THE SCOTTISH REVIEW. SEPTEMBER, 1883. ART I. THE EDUCATIONAL WRONGS OF THE HE greatest, if severest, critic of English education, says of the Englishman: 'He abhors simplicity, and therefore his governments do not often give it to him.' The true Briton might urge in self-defence that he is essentially simple, that he does one thing at a time, that he asks one thing at a time from his government. But in the widest and deepest sense the stricture is undeniably just. With a quick eye for what is immediately necessary, the Englishman does not care to exhaust a political problem, or to work out a social question to its logical consequences. He does not demand the simplicity of principle, of principle wrought into detail, and expressing itself in symmetry of organisation: he is indifferent, if not averse to completeness or consistency. No better illustration of this national feature can be found. than the history of education in Britain. The great doctrine that the education of a nation is essentially a concern of the State has only been forced by degrees upon the English mind. Accepted shortly after the French Revolution by the great nations of Europe, it was long rejected in Britain; nor can we say that it has even yet been fully recognised in this country. It has first established itself in the sphere of elementary education, and vast progress has been made since the time, not so far remote, when small grants were doled out to elementary schools as a sort of poor relief. English education is not yet altogether Specimen Days and Collect. By Walt Whitman. : Glasgow Wilson & McCormick, 1883. Annals of the Early Caliphate; from Original Sources. By Sir William Muir, K.C.S.I., etc., etc. Map. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1883. Italian Byways. By J. A. Symonds. Same Publishers, 1883. A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1883. By J. A. Beet. Health Lectures for the People. 3rd Series. Edinburgh: Macniven & Wallace, 1883. The Supernatural in Nature: a Verification by Free Use of Science. By. J. W. Reynolds, M.A. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, & Co, 1883. The Mystery of Miracles: a Scientific and Philosophical Investigation. Author and Publishers, 1881. Same The Man of the Woods, and other Poems. By W. M'Dowall. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black, 1882. Burns in Dumfriesshire. Same Author and Publishers, 1881. The Mind in the Face. By W. M'Dowall. London: L. N. Fowler. The Kingdom of All-Israel: its History, Literature, and Worship. Ensilage in America; its Prospects in English Agriculture. By James By J. E. Thorold Roger, M.P. London: W. Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1883. The Musician. By Ridley Prentice. Grade 1. Same Publishers. Select Poems of Goethe. Edited with Life, Introduction, and Notes, by E. A. Sonnenschein, M. A., and Alois Pogatscher. Same Publishers. Letters and Memorials of Jane Welsh Carlyle. Prepared for publication by Thomas Carlyle. Edited by James A. Froude. 3 vols. London: Longmans, Green. & Co., 1883. Revelation and Modern Theology Contrasted; or the Simplicity of the Apostolic Gospel Demonstrated. By Rev. C. A. Row, M.A. London: F. Norgate, 1883. Underground Russia. By Stepniak. Preface by P. Lavroff. Translated from Italian. London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1883. A Visit to Ceylon. By Ernst Haeckel. Translated by Clara Bell. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co, 1883. Copyright and Patents for Inventions. By R. A. Macfie. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1883. The Plough and the Dollar. By F. Barham Zineke. Co., 1883. Legal Status of Licensed Victuallers. Sons, 1883. Kegan Paul, Trench & By F. G. Hindle. London: Stevens & John Pringle, Printer and Heretic. London and Paisley : A. Gardner, 1883. The Free Church Principle: its Character and History. By Sir Henry W. Moncreiff, Bart., D.D., etc. Macniven & Wallace, 1883. Journal of East India Association. London, 1883. Outlines of the Philosophy of Aristotle. By Edwin Wallace, M.A. London and Cambridge: C. J. Clay, M.A., & Son, 1883. The Bantoffs of Cherryton. By Arthur Kean. 2 vols. London : Smith, Elder, & Co., 1883. No New Thing. By W. E. Norris. 3 vols. Same Publishers, 1883. Leipzig: 1883. The Temple. By George Herbert. Introduction by J. H. Shorthouse. simile Reprint. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1883. Fac The Epic of Kings from Firdusi. By Helen Zimmern. Illustrated. Same Pub lisher, 1883. Life of Christ. By Dr. Bernhard Weiss. Translated by J. W. Hope, M.A. Vol. I. