1 more of his ^ to all as a satisfied with g pood ; and I irviee of Pri- \ and his fel. puch a model we have done naster, like a wc are often 8t do our best sneration to V the mere 5S the future 13 to induce ! than suffi- lates for tlie ;t, what has ome of the Mic bounty, less a sum 1 which the 1 contempt, the teacher 3articular in gh the nie- Ij after hav- ; but that he success- ivith enthu- rofession of 25 a Hfe, by ensuring to him a far more respectable mini- mum remuneration for his valuable services, and at the same time opening a door for further promotion as the reward of superior merit. Let this be liberally done, — and that must^ in a gi'eat measure^ rest with the people^ — and you at once elevate the teacher to his legitimate respectable position in society, by the side of the clergy- man and the gentlemen of his locality. On this important point, a Committee of inquiry, ap- pointed by Sir George Arthur in 1840, and to whose labours we shall liave frequent occasion to refer, makes the following very just observation : — " The first step towards the amelioration ot Common Schools, is to ameliorate the condition of the master. At present there is reason to believe that but too many teachers are unfit for this responsible station, from the want of lite- rary or moral qualification. The cause of this, they be- lieve to be, the inadequate rumuneration held out to those who embrace the occupation. In this country, the wages of the working classes are so high, that few undertake the office of schoolmaster, except those who are unable to do anything else ; and hence the important duties of education are often entrusted to incompetent and improper persons. The income of the schoolmaster should be at least equal to that of the common laborer 1 and until some provision of this nature is made, it ia feared it will be in vain to expect a sufficient supply of competent teachers." In allusion to the same subject, Dr. Duncombe had, (four years before) very justly observed in his Report on Education, that he was much inclined to believe that ^' as is the master, so is the child ; and that as the lame and lazy, because they would work cheap, were en- trusted with the promotion of the minds of our youtli they would, to a certain extent, copy their masters, and though their bodies may not limp, their minds will be both sluggish and deformed. Hence the neces- sity of having teachers correct, gentlemanly persons, well prepared for their arduous, responsible office, and fit models for the youth of the country to imitate." And B 1 n I! i 26 (( further, *♦ that a system, of educating, furnishing and liber- ally paying a sufficient number of competent teachers, commensurate with the wants of the people, must be adopted, and publicly and zealously supported. The situation of the schoolmaster must be rendered respect- able, and reputed to be an honourable employment, that gentlemanly, competent persons may seek it as a business for life," It is singular that the absolute necessity of elevating the teacher in the scale of society, does not appear to have been yet sufficiently appreciated by our American neighbours of New York, although the following excellent observations on the subject were made by the Chief Superintendent of that State so far back as 1834«: — An enlightened appreciation on the part of the inhabi- tants of districts generally, of the functions and respon- sibilities of teachers — a determination to secure the highest order of talent, and to provid*^ an adequate com- pensation, and a disposition to elevate the character, and advance the social rank of the teacher, by assigning him that station in the regards of the community which is due ^0 the dignity and utility of his profession, may be regarded as indispensable pre-requisites in the success of any system which contemplates the scientific preparation of teachers."* The same subject has also more or less engaged the attention of other States of the Union, and among them the young State of Michigan became at once deeply impressed with the necessity of so important a step, as evinced in the following remark by its first superin- tendent, so far back as 1837 if " Without competent teachers, the most pertect system of external organisation must be powerless ; must utterly fail of accomplishing its object. The truth is, education is to be regarded as a science, for it has its distinct subject, and distinct object, and is governed by its own peculiar laws j and has, like other sciences, its corresponding art, the art oi * See Randall's Common School System, p. 57. t Sec Pierce's Report of Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Michigan, for 1836. ■ i ■J teaching, principle c good enoui proved hii that the ut fession, is be thrust i labour in profession as these tl created." elevate th( be, witho teachers." With ri tant subje Europe, it our own I M. Guizo of the Pri] master rai has a righ is formed the benefi ters, whic and that t as well 8 gaining gr land, whe right quar * It may ambition ar acquiremen only to qua tion of a 1 education i in their nri to aspire to a vacancy in the latlci univeraity. and liber- teachers, , must be ed. The d respect- ment, that it as a * elevating appear to American » excellent the Chief 1834 :— be inhabi- id respon- Bcure the uate com- acter, and gning him which is 1, may be success of reparation gaged the long them ce deeply I step, as superin- ompetent 'anjgation mplishing garded as i distinct ws 5 and he art ol truction of ■ 27 teaching. It may, then, be pertinently asked, on what principle of common sense is it that a man is considered good enough for a teacher, because he has satisfactorily proved himself good for no one thing elsel Why is it that the utter want of health to exercise any other pro- fession, is frequently the only reason why a man should be thrust into this, which requires more active mental labour in the discharge of its duties than any other profession whatever ? Alas, it is not by teachers such as these that the intellectual power of a people is to be created." And further: 'olmasters ducation ; je grades, grants to ,nd in fact ranting of . Scnmitz, n Canada sample bo lot be set College of teen years Kentucky, rtrhose pro- f I 29 thirty children at least> attending school to entitle the teacher to a share in the government bounty ; whereas, tkat being a matter over which he can hav3 no control, there should be a minimum teachers' salary, whatever may be the population in each school section, which also should be limited to a certain extent of country ; and wherever either the population may be so sparse, or the inhabitants so insensible to the blessing of educa- tion, as not to furnish even ten scholars,* a school should nevertheless be established, and the master paid the regular quota of government allowance and assessment ; and whatever that joint amount may fall short of the minimum salary, should be made up from the school fund. At the same time no deduction whatever should be made from any extra emolument derived from a flourishing school ; these being only to be regarded as a fair equivalent for extra labour, and being sure to act as a stimulus to laudable emulation, as well as greater personal exertion on the part of the teacher, on behalf of the general spread of education, in his respective neighbourhood. Much more might readily be added on this very important head ; but we are compelled to forbear for the present, that we may pass on to the notice of the extraordinary manner in which the legislature, as well as the Rev. Superintendent, have all but lost sight of the urgent moral propriety ef encouraging, wherever prac- ticable, the establishment of schools for female children, conducted by well qualified teachers of their own sex, altogether distinct from those for boys. This is the more remarkable, considering the very great interest taken in this truly important and interesting class of * The lowest number now prescribed by the Lower Canada act IS fifteen. In Prussia the proportion is one teacher to every ten scholars ; and it was very justly observed by Dr. Buncombe, that " if Piussia with a dense population finds that proportion needful, the sparseness of our population, in our wide spread territories, surely demands an equal supply." The fact is, it is in the thinly-settled solitary backwoods that the presence of the teacher is most wanted. !;. \ 80 m schools by our American neighbours, as well as in i)r. Duncombe*s Report on Education, a document of consi- derable value (whatever may be the questionable moral or political character of the writer), and with which the leading features of the present system generally coincide. That our readers may judge how far this observation is well founded, we beg to refer them to the Superintend- ent's Report, as well as the School Act, where they will find that this highly desirable class of seminaries is almost entirely overlooked in the former, and only slightly glanced at in an appendix ; and that the Legis- lature seem to have been equally indifferent to the subject ; the only reference to it in the Upper Canada School Act being in the 42d clause, making it ^'•lawfuV^ for any District Council to authonse the establishment of " both a male and female school in every school sec- tion," and in the 44th clause interpreting the word teacher as including both sexes ; whereas a little more stress is laid upon it in the Lower Canada act, the 30th clause of which not only expressly authorises school commissioners of municipalities to establish a girls' school in each school district, distinct from that (or boys, as a separate district, but even provides that if any religious