gradually diminishes who discontinue their schooling altogether when they pass the standard of exemption.

In all probability, as time goes on, and the supply of adequately trained teachers of a grade higher than elementary grows more equal to the demand, it may become possible to organise a thorough system of peripatetic teachers whose special function it shall be to keep the teaching of these evening schools up to the highest level that the elementary teacher can reach, and in the course of time gradually to raise it higher. But if this be done, it would be in connection, not with the public elementary day schools under the Department, but with the system of secondary schools which it would be the duty of county councils to create. The teachers in such secondary schools would have been trained to teach secondary subjects to students of secondary age, and should be available for such evening work in their neighbouring villages, it being easier to send the teacher to the taught than the taught to the teacher in rural districts, while in towns it is exactly the reverse.

At this point it may not be amiss to draw attention to the importance of remembering the necessarily elementary character of the education in village day schools, whether voluntary or under School Boards.

Those who are most conversant with the routine of these village schools, and the results produced by even the best work done in them, will be most fully aware of the wisdom of completing in the elementary school, as thoroughly as possible, the real elementary work up to the highest standards, and of special emphasis being laid upon the thoroughness of the mastery gained over the three R's. The children whose mastery over these subjects is the most complete are those who will form the most certain, the most regular, and the most profitable pupils for the evening continuation classes.

Any sacrifice of such thoroughness in the elementary school, for the sake of a little science or a little cookery, means a corresponding future sacrifice both of the time in the evening continuation school and (which is more important) of the inducement to attend it.

But none of these considerations point in the direction of the necessity for submitting elementary as well as secondary education to county councils.

The case for devolution of the administration of elementary education cannot be said to have been made clear, and before it commands general assent it will require a far more detailed defence. In the opinion of a very large proportion of the community there would be a serious disadvantage in the interposition of a local authority between the central Department dealing with the subject as a matter of national and therefore parliamentary interest, and the fathers and mothers of the children whose tender years keep them still under the parental roof. No need is felt for any authority more

remote than the managers of the village school, in whose election the parents unquestionably have a claim to share. It must be remembered that whatever matters are too local for departmental management in the affairs of village schools are also too local for anything except village management, and that nothing will be gained by devolution if intimate knowledge of local circumstances is not secured; on the contrary, increase of correspondence, conflict of interests, more opportunities of friction will be the result.

Much of the difficulty already felt with regard to the village school has its origin in the confusion between the parent and the ratepayer. It may almost be said that wherever in rural districts this distinction has been borne in mind, and fair representation on the body of managers has been provided for voluntary subscribers and for parent, it has practically been found that the interests of all concerned have been amicably adjusted, and the burden has not been intolerable. It is indeed difficult to see what advantage there is to be gained at present in the interests either of the parents or of the subscribers by the interposition of any local authority with regard to public elementary schools. The county council would not possess the intimate knowledge of local circumstances. No district committee appointed by the county council would have the requisite immediate touch with the parents. Our experience in country districts so far is not encouraging as to direct election for educational purposes even for elementary schools alone, and it hardly requires argument that for successful development or organisation of secondary education the area of district councils would not suffice either for administration or for finance.

And we are thus driven back to the conclusion towards which the considerations urged in the earlier part of this paper also seemed to point—namely, that the distinction between elementary and secondary education should be clearly admitted and practically recognised, that the administration of the one should be regarded as the function of the national Government, and should be direct and complete; while with regard to the other, the extremely complicated nature of the problem of secondary education, and the very great variety of considerations affecting it, point to a local treatment which should cover as large an area and as wide a limit of age as may be found feasible.

The more clear the distinction and the more complete the administrative separation between elementary and secondary education, the lower down can be placed the first rung of the ladder which it is the object of all persons interested in education to construct.

The first step in the ascent of that ladder must be the step out of the elementary school. The way should then be clear to the top. And for the construction of that ladder a county educational authority is an eminently fit body.

With regard to the construction, functions, and powers of that

body there is a good deal of difference of opinion. It is a point of considerable practical difficulty. The question really is, on what lines can most steady progress be made with the least resistance? The resistance will come from the ratepayer. The motive power must come from the parent. The authority has to accumulate the power, and steer through, or past, the resistance.

The ratepayer's power is wielded by the councillors-the parent's interest is entrusted to the committee. In what way, then, can the committee get most support from the parent? And by what means can the ratepayer secure economy?

While it is eminently undesirable that county councils should be elected with special reference to education, it is, on the other hand, in so far as the limitation of expenditure of local rates is concerned, inevitable that the voice of the council should be final. Hitherto the difficulty has arisen usually in the submission of educational projects for consideration by a rather heterogeneous body, with an agenda. paper already formidable in its length and in the variety of subjects contained in it.

Some county councils have shown considerable reluctance to give a free hand to their Education Committees, and the committees in consequence have felt to some extent hampered in the formation and organisation of their schemes, as well as in the appointment of their staff. But, if secondary education is to prosper in the hands of county councils, it is essential that (except as regards the total amount of rates expended) the hands of the committee on education shall be absolutely free to form and to put into execution its own schemes, and to appoint its own officers.

