第33章

When a child receives a full and fair explanation of the objects and characters around him，and when he is also taught to reason correctly，so that he may learn to discover general truths from falsehood，he will be much better instructed，although without the knowledge of one letter or figure，than those are who have been compelled to believe，and whose reasoning faculties have been confounded or destroyed by what is most erroneously termed learning.

It is readily acknowledged that the manner of instructing children is of importance and deserves all the attention it has lately received；that those who discover or introduce improvements which facilitate the acquirement of knowledge are important benefactors of their fellow creatures.Yet the manner of giving instruction is one thing，the instruction itself another；and no two objects can be more distinct.The worst manner may be applied to give the best instruction，and the best manner to give the worst instruction.Were the real importance of both to be estimated by numbers，the manner of instruction may be compared to one，and the matter of instruction to millions：the first is the means only；the last，the end to be accomplished by those means.

If，therefore，in a national system of education for the poor，it be.desirable to adopt the best manner，it is surely so much the more desirable to adopt also the best matter，of instruction.

Either give the poor a rational and useful training，or mock not their ignorance，their poverty，and their misery，by merely instructing them to become conscious of the extent of the degradation under which they exist.And，therefore，in pity to suffering humanity，either keep the poor，if you now can，in the state of the most abject ignorance，as near as possible to animal life，or at once determine to form them into rational beings，into useful and effective members of the state.

Were it possible，without national prejudice，to examine into the matter of instruction which is now given in some of our boasted new systems for the instruction of the poor，it would be found to be almost as wretched as any which can be devised.In proof of this statement，enter any one of the schools denominated national，and request the master to show the acquirements of the children.These are called out，and he asks them theological questions to which men of the most profound erudition cannot make a rational reply；the children，however，readily answer as they had been previously instructed；for memory，in this mockery of learning，is all that is required.

Thus the child whose natural faculty of comparing ideas，or whose rational powers，shall be the soonest destroyed，if，at the same time，he possess a memory to retain incongruities without connection，will become what is termed the first scholar in the class；and three-fourths of the time which ought to be devoted to the acquirement of useful instruction，will be really occupied in destroying the mental powers of the children.

To those accustomed attentively to notice the human countenance from infancy to age，in the various classes and religious denominations of the British population，it is truly an instructive although melancholy employment，to observe in the countenances of the poor children in these schools the evident expression of mental injury derived from the well-intentioned，but most mistaken，plan of their instruction.

It is an important lesson，because it affords another recent and striking example to the millions which previously existed，of the ease with which children may be taught to receive any sectarian notions，and thence acquire any habits，however contrary to their real happiness.

To those trained to become truly conscientious in any of the present sectarian errors which distract the world，this free exposure of the weakness of the peculiar tenets in which such individuals have been instructed，will，at first，excite feelings of high displeasure and horror，and these feelings will be acute and poignant in proportion to the obvious and irresistible evidence on which the disclosure of their errors is founded.

Let them，however，begin to think calmly on these subjects，to examine their own minds and the minds of all around them，and they will become conscious of the absurdities and inconsistencies in which their forefathers have trained them；they will then abhor the errors by which they have been so long abused；and，with an earnestness not to be resisted，they will exert their utmost faculties to remove the cause of so much misery to man.

Enough surely has now been said of the manner and matter of instruction in these new systems，to exhibit them in a just and true light.

The improvements in the manner of teaching children whatever may be deemed proper for them to learn -improvements which，we may easily predict，will soon receive great additions and amendments have proceeded from the Rev.Dr Bell and Mr Lancaster；

while the errors which their respective systems assist to engrave on the ductile mind of infancy and childhood，are derived from times when ignorance gave countenance to every kind of absurdity.

Mr Whitbread's scheme for the education of the poor was evidently the production of an ardent mind possessing considerable abilities；his mind，however，had been irregularly formed by the errors of his early education；and this was most conspicuous in the speech which introduced the plan he had devised to the House of Commons，and in the plan itself.

The first was a clear exposition of all the reasons for the education of the poor which could be expected from a human being trained from infancy under the systems in which Mr Whitbread had been instructed.

The plan itself evinced the fallacy of the principles which he had imbibed，and showed that he had not acquired a practical knowledge of the feelings and habits of the poor，or of the only effectual means by which they could be trained to be useful to themselves and to the community.