community should have already established a girls' school for elemantary education, it may be placed under the management of the commissioners from year to year, and be thereby entitled to all the advantages granted to common schools. As a contrast to this seeming indifference, Dr. Duncombe not only devoted several pages of his Report to describing and enforcing the propriety of engrafting this highly interesting and morally influential branch of common schools on what- ever may be our provincial system, but suggested thiu one out of four normal schools proposed by his act should be exclusively devoted to the training of female teachers ; and it is but proper to add, that this greaf improvement was not lost sight of by the commission of inquiry appointed by Sir George Arthur in 1840 ; for in their plan for the institution of township model ichools, they propose that there should be a male and 31 i female teacher in each ; and in the estimate of the probable expense of the general system recommended by them, a provision is made for a number of female equal to that of ma'e teachers. We might readily extend our observations on this important head, did our already nearly exhausted space permit, but w^e must rest satisfied with referring our readers for other interesting matter to the annexed note, as occupying much less room than would otherwise be the case,* and hasten to a conclusion, by here taking the * Regarding thia as a desideratum of {^reat importance, in whatever improvements may take place in our common school system, and thoroughly coinciding^ in the opinion of a fair Ame- rican writer on education, that feminine delicacy requires that jjirls should be educated by their own sex, from evident consider- ations that regard their health and convenionce, the propriety of their dress and manners, and their domestic accomplishments, we are induced to subjoin the following more detailed remarks on this subject. The Prussian system inculcates that primary instruction, though divided into two degrees, has its peculiar unity and general laws; admits of accommodation to the sex, language, religion, and future destination of the pupils ; and enjoins separate esta. blishments for girls to be ibrmed wherever possible, corres- ponding to the elementary and larger schools for boys ; at th« same time that it delicately prescribes, that though, as a national establishment, boys' schools should covet the greatest publicity in their periodical examinations, those for femahs should be less so, and therefore take place in the presence of the parents and mas- ters only, without any general invitation. Add to which private seminaries where girls are educated are permitted to undertake the office of model or normal schools for private teachers ; their competency to instruct being finally tested through a regular examination by the provincial consistories. In Britain, also, this interesting subject has attracted a due degree of attention ; particularly under the auspices of the British and Foreign School Society, in whose normal model schools the preparation of teachers for girls' schools is devolved upon a Ladies' Committee, to whose unremitting attention that depart- ment is much indebted ; the general committee very justly observing, that they feel it impossible to attach too high a degree of importance to the improvement and extension of female edu- cation. It may be added, that fifteen years ago the proportion of female to male candidates in training was as forty to fifty.eight. In most of the American States, this great desideratum has attracted the same degree of attention, but more perticularly in :ll ;!': 32 liberty of exprebsing our decided opinion, sanctioned by upwards of twelve years' attentive personal observa- tion and anxious reflection on the subject, during visits Massachusetts; the superintendent of which was, so far back as 1840, led to remark as follows: "A change is rapidly takin^r place both in the public sentiiriCnt and action, in regard to the employment of female teachers. The number of male teachers in all the summer and winter schools for the past year was thirty- three loss than for the preceding year ; wliilo" the number of females was 103 more. That females are incomparably better teachers for young chiWren than males, cannot admit of a doubt. Their manners are more mild and gentle, and hence more iu consonance with the tenderness of childhood." *' A statement," observes an able British writer, '» worthy of serious consideration in this country, {i. c, Britain), where employments suited to women of cultivated niinds and polished manners, are greatly wanted." See Edinhursh Recieiv, volume 73, In the state of New York, also, the committee on education made the following apposite remarks on the same subject more than twenty years ago : " The committee have not been able to discover why, upon every principle of justice and public policy, seminaries for the education of females in the higher branches of knowledge should not participate in the public bounty equally vsrith those for the mstruction of males." See Randall on Com- mon Schools, page 40. Although we have already alluded in general terms to Dr. Duncombe's observations on this subject, we are induced to add the following, as a finale to this protracted note : " While upon the subject of normal schools, I cannot comprehend why schools for the education of female teachers may not prove equally advantageous to the cause of education, and the happiness and ornament of society." And he elsewhere adds: •'When we consider the claims of the learned professions, the excitement and profits of commerce, manufactures, agriculture, and the arts, the aversion of most men to the sedentary, toilsome duties of teach- ing and governing young children, the scanty pittance that is allowed to the majority of teachers, and that few men will enter a business that will not support a family, when there are multi- tudes of other employments that will afford a competence and lead to wealth, it is chimerical to hope that the supply of teachers is to come chiefly from that sex. It is woman, fitted by disposi- tion, and habits, and circumstances for such duties, who, to a very wide extent, must aid in educating the childhood and youth of this province ; and therefore it is that females must be trained and educated for this employment. And most happi'y, it is true, that the education necessary to fit a woman to be a teacher, is exactly the one that best fits her for that domestic relation which she is primarily assigned to fill." ft ing li a uni provi( centu cannc or the these placei destii richc] expei force( bone partic and centr( In state nor in merit have prioi' portai sight that c class fe 33 to various parts of the Province, — from Goderich to Quebec, — that the palpable oversight in regard to female teachers should immediately be remedied, and that, wherever it can possibly be done, married teach- ers should at all times be preferred for even boys' schools, especially should the wife be qualified for un- dertaking the charge of a girls' school, combined with the very youngest boys, on however limited a scale, in a room distinct from that under her husband. We now arrive at the last bi'anch of our observations, as regards Upper Canada, namely, the remarkable fact that the establishment, on a suitable liberal foundation of district grammar schools, as the higher of the two branches of primary instruction, and the great connect- ing link between an elementary or common school and a university education, though the first proposed to be provided for, should have been shuffled off tor half a century, and still remam in an embryotic state, — for it cannot be intended that the late miserable districtschools, or the present contracted grammar schools, into which these have been metamorphosed, should supply their places ; — while the less urgent claims of a university, destined for the exclusive benefit of the higher and richer portion of society, who can best afford any extra expense, should have been unceasingly agitated and forced on to precocious maturity, until becoming the bone of contention among rival political and sectarian parties, it has more than once convulsed the province, and threatened to shake the very government to its centre. !b. In repeati!^gthis strong allusion to the still unsettled state of the university question, it is neither our wish nor intention to enter into any discussion of its disputed merits, whether moral or political. It is sufficient to have avowed our decided conviction that the paramount prio)' claims of grammar schools, as of far greater im- portance to the people at large, have been entirely lost sight of, and sacrificed to the over-zealous promotion of that one laudable object, for the benefit of a particular class ; and we even indulge a hope that we shall not b3 If 1 r ' i 34 iiJ raise our humble voice in vain in favour of the speedy correction of so unjustfiable a procedure.