If they are given a free hand in details, and a power to spend within certain limits, with the consent of the council, there is no reason why the organisation of an adequate supply of secondary education in its various forms should not at once be placed in the hands of properly strengthened committees of county councils. They would probably welcome the provision-as a kind of Court of Appeal of some such central authority as was suggested in the Report of the Royal Commission on Secondary Education (pp. 256259), but the fewer the trammels and officials they are hampered with the better will be their work.

The most important practical point to be considered is the constitution of the County Committee. The suggestion of the Commissioners (Report, p. 268) seems to be one upon which it will be difficult to improve-namely, a majority appointed by the county council freely, from within or without its own number; one-third of the remainder nominated by the Education Minister (or central authority); the remaining members being co-opted by the members already chosen. Such co-optation should be absolutely free.

There is hardly room for doubt that in this manner, whatever re

sources a county contains for the formation of an earnest and efficient educational authority would be called forth.

But it is worth while to consider for a moment what would be the consequences (or some of them) of imposing on such a body the duties of a 'paramount' authority on elementary education. We know already, with regard to secondary education, something about the amount and the nature of the work likely to be imposed upon them, from our experience with regard to the technical side of it, including such technical instruction as can be given in evening schools.

We know that such work has not brought upon them any serious difficulties in the way of discipline among teachers, inspection or examination of schools or of scholars, statistics of attendance, or in way of apportionment of grants.

the

It is possible that the necessities of a certain class of secondary schools may entail some further apportionment of public money. But, at the worst, if this should turn out to be the case, such duties would grow gradually out of the work of the committee itself, and would easily be met by provision made as the necessity should arise. But the assumption (or, rather, as it would be, the most unwilling acceptance) of the duties of a 'paramount authority' on elementary education would immediately bring down upon the committee, all unprepared and inexperienced in such matters as they would be, a hailstorm of difficult problems, and a heavy mass of duties in connection with them; for the whole system of elementary schools in the county would at once turn to the unfortunate committee, in hopes of getting better terms from them than they ever could expect from the Department. All the financial business of the multitude of schools, with the attendant examination of details and checking of registers, and the thousand and one other minute points affecting grants, &c., would be referred to them.

Is it possible to contemplate this (leaving altogether on one side the worst of all, the religious difficulty) without seeing that one of two results must follow? Either (1) a body which might perform thoroughly well such educational functions as in connection with secondary education have been above referred to, must be paralysed and overwhelmed under a mass of clerical and other work already efficiently performed in the central offices of a national department, or (2) a new office must be got together, as best it can be, in each county, which would be very far from representing, or in any way being part of, the county council, and its work would have to be superintended, not by county officials (even if there were any fit for the task), but by such amateurs as may be zealous enough to devote their leisure hours steadily to this purpose, and who reside near enough to the county town to be in constant daily attendance without inordinate waste of time and money in travelling.

For this kind of work cannot be done by occasional periodical

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committee meetings, with a staff of less than half a dozen clerks. It will require steady attendance of persons in authority, made competent by experience to give rapid decisions on a variety of points, and responsible for expenditure-and such persons it is not easy to gather daily from a county area. If this be not so, it is difficult to see in what sense the contemplated authority would be 'paramount,' or what was meant by the phrase decentralisation.'

Further, no allusion has so far been made to one of the most formidable objections to the proposal-namely, the impossibility of maintaining satisfactorily a national standard of attainments. The appointment and employment of inspectors is one (probably the most important) of the chief duties of a paramount authority. Therefore, under the proposed arrangement, either (1) the inspector must be appointed by one body and report to another; or (2) there must be double inspection, divergent reports, and varying apportionment of grants; or (3) the county paramount authorities must take entire charge of the inspection (i.e. appointment and employment of inspectors), and the resulting apportionment of grants.

It is difficult to say which of these three systems would be most disastrous in its effects.

Again, it has been somewhat thoughtlessly assumed that after this function has been put upon county councils, or upon committees acting with their authority, the composition of these bodies would remain the same as it is now. Reasons have already been given for doubting whether it be desirable that this assumption should be realised-such as the unfitness of county councils for such functions. But it is certain that they would not remain the same, and equally certain that they would not be improved from an educational point of view.

The introduction of a really important educational question among the subjects upon which a county council election has to take place would immediately alter the whole complexion of the contest. And as surely as it is true that individual experts in educational matters can hardly be chosen in a worse way than by direct popular election, so surely is it also true that a body chosen upon issues such as those attending School Board elections is not likely to show a degree of practical efficiency for other and more mundane subjects (such as roads, county buildings, asylums, pollution of rivers, and so forth) equal to that which has hitherto characterised our rural municipal authorities.

It has been argued in some quarters that some such proposal regarding elementary education as that contained in the Bill is necessary to create and maintain an intelligent interest in education.' In reply, it may fairly be maintained that when the county authority becomes responsible for the organisation of a supply of education adapted to the wants of all classes, except that provided