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1883. Aldersyde. By A. S. Swan. Edinburgh: Oliphant and Co., 1883. THE SCOTTISH REVIEW. SEPTEMBER, 1883. ART I. THE EDUCATIONAL WRONGS OF THE HE greatest, if severest, critic of English education, says of simplicity, and his governments do not often give it to him.' The true Briton might urge in self-defence that he is essentially simple, that he does one thing at a time, that he asks one thing at a time from his government. But in the widest and deepest sense the stricture is undeniably just. With a quick eye for what is immediately necessary, the Englishman does not care to exhaust a political problem, or to work out a social question to its logical consequences. He does not demand the simplicity of principle, of principle wrought into detail, and expressing itself in symmetry of organisation: he is indifferent, if not averse to completeness or consistency. No better illustration of this national feature can be found than the history of education in Britain. The great doctrine that the education of a nation is essentially a concern of the State has only been forced by degrees upon the English mind. Accepted shortly after the French Revolution by the great nations of Europe, it was long rejected in Britain; nor can we say that it has even yet been fully recognised in this country. It has first established itself in the sphere of elementary education, and vast progress has been made since the time, not so far remote, when small grants were doled out to elementary schools as a sort of poor relief. English education is not yet altogether Specimen Days and Collect. By Walt Whitman. McCormick, 1883. Glasgow: Wilson & Annals of the Early Caliphate; from Original Sources. By Sir William Muir, K.C.S.I., etc., etc. Map. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1883. Italian Byways. By J. A. Symonds. Same Publishers, 1883. A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1883. By J. A. Beet. Health Lectures for the People. 3rd Series. Edinburgh: Macniven & Wallace, 1883. The Supernatural in Nature: a Verification by Free Use of Science. By. J. W. Reynolds, M.A. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, & Co, 1883. The Mystery of Miracles: a Scientific and Philosophical Investigation. Author and Publishers, 1881. Same The Man of the Woods, and other Poems. By W. M'Dowall. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black, 1882. Burns in Dumfriesshire. Same Author and Publishers, 1881. The Mind in the Face. By W. M'Dowall. London: L. N. Fowler. The Kingdom of All-Israel: its History, Literature, and Worship. Ensilage in America; its Prospects in English Agriculture. By James By J. E. Thorold Roger, M.P. London: W. Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1883. The Musician. By Ridley Prentice. Grade 1. Same Publishers. Select Poems of Goethe. Edited with Life, Introduction, and Notes, by E. A. Sonnenschein, M. A., and Alois Pogatscher. Same Publishers. Letters and Memorials of Jane Welsh Carlyle. Prepared for publication by Thomas Carlyle. Edited by James A. Froude. 3 vols. London: Longmans, Green. & Co., 1883. Revelation and Modern Theology Contrasted; or the Simplicity of the Apostolic A Visit to Ceylon. By Ernst Haeckel. Translated by Clara Bell. London: Copyright and Patents for Inventions. By R. A. Macfie. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark, 1883. The Plough and the Dollar. By F. Barham Zineke. Co., 1883. Legal Status of Licensed Victuallers. Sons, 1883. Kegan Paul, Trench & By F. G. Hindle. London: Stevens & John Pringle, Printer and Heretic. London and Paisley : A. Gardner, 1883. The Free Church Principle: its Character and History. By Sir Henry W. Moncreiff, Bart., D.D., etc. Macniven & Wallace, 1883. Journal of East India Association. London, 1883. Outlines of the Philosophy of Aristotle. By Edwin Wallace, M.A. London and Cambridge: C. J. Clay, M.A., & Son, 1883. The Bantoffs of Cherryton. By Arthur Kean. 2 vols. London : Smith, Elder, & Co., 1883. No New Thing. By W. E. Norris. 3 vols. Same Publishers, 1883. Predigten aus der Gegenwart. Von D. C. Schwarz. Achte Sammlung. Leipzig: 1883. The Temple. By George Herbert. Introduction by J. H. Shorthouse. simile Reprint. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1883. Fac The Epic of Kings from Firdusi. By Helen Zimmern. Illustrated. Same Pub. lisher, 1883. Life of Christ. By Dr. Bernhard Weiss. Translated by J. W. Hope, M.A. Vol. I. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1883. Aldersyde. By A. S. Swan. Edinburgh: Oliphant and Co., 1883. THE SCOTTISH REVIEW. SEPTEMBER, 1883. ART I.-THE EDUCATIONAL WRONGS OF THE THE greatest, if severest, critic of English education, says of the Englishman: 'He abhors simplicity, and therefore his governments do not often give it to him.' The true Briton might urge in self-defence that he is essentially simple, that he does one thing at a time, that he asks one thing at a time from his government. But in the widest and deepest sense the stricture is undeniably just. With a quick eye for what is immediately necessary, the Englishman does not care to exhaust a political problem, or to work out a social question to its logical consequences. He does not demand the simplicity of principle, of principle wrought into detail, and expressing itself in symmetry of organisation: he is indifferent, if not averse to completeness or consistency. No better illustration of this national feature can be found than the history of education in Britain. The great doctrine that the education of a nation is essentially a concern of the State has only been forced by degrees upon the English mind. Accepted shortly after the French Revolution by the great nations of Europe, it was long rejected in Britain; nor can we say that it has even yet been fully recognised in this country. It has first established itself in the sphere of elementary education, and vast progress has been made since the time, not so far remote, when small grants were doled out to elementary schools as a sort of poor relief. English education is not yet altogether |