* That our readers may be aware that we arc not argn- ing upon false or untenable premises, we beg to remind them that His late Majesty, George III., was graciously pleased, so far back as 1798, to allot funds — " first, for the establishment of free grammar schools in those dis- tricts in which they were called for; and, in due pro- cess of time, the establishing of seminaries of a larger and more comprehensive nature, for the promotion of religion and moral learning, and the study of the arts • In further support of our humble opinion on this subject, we beff to remark, that the grammar schools of Upper Canada occupy, with regard to the interests of the people, even a higher position in the scale of education, than the mitiel schules, and lower burghor schools of Germany, and the ecoles moyennes, or middle schools of France, as adverted to by a learned and powerful British writer, who, in speaking of the projet du loi, for primary instruction introduced by M. Guizot in 1833, ai:d borrowing his materials from the speech of that celebrated minister on the occasion, observes: — The fundamental ques- tions with reference to the instruction of the people, are: Ist, the subjects or branches which it ought to embrace ; 2nd, the nature or description of schools in which it ought to be carried on ; and 3<-d, the authorities which are to superintend, coK^rol, and direct; them. With regard to the first head, primary instruction (as distinguished from classical and scientific) is divided into two degrees or stages ; the first, oi lower degree, being the minimum, must be provided, universally, for the hum- blest village, as for the largest city Between this and the classical and scientific education which is given in public schools and colleges, as well as in many private acade- mics, there is a wide interval in France, which has hitherto been an entire blank, leaving a large and important middle class with- out the power of choosing between pure elementary instruction and that higher branch called secondary, which, besides being very costly, imparts a kind and extent of knowledge not appro- priate to their condition in life. To fill up this gap, the new law establishes a higher degree of primary inetruclion in schools, which, from the middle place they oc.jupy, the French, translat- ing fhe German mittel schule, have already named ecoles moy- ennes, (See Edin. Review, vol. 76) Need we add, that it ia the much wider gap existing between the mere common school and univerEily cducatiject, would have ere long been taken ; but, alas ! such was the fatality attending every movement in its favour, that nothing farther was done till 1840, when the Commis- sioners appointed by Sir George Arthur to inquire and report on Education, as a branch of the Public Depart- ments, felt constrained to take some notice of Grammar Schools, but in terms that seemed rather to imply, that they regarded them as actually in existence, and the sys* tem requiring amendment, than as bemg in reality still in embryo — unless, indeed, the District Schools were al- ready considered to have usurped their place. In a sub- sequent part of their Report, however, the same Com- aiittee expressed a more tangible opinion with regard to i| 40 the erection of Grammar school-houses, when they re- commended a fund of ^65000 each for that purpose, to be raised jointly from the school lands, taxes, and shares. But there the matter ended. The last abortive Legislative attempt in favour of the U. C. Grammar Schools, took place during the late Session of Parliament, on the unsuccessful introduction of the aw- fully perplexing University Question ; when, among other things, it was proposed that a sum yielding £350 per annum should be set apart from the Education Fund, or University spoils, for the establishment of a respectable Grammar School in each District.* As far as the amount of that allotment, and the purposes contemplated are concerned, we readily concur in the arrangement; but not as in any respect connected with the settlement of the University Question, with which we conceive the provision for Royal Grammar Schools has nothing to do — these institutions having an entirely distinct, as well as undeniably 7?nor claim upon the Legislature, entitling them to be taken into altogether separate consideration, as the first great educational boon bestowed by the Sove- reign on the people of Upper Canada. We have so very far exceeded the limits which we had prescribed to ourselves, that we are reluctantly com- pelled to postpone the conclusion of our remarks to a fu- ture occasion, and we find it the more convenient to do so at this stage of our observations, as we propose that the sequel should bear principally on the state ol things in Lower Canada, or at all events, be equally applicable to both Provinces. All, then, that remains to be added in concluding the present article is, that we have been led to lay so much stress on the persevering Legislative ne- * It was proposed that a fund should be set aside, yielding to cdch school i)350 per annum, to which it was supposed Jei50more would be added from tuition fees — making in all jE500, which would allow of £200 to a principal, and £150 each to two, or £100 each to three under masters ; and also, that the sura of JC500 should be granted to each District that should raise one-half that amount for the erection of a schoul-house ; and further, that a Model Agricultural School and Farm should be attached to each Grammar School, with a practical Farmer at its head. In on thi publiJ the hi genet we fd healtl elab< and in bel '1^ 41 to gleet of the Upper Canada District Grammar Schools, from viewing them as the legitimate higher branch of general primary instruction, to the advantages of which every citizen's child may justly aspire, without aiming at a superior and more expensive Professional or University Education, and, therefore, intended to be placed withm the reach of every respectable settler in every District of the Province ; and, consequently, re- garding it as of great importance to the people, that the long-continued injustice and neglect which have been shown towards this solid, yet ornamental branch of po- pular instruction, should be brought conspicuously before the public at this particular crisis ; so that our new Re- presentatives may have no excuse for either again over- looking or postponing a definite arrangement on the sub- ject, at the approaching meeting of Parliament. Should our efforts be crowned with the success which so great and excellent an object deserves, we shall ever look back with satisfaction at having humbly led the way in so good a cause. Should we, after all, be destined to fail, we shall still indulge the hope that we have not struggled altogether in vain ; and even at the very *>7orst, we may be allowed to assume as our motto — that we have failed in a lauda')le effort ; or, in more classical phrase — Magnis tamen excidit ausis. ^^^1 1 PART II. In resuming the thread of our desultory observations on the vitally important subject embraced by the above public documents, we owe an apology to our readers for the heavy tax already imposed upon their patient indul- gence in our last article ; but it so happened that while we felt the necessity of immediate action, our state of health incapacitated us from taking a more clear and elaborate, as well as more concise view of our subject ; and we fear that the same excuse will have to be urged in behalf of our present remarks ; which, on that ac- .i. It 42 m- count, but for the necessity of the timely redemption of our promise, we should have preferred postponing till a later occasion. We shall endeavour, however, to be as brief aa possible ; and, should we prove unsuccessful, we trust it will be charitably ascribed, more to the fear of omitting what we may deem important to our purpose, than to any fancied superior ability for discussing the merits of a most momentous, yet ill-appreciated subject, to the support of which a simple, straight-forward state- ment of tacts, will ever prove far more conducive, than the display of even the most brilliant talents ; and to the former of which alone we presume to lay any claim. It will be in the recollection of our readers, that we staled in the outset of our last article, as a remarkable fact, that the first really decisive step in behalf of the education of the People of Upper Canada, through the medium of Common schools, was taken by the first re- united Parliament, in 1841. It is equally itmarkable that the same may be said to have been the case with regard to the Lower province also ; for though an appa- rently most auspicious movement towards what might be considered the counterpart of the ill-fated Royal Grammar Schools of Upper Canada, took place so far back as 18C I, in the passing of an act for " the estab- lishment of free schools, and the advancement of learning, on a Royal foundation,^^ under the imposing name of '* The Royal Institution ;" no effort in behalf of far more necessjry Common schools was made till so late as 1824", when an act was at last passed, " to facilitate the establishment and endownaent of elementary schools in the different parishes of the province." But instead of these two enactments being harmonizing branches of one well organised educational system, they were alto- geth *r independent of each other, and were, therefore, never productive of the hoped for beneficial results; and sucli, it may be stated, was also the fate of the appa- rently promising Normal school bill of 1832 ; and all arising, it might be inferred, from the same latent cause as the failure in Upper Canada, namely, in the begin- ning having been made at the wrong end. I'les, T inex for Legi allu( carrj fact, men! of t tribu and auth^ tary 43 In proof of this uncomplimentary remark being but too well founded, it is sufficient to remind our readers that though the intentions of " the Royal Institution " might have been excellent, no suitable royal donation (such as in Upper Canada) or any other special fund, having been allotted by law for carrying its provisions into effect, it would have proved altogether a nullity, but for the subsequent successive laudable exertions of the iocal legislature, in behalf of education generally. In fact, as far as royal aid in support of the act alluded to, is concerned, until