NATIONAL EDUCATION, THE 138 QUESTION OF QUESTIONS; BEING AN APOLOGY FOR THE BIBLE IN Schools for the Nation: WITH REMARKS ON CENTRALIZATION AND THE VOLUNTARY SOCIETIES, AND BRIEF NOTES ON LORD BROUGHAM'S BILL. BY HENRY DUNN, Secretary to the British and Foreign School Society. SECOND EDITION. LONDON: THOMAS WARD AND Co., 27, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1838. One Shilling. General lib. gift 9-18-44 ADVERTISEMENT то THE SECOND EDITION, A Second Edition of this Pamphlet having been called for, I avail myself of the opportunity thus afforded, to state, that which is I hope already generally understood, -that the Committee of the British and Foreign School Society are not, as a Committee, to be held responsible either for the opinions therein contained, or for any particular form of expression which may have been chosen for their communication. On a subject involving so many considerations, and confessedly embarrassed by peculiar difficulties, it would, perhaps, be impossible to find any body of men inclined to adopt precisely the same views. It is to me a matter of surprise as well as of pleasure, that so many should have expressed their concurrence with the sentiments I have expressed. H. D. February 1st, 1838. M34 AN APOLOGY, ETC. ETC. SECTION I. THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. It will scarcely be disputed, that of late an unusual degree of interest has been manifested in various quarters on the subject of National Education. Within the last few months, public meetings have been held in various parts of the empire for the purpose of petitioning Parliament to make some legislative provision for the instruction of the people, and still more recently a bill has been introduced into the House of Lords, by Lord Brougham, for its immediate accomplishment. Under these circumstances, it cannot, I trust, be deemed impertinent to invite the attention of the friends of Education to the principles on which, in the judgment of many, such a measure can alone be safely based.* That the existing provision for popular instruction is deficient in quantity, and in too many cases, still more defective in quality, must be admitted by all who are acquainted with the actual state of the country. The intellectual condition of the agricultural districts has been well described by a powerful and original writer as "a gloomy monotony ;-death without * On the particular bill now before Parliament, it would be premature to offer any observations. The country is deeply indebted to Lord Brougham for his indefatigable and enlightened exertions on behalf of the Education of the people. Whatever may be the fate of the present bill, -certainly the best that has yet been presented to the notice of Parliament,—the name of Lord Brougham will always be associated in the annals of the country with the history of its popular Education. B |