第32章

It ought to be exposed；for the instruction which it inculcates at the outset of forming human character is destructive of the genuine charity which can alone train man to be truly benevolent to all other men.The ideas of exclusive right and consequent superiority which men have hitherto been taught to attach to the early sentiments and habits in which they have been instructed，are the chief cause of disunion throughout society；such notions are，indeed，in direct opposition to pure and undefiled religion；

nor can they ever exist together.The extent of the misery which they generate cannot，however，be much longer concealed.They are already hastening fast to meet the fate of all errors；for the gross ignorance on which this system of misery has been raised，is exposed to the world on its proper foundation，and，so exposed，its supporters will shrink from the task of defence，and no rational mind will be found to give it support.

Having exhibited the error on which ignorance has erected the systems by which man has been governed，or compelled to become irrational and miserable；and having laid an immovable foundation for a system devoid of that error，which，when fully comprehended and adopted into practice，must train mankind 'to think of and act to others as they would wish others to think of and act to them'，we proceed further to explain this system without error，and which may be termed a system without mystery As then children collectively may be formed into any characters，by whom ought their characters to be formed？

The kind and degree of misery or happiness experienced by the members of any community，depend on the characters which have been formed in the individuals which constitute the community.

It becomes，then，the highest interest，and consequently the first and most important duty，of every state，to form the individual characters of which the state is composed.And if any characters，from the most ignorant and miserable to the most rational and happy，can be formed，it surely merits the deepest attention of every state to adopt those means by which the formation of the latter may be secured，and that of the former prevented.

It follows that every state，to be well governed，ought to direct its chief attention to the formation of character；and thus the best governed state will be that which shall possess the best national system of education.

Under the guidance of minds competent to its direction，a national system of training and education may be formed，to become the most safe，easy，effectual，and economical instrument of government that can be devised.And it may be made to possess a power equal to the accomplishment of the most grand and beneficial purposes.

It is，however，by instruction only，that the population of the world can be made conscious of the irrational state in which they now exist；and，until that instruction is given，it is premature to introduce a national system of education.

But the time is now arrived when the British Government may with safety adopt a national system of training and education for the poor and uninstructed；and this measure alone，if the plan shall be well devised and executed，will effect the most importantly beneficial changes.

As a preliminary step，however，it is necessary to observe，that to create a well-trained，united，and happy people，this national system should be uniform over the United Kingdom；it should be also founded in the spirit of peace and of rationality，and，for the most obvious reasons，the thought of exclusion to one child in the empire should not for a moment be entertained.

Several plans have been lately proposed for the national education of the poor，but these have not been calculated to effect all that a national system of education of the poor ought to accomplish.

For the authors and supporters of these systems we feel those sentiments which the principles developed throughout these Essays must create in any minds on which they have been early and effectually impressed；and we are desirous of rendering their labours for the community as extensively beneficial as they can be made.To fulfil，however，a great and important public duty，the plans which they have devised must be considered as though they had been produced and published in the days of antiquity.

The plans alluded to are those of the Rev.Dr Bell，Mr Joseph Lancaster，and Mr Whitbread.

The systems of Dr Bell and Mr Lancaster，for instructing the poor in reading，writing，and arithmetic，prove the extreme ignorance which previously existed in the manner of training the young；for it is in the manner alone of giving instruction that these new systems are an improvement on the modes of instruction which were formerly practised.

The arrangement of the room and many of the details in Mr Lancaster's plan，are，in some respects，better calculated to give instruction in the elements enumerated，than those recommended by Dr Bell，although some of the details introduced by the latter are very superior，and highly deserving of adoption.

The essence，however，of national training and education is to impress on the young，ideas and habits which shall contribute to the future happiness of the individuals and of the state；and this can be accomplished only by instructing them to become rational beings.

It must be evident to common observers.that children may be taught，by either Dr Bell's or Mr Lancaster's system，to read，write，account，and sew，and yet acquire the worst habits，and have their minds rendered irrational for life.

Reading and writing are merely instruments by which knowledge either true or false，may be imparted；and，when given to children，are of little comparative value，unless they are also taught how to make a proper use of them.