the appropriation of the revenues of the late Jesuits' estates ** to the purposes of education alone," little more appears to have been accomplished by the law which created the Royal Institution than tho empowering of the governor to appoint and incorporate trustees, by that title, " for the establishment and ma- nagement of one or more free schools in each parish or township, and of other institutions of royal foundation, for the advancement of learning," with power to acquire, hold, and devise property in favour of the same, and to form rules and regulations for the guidance of all such schools as should be erected ; these schools, however, being left to be provided at the expense of the inhabi- tants of townships and parishes, in the same way as the erection of churches and parsonages ; but the nomination of the masters, and the fixit-g of the amouni of the sala- ries, to rest with the governor. The same fate might also have attended the similarly inexplicit first Common School Act, passed in iS'i^, but for the subsequent laudable action taken by tlie local Legislature in behalf of general education, already alluded to, no special fund being set apart by it for carrying so excellent a measure into elTer.t ; the bill, in fact, only aiming at *' the facilitating of the establish- ment and endowment of elementary schools!, as diffusive of the principles of a good moral education, and con- tributive to the promotion of industry and agriv.ulture ; and in that character simply enabling Fabriques^ or parish authorities, to acquire property for the benefit of elemen- tary education, and to establish schools in each parish • ( ^di \ i ! r:\\ 44 m ■If '■■ X', '■t under their management, in the proportion of one to every hundrei resident families ; and to apply a certain portion of their funds to the maintenance oi such insti- tutions." Fortunately for the country, however, full amends was made for any omission in this particular bill, by the rapidly growing interest which about that time began to be taken by the Provincial Legislature in the furtherance of education generally, evinced in con- tinued yearly liberal appropriations of various sums for the encouragement and support of educational institu- tions of every kind, in all parts of the country — from mere elementary schools and classical academies, up to colleges of a more enlarged character, including even schools on " the Royal Institution" foundation. To enu- merate the particular appropriations alluded to, would fill pages ; suffice it, then, to state, that in this good work the Legislature of Lower Canada far outstriptthe doings of the sister Province— *';e yearly and other grants in favour of education con.^nuing rapidly to increase, until in 1832 they amounted to upwards of d£32,000, and in 1836, in spite of the unfortunate discordant spirit then prevalent, had advanced beyond J636,000 ; and it is be- lieved that the same liberal provision for the dissemina- tion of 3ducation continued to be temporarily made by Ordinance, during the subsequent disturbed times, until the dawn of that eventful era, for weal or woe, the re- union of the two Provinces. Having arrived at a critical period of our public affairs, — when so much was to be expected from cautious and judicious legislation, by a united Parliament^ and so much was to be hoped for, from giving a right direction to the public mind, in the furtherance of so vitally im- portant a popular object, — it may not be out of place to revert, a little more in detail, to what had been pre- viously accomplished in the Lower Province ; and in this we shall have little difficulty, with the indefatigable Dr. Meilleur for our guide ; for that gentleman states, in his very creditable Report for 1842, that "under the influence of the Education Act which expired in 1836, there were 1530 schools in operation, at the rateof J620 cioi Uni^ edb feelj vim that in thei vitj mai grar pal\ at 45 I re- a year for each, and that £36,406 were paid for the last year ; but that portions of this sum were devoted to half the cost of the school-houses at the rate of £50 each, to paying for the teaching of any other language than that of the majority of the scholars at the rate of £4 to each master, and to paying 10s. for each poor child, and also 10s. per school in rewarding children who had made most progress. And, further, that under the in- fluence of this expired Education Act, it appears that the following sums were annually paid by Government for this object, viz. : — in 1832 £32.470 1833 22,154 1834 24,543 183r> 25,816 1836 36,406 Giving an average, exclusive of fractions, of £^8,277 for eacli year. Such, then, was the encouraging prospect at the pe- riod of the Union. Let us now inquire, how far the Legislative measures, which have been since adopted, have tended to advance that promising state of things or otherwise. We have more than once attached great importance to a beginning at the right end ; and it was, therefore, with lively satisfaction, that we contemplated the auspi- cious move in that direction made by the framers of the Union Education Bill of 1841, in the disposition avow- edly manifested to produce a gradual amalgamation of feeling between the inhabitants of the two rival Pro- vinces, by the introduction of a great educational system that would be likely to prove acceptable and practicable in both.* Short, however, was the gleam of hope thereby inspired ; for, unfortunately, the working of a vital part of the t Jtails of this important measure was made dependant on the successful introduction of that grand step towards self-government — District Munici- pal Councils ; and so impatient war the nobleman then at the head of the government to carry through the * The reader wiil be«r in mind that this auspicious mova wa» made by the Attorney General of Lower Canada. I ■a ii ,1 46 latter favourite object, without reflecting how far it would prove acceptable to the people of both Provinces, or otherwise, that the Education Bill was unreflectingly pushed through Parliament in connexion with it, with- out giving time for considering the latter so maturely and deliberately, per se, as to afford a fair chance of pro- ducing a systematic arrangement of so well digested a character as to be likely to require little or no amend- ment for at least a few years to come. The unfortunate consequence was, that the Education Bill, instead of undergoing that patient and dispassionate consideration in all its details, by both houses, which a matter of such vast, such paramount, importance to the welfare and interests of the People demanded, was no sooner carried through the House of Assembly, than it was thrust upon the Legislative Council on the eve of a prorogation, to be either unhesitatingly acquiesced in by them, " with all its imperfections on its head," or to have the country left without any provision for education at all. In this embarrassing dilemma, the latter course was deemed the most advisable ; and the bill was accordingly passed, although some members had never seen or read it, and who, therefore, in giving their reluctant assent to the measure, in the sole hope of its proving at least better than none, protested against such breathless haste in legislating upon a question pregnant with such eventful results to the people of both Provinces. That our readers may be aware how far the fore- going remarks are borne out by facts, we beg to bring to their re( Uection a portion of the very appropriate observation^, made by the Hon. Mr. Day, the minister who introduced the Bill in the Lower House, as well as the prophetic feelings expressed by the Hon. Mr. Morris, in deprecating the uncalled for premature adoption of it by the Legislative Council. The former of these gentlemen stated, that " the object of the pre- sent R.otion was the repeal of the existing laws on this subject in the two divisions of the Province, and the substitution, in their place, of a general system which should extend to the whole Province, and embrace the pay Rom; tion was withe latioi dutie He or 47 entire population, Tlie subject was one of the greatest iniportance, and which threw a great moral duty ou every man lo lend his aid towards supporting it. Those acquuiiiicd with the subject well knew that the present measure was but a part of the great general system of national education, which would take place, in not n)erely the establishment of Common Schools, but also of Model, and more especially of Normal Schools, which would train up young men to act as teachers and instructors. Of this system, the establish- ment of Common Schools would be the foundation upon which all the rest would lie; and if prudence was only observed in proceeding, there was no reason why every thing should not be done on this basis which the importance of the subject required. In order, how- ever, to secure success, it was necessary that the system introduced should be ample, effective, and popular, and that it should not interfere with the prejudices oi' those for whose benefit it was intended." * * * After adverting to thevanousactsin favour of Govern- ment, which had been passed in Upper Canada, and stating that there vvas but one opinion on the effects of these measures — that they had failed to effect the impor- tant object in view — the learned gentleman proceeded to observe, that, " If these means for the encouragement of education were so much required in Upper Canada, how much moi^e were they required in Lower Canada ! There, no legal establishment existed — no provision of the law — by which the people could obtain access to education. With the exception of a few institutions — supported by private benevolence, and maintained by the exertions of a class of men to whom he could not pay too high a tribute of praise — he alluded to the Roman Catholic clergy — no means for public instruc- tion existed. The total population of that Province was estimated at 600,000, out of which one-fifth were without the means of education ; and this young popu- lation was growing up to the exercise of important duties, totally ignorant of the nature of those duties. He would not join in the censure which had been so ■H m 48 lt"t abundantly dealt on the Legislature. The truth was, that there had been a great deal of legislating on the subject, extending back to the 41st of George III., which attempted the foundation of a Royal Institution^ but was productive of no eflect. Since then, several acts had been passed, in 1814, 1818, and lastly, in 1823, which last was of great importance, and must have pro- duced the most beneficial results. Its eifect was to divide the country into (school) districts ; and so im- portant was it considered, that it had been extended by subsequent statutes down to the 2d of William IV., C. 26, which existed up to the time of the suspen^'on of the constitution : since when no provision for the maintenance of schools had been made." On the matter being formally taken up in thv^ Upper House, the Hon. Mr. Morris took an opportunity of deprecating in strong terms any thing like hasty legis- lation on so very important a subject, followed up by submitting a series of resolutions, proposing that, in- stead of hurrying the Bill through that Session, at the risk of the adoption of a defective exceptionable mea- sure, a Parliamentary commission should be appoin^dd, to remain after the adjournment, composed of members of both Houses, with a clergyman and layman of the leading denominations of Christians, for the purpose of maturing and preparing a well digested system for the better education of the youth of the Province in en- dowed Common and Grammar Schools — as Seminaries preparatory of pupils for any University that might hereafter be established. And on the Bill being at length suddenly laid before the House by the Select Committee appointed to report upon it, he again spoke strongly on the subject, and was heartily joined by the Hon. Mr. De Blaquiere, in earnest protestations against the inconsiderate manner in which so important, yet imperfect a measure, was hurried through Parliament, on the very eve of a prorogation ; though they both declined opposing the passing of the Bill, lest the country should thereby be altogether deprived of the rem? to tl (the beforl J ^va^|, n the B III., \ution, several 1823, ve pro- was 10 so ini- idcd by m IV., penfs'on for the ^ Upper unity of ty Ifgis- i up by hat, in- I, at the ie mea- poin^.dd, nembers k of the irpose of for the ce in en- jminaries It might being at le Select lin spoke ed by the ns against •tant, yet irliament, they both , lest the ed of the 40 benefits expected to be derived from it.* The con- Bcquence was, tliat the Bill was passed in that defective, and, as regards the feelings of the People, otherwise objectionable state which, in spite of the generally excellent materials of which it was composed, and the various 8ubsequent attempts at amendment, has not only still left an otiierwis'e invaluable boon more or less unac- ceptable to the inhabitants of both Provinces, and more particularly of Lower Canada, but led the way to the in- troduction of a most impolitic and unealleu for practice of legislating for the two Provinces separately, connec- ted with subjects on which there ought to be but one common amalgamative opinion and law, and in the promotion of which the mo&t cordial reciprocity of good feeling and generous emulation among all races and sects sliould be encouraged and promoted. It is true, that the generally successful introduction of those deservedly/?o/;w/«r institutions — District Coun- cils — in Upper Canada, has, there, in a great measure removed the chief difficulties in the way of the amended education jill ; and it may therefore be reasonably hoped, that, as far as tb«t part of the province is con- cerned, time alone is wanting to allow the beneficial -*vorking of the present school system to be better understood, and enable its inhabitants to form a just appreciation of the inestimable blessing thus placed within their reach. But such, alas ! as might have been reasonably anticipated, has been far from the case in Lower Canada; and it ought, therefore, to have been provided, from the first, that until such should take place, the successful operation of whatever educational system might be intended to be adopted there, should be entirely independent of any other measure whatever. Having now reached a very critical stage of our remarks, as regards the Lower province, it is but juslics to the government and the legislature, as well as to * The Bill was hastily reported on by the Select Committee, (the chairman of which disBcnted from the meaaure) the very d»y before Parliament wat to have been prorogued. c 1 50 the Irieiids of' intellectual improvement at large, lo endeavour to incjuire more distinctly wluTein lies the still insuperable obstacle to the attainment of so truly desirable and invaluable an object as the general instruction of a people : and this we hope to Se enabled to discuss in a spirit of candour and good temper, worthy of so sacred a cause ; and therefore, il", in giving expression to what we conscientiously believe to be the truth, our observations should perchance prove rather unpalatable to a portion of our readers, we have to beg that they may, at least, be received in good part, and reflected on di.^passionattly, before^ they are pronounced either uryuslifiable or erroneous. In the iin.t place, then, it appears to us, altogether independent of those two great fundamental errors, as regards Lower Canada — the unfortunate linking of the Education Bill with that for the institution of Municipal Councils, and the unwise and even unequitable at- tempt to render the people's share of the school fund at all dependent on uncertain voluntary subscriptions, instead of a uniform general asse.-sment, — that however meritorious the previous exertions of the Legislature in behalf of popular instruction may have been, it may become a question whether they had not gone beyond the proper limits, ii; making the Government do too much, and leaving the people to do too little for them- selves, and tijereby leading the latter to infer that, far from being taxed for such a purpose, education was to be bestowed upon them almost gratuitously — nay, in a great proportion, altogether so ; for what else could be inferred, when in a young and thinly peopled agricul- tural country like Canada, — where such an unfortunate being as ^pauper should be almost unknown, — so larg'i; a portion of the population were thereby placed on a degrading eleemosynary footing, in providing for the education of their children, while the remainder were induced to regard the paltry a'lnual outlay of from one to two dollars, as more than an equivalent for so in- estimable a blessing.* Yet such would appear to hav-> * It would appear from the manner in which one Hon. membo' of the Legislative Cguncit alluded to the necessity of forcing the people tion of of from to, and cost pa and libi must si man sh obligat ;t has wliereal set mot irge, to lies the so truly general to *^e id good el'ore, ii*, believe rchatice readers, e"iv«d in ora they 13. together :rrort», as [ig of the iunicipal table at- ool fund criptions, t however egislature ?n, it may e beyond It do too for them- that, far on was to -nay, in a I could be d agricul- nfortunatc ,—-80 lar^(j aced on a ng for the inder were )f from one for so in ear to hav Hon. membc r forcing the 51 been, in a great degree, the humiliating case up to the period of tlie union ; and tlie natural conse(|uenee wqh, thU any subsequent attempt to provide a supply of rej^peetable, well (Qualified teachers, by imposing even the most trifling general tax, in addition to the liberal Parliamentary bounty, either by the Cjovernment direct, or through the supposed more popular medium of Municipal Councils, or to exact un equally trifling ad- ditional paymer)t from the parents of chddren attending school, was, arul still is, regarded in some parts of the country, as an act of the niost oppressive and tyranni- cal character. Of this, however, more hereafter. in the second place, we are disposed to believe that, notwithstanding the unceasing lau forego te more nergetic ore than a mem- ernment Canada, he good idvanced r various denomi- devoted the noble already education ent com- ention of e greater 55 part of the system which has been since introduced. In 1841, also appeared another able advocate of popular instruction, i!i Charles Mondelet, Et-q , who published, on the eve of the meeting of tlie first united parlianrient. a series of short letters on elementary and practical education, noticed at the head of this article, containing many valuable and appropriate suggestions, with refer- ence to that particular period, combined with the highly laudable and an)iable main object of, ifpossiMe. doing away with all odious national distinctions, induc- ing a better state of social feeling, and founding an improved system of general educatiof, on a basis securing the rights and privileges of all classes, what- ever may be their origin, religion, or politics ; and which, therefore, well merited being in the hands of every friend of education, as well as every «ell-wisher to the prosperity of United Canada.* For our readers to be aware of the general scope and merits of this well-timed little work, it might be suffi- cient to observe, that with some features peculiar to itself, it advocated in a great degree the outline of the Bill of 1841 — the learned framer of which cordially acknowledged his obligations to its author for consider- able assistance ; and that, as already observed, it earnestly advocated the adoption of an educational system that would be acceptable to all races and sects ; But common justice to the highly intelligent and patriot • writer, demands something more at our hands. We therefore gladly add, that after premising that education, elementary and practical, in Canada, is necessary to the young, and through them most in- * We cannot resist adding that a fresh instance has occurred while this article was in the hands of Uie printer. Mr. Assistant. Secretary Parent having, on the 18th of February, delivered, at the French Institute, an excellent lecture on the existing- state of Education and the Educational Law in Canada, in presence of a highly respectable and crowded audience. We understand that this discourse is to appear at length in the French journals ; but we trust that it will not be allowed to remain confined to that language alone, at a peculiar juncture like the present, collision and comparison of opinions being the alembic of all improvement. W I 56 fluential on those of mature age, and that the results of a proper course in that respect are of vital importance to all classes in this distracted country, he very justly proceeds to observe: ^* Common or primary schools are one of the most interesting institutions in any well organized society ; they are regarded as the great sources of elementary instruction ; no community is safe '.vithout them ; no Government is secure if it neglects or proscribes them. An enlightened people ivill, in most cases, guard against the corrupting in- fluence of bad rulers. It will be equally fre from the snares of ignorant or of intriguing and unprincipled demagogues. In either case the governed will escape the tyranny of one, or of the many. The cause of education is, therefore, the cause of liberty. Indepen- dent of these most imoortant results, the moral charac* ter of the people, taken collectively, — the individual character of each member of the community, — is eleva- ted by education — man is bettered ; and of course the state of society improved. The duties of man towards his Creator, those he owes to his Government, and the rules he has to be guided by in his intercourse with his fellow men, will be sacredly or lightly attended to in proportion to the improved or neglected moral sense. The prosperity of a country will of course be greater in proportion to the individual} or to the collective in- dustry of those who inhabit it. The success of the husbandman, the merchant, the trader, the mechanic, the seaman, in fact, the success of all, must depend on their knowledge of the art, calling, or trade they are engaged in, and consequently the general and individual prosperity and happiness are essentially dependent on the degree of intelligence and practical knowledge prevailing in a community. Common or primary schools, in which the elements of a sound and useful popular education are taught, are, therefore, of the highest importance to the country, and should excite the most lively interest." Impressed with this noble feeling, the same patriotic author in subsequent letters thus expresses himself; — guage, being made them lished and E or in The settlen himsel to the should learn 67 *' The united Legislature cannot, ought not, and will not, ailow the first session to pass by without duly ma- turing and adopting a system of elementary and prac- tical education. Our Legislature will ''.ot, I trust, con- tent themselves with a servile imitation of the govern- ments of the feudal ages, always bent upon patronising academies, colleges, and universities, for the education of the few ; and, in their selfish and inhuman career, leaving the bulk of the people in ignorance and degrada- tion. * * * Let us, therefore, whatever may be our origin, our religion, our politics, join heart and hand in the noble cause of education : on the success of our efibrts depends our happiness ; but the failure of our endeavours must be followed by worse consequences than the most timid are likely to apprehend.'' He then proceeds to observe, that * as the want of a general and uniform system of elementary and practical education is extreme in Lower Canada, no time should be lost in adopting such means as are calculated to remedy so great an evil ; and that as national distinctions and prejudices are most formidable obstacles to the carrying into operation of a uniform system, means should at once be adopted to surmount them. And, further, that there being a mutual distrust prevailing in a very bigb degree in respect to language — the English population- being impressed with the belief that the French Cana- dians are averse to the spreading of the English lan- guage, and the French Canadians, on the other hand,, being apprehensive that efibrts have been and are being made to wrest from them their vernacular, and force them to speak the English language — let there be estab- lished in each locality, as far as practicable, a French and English school, either in one and the same building, or in two distinct houses. The result is inevitable. The English parent seeing, in the midst of the French settlements, English schools, will very naturally say to- himself; * Surely the French Canadians are not hostile to the spread of the English language ; it is better that I should send my children to the French t?chool ; they will learn both languages, and get on much better in iu» c3 I! If'! I 'i n ."V'- 58 world !* The French Canadian parent also will at once find out that he is not forcibly to be robbed cf his lan- guage ; he will sre the propriety of having his children taught the English language ; which will enable them to clear their way to usefulness ; and he will therefore send his children to the English school. " Thus, the mutual dis- trust, now prevailing, will vanish, to make way for mu- tual confidence. Both populations will cease to fear, what they now dread so much ; their anticipations and their hopes will not be visionary, there being nothing to oppose to facts ; English and French schools working simultaneously will be unanswerable arguments. * * Peace and happiness being restored, the working of a sound system of education becomes easier. In the first instance, it has been the effect; it must now become the cause of a state cf things bettering every day" The same generous amalgamalive spirit pervading the whole of this patriotic writer's observations, we are con- tent to remark, for tlie present, that we cordially acquiesce in most of them, and in none more than in the moral necessity as well as undeniable justice of a light general tax for such a purpose — if in addition to a trifling sum to be paid by parents who send children to school ; but we are inclined to think that the extra imposition of di fine upcn those who do not c'loose to avail themselves of the schools, be the purpose to which that fund will be devoted what it may, would savour too much of the despotic, though otherwise excellent, Prus- sian system, to be acceptable, the very praise-worthy examples of our neighbours of Massachusetts and Con- necticut to the contrary notwithstanding ; and we are rather inclined to believe that it would prove more bene- ficial, as well as more popular, for the burthen on those of small means but large famihes to be alleviated, by a pro^^ressi v^e diminution in the monthly school dues in proportion to the number of children ; thus, for the first, say Is. 3d., for the second Is., for the third 6d., and the fourth to be gratis. We also gladly subscribe to the propriety of encouraging a cordial feeling among the youth of both races, by French and English schools I t once is lan- tiildren lem to re send ml dia- br mu- o fear, )n8 and hing to working * # ng of a he first ome the ding the are con- cordially >re than tice of a Idition to children the extra j'loose to to which ivour too snt, Prus- e-worthy ind Con- 1 we are ore bene- on those ted, by a I dues in ■ the first, ., and the ibe to the mong the h schools 59 being, wherever practicable, placed in kindly juxtaposi- tion, as pregnant with the most desirable results in the intercourse of after life ; and we mark with equal satis- faction the importance which the writer attaches to the due promotion of female education.* All, therefore, that remains to be added is our hearty commendation of his patriotic suggestions, mingled with our deep regret that they were not attended with better success. Having so far discussed the merits of M. Mondelet's laudable little work, it is full time to return to the labours of Dr. Meilleur. In that gentleman's Report for 1842, while deploring the existence of that unfortunate stumbling-block in the way of the first Education Bill — the popular aversion to the introduction of District Municipal Councils — full justice was done to the zealous exertions of the clergy to give impetus to the Act, as having been so much the greater, in proportion as the obstacles became more in- vincible, from the want of the effective co-operation of the Municipal Councils; but it was at the same time candidly admitted, that popular institutions, although they had been asked and expected for a number of years, were, for the people of Lower Canada, things yet new ; and that it was, therefore, not surprising that where such institutions were yet in their infancy, the people should not at once be able to perceive distinctly in the combined and complicated machinery of these two laws, ail the advantages which may result from their respec- tive operations, though they might be found to work well separately ; and he, therefore, very properly begged that till that should be the case, the Lower Canadian Bill should be altogether independent of the municipal ordinance, and entrusted to the entire and exclusive direction of educated local School Commissioners, under the guidance of the * We have already observed, that we do not think the emplov- ment of female teachers, and the formation of separate girls' schools, sufficiently encouraged in Canada, and mentioned in. stances of this being m'>re carefully attended to elsewhere. We may here add, that in the State of Ohio, the number of male and female teachers, as well as of boys and girls' schools, is nearly equal. j 60 V^' ,.m; Provincial Superintendent, " the fact being that the granting of municipalities to the inhabitants of Lower Canada was premature," and for this simple reason, that << the people are not yet, in general, sufficiently in- structed to be able to take, wHh advantage, the effective part assigned them ; and, in consequence, it is impos- sible to obtain from the Municipal Councils a prompt, regular, and effective co-operation." Such continued to be the unsatisfactory state of mat- ters up to 184-5, the year in which the first separate amended Bill for Lower Canada was passed, granting the impolitic option of voluntary subscriptions, instead of a uniform direct general assessment ; and, accordingly, in forwarding his Report for that year, in 1846, Dr. Meil- leur was compelled to avow, in the strongest terms, the melancholy fact, that up to that period the School Bill had either not worked at all, or had in most cases worked very badly — notwithstanding the constant courageoua efforts made everywhere by the friends of education, and especially by the members of the clergy of every creed and origin, to further its operation : " and this, for two reasons ; the one, the continued existence of the old obstacle, its connection with the Municipal Councils ;* the other, that the law required a small contribution 9. either by voluntary subscription, or by assessment on their real property, equal to the sum allowed yearly by the Legislature ; but that the word < tax' had unfortu- nately slipped into the law, and taken the place of that of ct.itribution ; and that those who had reasons — some- times inexplicable enough — for opposing the measure, had seized upon that word as the signal of a general and irreparable ruin ! and that suddenly, at their voice, the pe(^le were seen to rise in a body in certain coun- ties where the leaders of the opposition were more influ- ential and active, and, guided by their perfidious coun- * It would appear that, independent of the want of education making these popular institutions inappreciable by the people of Lower Canada, a strong popular antipathy prevails against them, from the first attempt to introduce them having been made hj *' Ordinance'* duri»?g the suspension of the constitution. 61 u sell had allowed themselves (or a moment to be dragged into opposition ;" — to what ? — a purely philanthropic law, made for the sole benefit of themselves and chil- dren. But, *^ that the iniiabitants were at length be- ginning to comprehend better the true ends of the law, its utility, its importance, and the means of attaining its objects; and it might now be said, that notwithstanding the efibrta of the opposition, and the defects of the law, wherever the inhabitants had been well advised, and the local authorities well disposed, and so acted with good faith, concord, harmony, and perseverance, in their pro- ceedings, the execution of the law had been easy, and followed by results most satisfactory to all : from which it might be reasonably concluded, that if the opposition had every where left the people to their natural good sense, free to follow without constraint and hinderance their own inclination for tho instruction of their chil- dren — free, at least, to follow the well-meant advice of their true friends, and, in particular, of their pastors, — at all times so zealo^^.s for the public welfare, — the working of the law would have every where been immediate, uniform, and most advantageous to the rising generation." But then, again, he was forced to confess, that *^ this gratifying success is still far from being what it would have been, without the efforts of the opposition ; there are localities where it is partial only, others where it is yet a nullity* In these latter, the inhabitants, bowed beneath the weight of an undue influence, incline, as formerly, towards the impoisoned source of prejudice, and abandon themr'^lves to the most deceitful illusions, in spite of all the good counsels and good examples given them by their fellow-citizens and friends ; all have yet failed to make them sensible of the false position in v:hich they are placed, by certain individuals more de- sirous of a momentary command over men whose mis- fortune it is to be too confiding, and more ambitious of acquiring the ephemeral reputation of a day, than of contributing, with a good grace, to the permanent happi- ness and welfare of nearly 200,000 children eager to divide the intellectual food ! There are also localities, H 'H ■ I 62 where the inhabitantH, indiflerent or apathetic, do no- thing either to conform to the law, or dirertly to op[)oae it, flattering themselves that it will he repealed or modi- fied, 50 as to require nothing at their hands ; and thus sacrif'.ce to douhtfnl hopes, to im[)rohal)le results, the certam and durable advantages which might be unfail- ingly secured to their children, by the faithlul execution of the existing school law." In this conflicting and discouroging state of things, Dr. Meilleur was led to recommend, for consideration, various amendments in the law, the principal of which were, the entire separation of the School Act from that regulating the rural municipalitieja, and the making of it permanent; the placing of the carrying out of its pro- visions solely in the hands of local Commissioners, either elected by the inhabitants, or appointed by Go- vernment in default of none being elected ; the repeal of that part of the law which exacts Is. 3d. per month for each child actually attending school, and the exac- tion of it for every child of an age to attend school, i. e., from 5 to 16 ; making the contribution by assessment on real property obligatory in all cases, excej)t extreme poverty — in which case the Commissioners to have the power of exempting the inhabitants of indigent locali- ties from paying the full amount; and the establishing of a Board of Examiners for the admission of teachers. In addition to which he adverted to several other oh. jects, having a reference to public instruction, as, though of a less pressing nature, not the less important, or re- quiring the intervention of the Legislature, such as th'3 establishment of county academies, the institution of normal and model schools, the necessity of uniformity in school books ; the foundation of school libraries ; the teaching of the elementary principles of agriculture in the principal school in each county; and the promo- tion of a periodical Journal of education. Leaving our readers at liberty to ro%r to Dr. Meil- leur's Report for the explanatory details connected with these amendments, we deem it sufficient to observe, for the present, that though we may difler from Dr. Meilleur 68 \o no- modi- d thus is, the unfail- jcution things, oration, which )m that ng of it ts pro- si oners, by Go- 3 repeal month e exac- »ol, i. e., ment on extreme lave the It locali- iblishing eachers. :)ther ob- s, though nt, or re- ?,h as th-3 tution of niformity ries ; the culture in 3 promo- Dr. Meil- cted with serve, for . Meilleur in some respects, as either stated in the imniediately foregoing pages or in the former portion of our remarks, we cordially concur in most of diem ; and in none more than in the absolute necessity for the immediate estab- lishment of efficient normal and model schools, such as have been lajely set on foot in the U))pcr Province; and we regard as no li.'ss indispensable, andj in fact, ns a natu- ral sequence, the appointment of one or more Boards of Education, or Examiners, such as that instituted in the sister Province. To which might have been added, the ap- pointment of well-qualified Superintendents to each county. But what will all these improvements amount to, if that all-important and invaluable instrument, the teacher, is destined to be left in that utterly degraded position which he at present occupies, instead of being raised to the lej»itimate respectable status m society insisted upon in our former article? but which can only be accomplished by the unanimous applauding voice and liberal helping hand of a grateful peopNv Aiid of this, unfortunately, the prospect in Lower Canada is still gloomy in the extreme ; for on the re- amended Bill being brought before Parliament in 1846, such was the discordant feeling on this vitally im- portant and i)hilanthropic subject, in spite of all ihe ofTorts of the liberal friends of education, civilization, and humanity, on both sides of the House, that compa- ratively little good was eilected, except making the working of the bill independent of Municipal Councils, and the omission of the objectionable voluntary contri- butions ; and the consequence was, that a third con- flicting elTort at amendment was proposed to be attempted during the last session of Parliament, reviving the optional voluntary contribution ; but, so far fortunately, that was destined to fall to the ground abortive in the House of Assembly. And thus, as far as the Legislature is con- cerned, to the disgrace of the country, stands the matter at present. In the meantime, however, it is somewhat con- solatory to learn, from different quarters, as well as to per- ceive from the Superintendent's Report for 1846, that a better feeling is gradually gaining ground among the mis- guided ^^habitanaj^'* in spite of all the insane efforts of cer- tain worthy ** extinguishers'' in some remote parts of the country ; and we are, therefore, led to indulge a confi- dent hope that such will, after all, continue to be the case.* That our readers, however, may be enabled to judge for themselves of the plain unvarnished state of things at present, we beg to refer them to the following somewhat imperfect abstract view of the truly humili- ating scale of education at present existing in both divi- sions of the Province, conrpared with what ought to be expected, when contrasted with what is witnessed in many other countries ; — Abstract Statistical View of the State of the Common Schoolt in the Province of Canada for the years 1844, 5, and 6. 1 1. Idren Age. ildren hool. Divisions. Year. 6-R CO 5cS{ 2 rt «-.-a •r •-"S J'" i& o "i 00 o<« o o^ H !2; o 55 ^< Vpper Canada, 1844 506,052 184,062 2,945 96,756 1845 632,070 198,434 «• • 110,002 1846* Unascer. 204,580 2,925t 110,31& tained. Lower Canada, 1844 690,782 186,349 1,832 61,030 1845 Unascer- tained. ... 1,737 59,389 1846 Do. ... 1,830 69,887 t This includes 336 schools unreported, at an average of 25 scholars to each. * It is truly gratifying to find the conduct of these unprincipled men repudiated and stigmatised by every true friend of the coun- try on both sides of the floor of the House of Assembly, as well as, with few exceptions, by the whole of the public press, of all shades of politics. As one late instance of which it may be men. tioned, that the Minervct of the 31st December, characterised the opposition shown to that part of the Common School Act, en. forcing taxation lor the benefit of education, as a diabolical doctrine^ not to be entertained by enlightened men ; and declared that to advocate its repeal was impoasible for any respectable Canadian f 65 Now, from the above well ascertained data, it would appear that in Upper Canada little more than half of the children between five and sixteen are now attending school ; and that the proportion in Lower Canada is miserably less, being little more than one-fourth ; where- as in several of the neighbouring American States — from whom, and not from Prussia, the greater part of our school system '.s derived* — almost every child is being I in a> • Wo flhuuld be doinKj an injastico to a very influential portion nf the British Empire, were we nut to remind our rcaderi, that if they want an authority nearer home for a tax on property for the purposes of general education, they have only to look to the con- •litution of the Parochial Sclioofs of Scotland; and if they wish to have the subject bronght altogetlier home to Canada, let them reflect on the following excellent observations of the shrewd and talented member for Huron, during tha debate on the Education Bill of 184G. Dr. Dunlop said that he did not expect to have it ar- gued in the 19th century, whether or no the people should bo taxed for the purpose of education. He thought that the ad. vancement of the age had established that point. It was a duty incumbent upon that House to furnish the people with moral and r<»1igious education. Without this being done, it was of no use making canals and railroads. The country would nut prosper if the people were not better than the oxen that worked in their fields. It had been said» ** keep people in ignorance, "^ind you can govern them ; instruct them, and they will govern themselves." Now, he wanted to see them govern thernfeelves. The less education the people posses r^^ui, tho less they felt the want of it ; and it was, therefore, the duty of that House to feel for them, and to tax them for their own benefit, in this particular. He was j^uiitj of frequently referring to his own countrvi and was about to do so again : the people of Scotland might be found in every part of the world, but no where were they mere hewers of wood and dnwers of water ; and the reason w&b, because the people •were taxed for the maintenance of good schools in every parish, and the means of education were given to the poorest. Scotland occupied but a small space in the physical world ; but how great was the space it filled in the moral world. The larger countries, France, England, and Germany, might be equal to them in that respect, as they ought to be, considering the greater number of inhabitants. In a moral point of view, the literature of Scotland itoud conspicuously fortii to the world's eye. The educational system of Scotland had broken down the ancient monopoly of greatness, (rank), and opened the door of fame to every competi. tcr. The small start which the wealthy farmer was able to give bis son, was lost and of no account, when the son of the peasant 66 ■■•/i?' t ' .,!■!;' more or less educated ; and in more than one of them, education is literally universal.* This is truly a melancholy comparison, which every Canadian, whether of British or French origin, may well blush to see recorded ; but it exhibits, nevertheless, the stern truth ! Let us, however, not altogether despair, but look hopefully forward to belter times, when in spite of all the heartless unchristian efforts of a few ignorant or designing political demagogues, the mists of prejudice shall gradually disperse, and the beneficial workings of our educational system shall become better understood and appreciated ; for it was a number of years before even our neighbours of New York, after much vexatious opposition and evasion, began to comprehend the true merits and value of, and become thoroughly reconciled to direct school taxation, with the ample special fund for educational purposes provided by the State, as may be seen from the following : — Abstract table of the progress of Common Schools in the State of New York. Year. No. of Schools. No. of Children between 5 & 16. No. of Children taught. 1815 1820 1830 1843-4 2755 176,449 6332 317,633 9063 497,503 10875 670,995 140,106 304,559 499,424 657,732t t This is exclusive of the schools in the groat city of New York. was equally well educated with the son of the peer. He hoped to see a similar system introduced into this colony : and it would be the greatest blessing ever conferred upon it, * Though it is the fashion to run down the enlightened, though arbitrary, Prussian system, we cannot resist adding, that so far back as 1831, out of a population in that country of 12,726,823 there was a proportion of 2,043,030 children between the ages of seven and fourteen ; and that of these, 2,021,421 actually attended the public schools, leaving only 21,609 without education, if such were the case ; but these, in fact, were supposed to be attending private schools ; — so thai it would appear that every human being in that kingdom actually enjoys the benefits of education ! What a contrast this to the mortifying scene exhibited at the late Quarter Session for the city and district of Montreal, the proud metj juroj FreJ insti 67 f them, every lay well ess, the despair, in spite ignorant prejudice ^ings of derstood s before exatioiis the true icoiiciled fund for may be the State Children ught. 0,106 4,559 9,424 7,732t ^ew York. He hoped d it would led, though that so far I2,72b,823 he ages of ly attended ion, if such 3 attending imnn being on ! What at the late the proud To which may be added, that the amount of public money received and expended in the several school districts in 1844, was $660,727.41, of which was ap-- l!)lied to the payment of teachers' wages, $Q65,793.76y and to the purchase of books and for school librariesji $94,933.97 ; and the amount paid by the inhabitants on rate or assessment bills for teachers' wages, was $509,376.97 ; making an aggregate amount of upwards of 1,000,000 of dollars applied to the payment of teachers' wages ! Having at length, in a great measure, redeemed the. pledge given by us at the outset of our desultory observa- tions, we would now gladly come to a conclusion of this already too protracted article ; but we trust that our readers will kindly bear with us a little longer on so vitally important a subject, at a peculiar crisis like the present, while we once more earnestly warn our fellow countrymen of both races against the baneful conse- quences that must result from the reckless, unreflecting desire of constant change, which has of late become so rife, and appears to be gaining ground in some parts of the Upper Province, and entreat that a fair and pa- tient trial may be given to the existing educational sys- tem in all its parts, imperfect thought it may be, before any attempt at material alteration is forced upon the Legislature ; and we beg it to be recollected that such cannot possibly be the case until the influence of that powerful lever, the lately established Normal Schools, shall be brought into effective operation, and that that cannot be expected in less than three years. And we would in particular most earnestly deprecate all attempt to narrow the sphere of, and far less dispense with, the services of so invaluable a main-spring as an efficient Chief Superintendent for each province, without which the whole machinery must infallibly crumble to pieces. In fact, it may be recollected that our individual convic- roetropolis of firj