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ADnRKSS BY LORn ABERD:

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-v. J. Ie Boulanger, u. ^ayor of Cardiff (Mr G. ^anit-l Jones, J. Elliott, Danu. vyW> (Jou- trs D. DUllcau, J. G. Proger, Thomas, t J. E. Jones, A. Fulton, P. W. Care.), the Rev. LS. Lidgett, the Rev. A. Tilly, Messrs apnean, J. Gnnn, Robert Davies, the Tow 1 "jhgrk (Mr Wheatley), and the Clerk of the Jpbool Board (Mr Rees). schools provide for the accommodation of fluly 1:000 children, distributed in the follow- fcf wanner :—Desks in boys' school, 230 in the II -*■* -rooms to this school, desk and gallery accom- 4^mlation for 80 more, or a total of 320 boys. JIM: girls' school is of the same size, and accom- -Jwdates the same number. The infant school ,g^omniodute« in desks 120, and on galleries 170, td in babies' room 43. In the latter room pro- bation is made for teaching the younger childrea t the Kindergarten system. There are three t tMs-rooms to each department. The buildings fce of stone and roofed with Rhuabon tiles, and I e their undoubtedly good effect more to the souping of the masses and picturesque sky line, kther than to any mere architectural embelliah- fient. They are, in fact, plain substantial build- hga, admirably adapted to their purpose, and £ emselves express the object for whieh they are ■ected. The school and playgrounds cover B acre in extent. The latter are paved Cith tar paving, and form a Jevel I fed well drained area, while covered Eaygrcmnds are also provided. The work has teen carried out by Mr Clarke Burton, from the fcsigns and under the superintendence of Mr G. t Robinson, architect the amount of the oon- tact, including the cost of all playgrounds, and ternal fittings, such as desks and galleries and » caretaker's house, is £8,672. The site, which fh* purchased from Mrs Crawshay, cost JB1,887, tod the buildings erected thereon have been se fcTanged as to admit of a separate entrance to fetch of the departments. The cost altogether •ill be, it is calculated, £ 9 14s lOd per head. About two o'clock, Lord Aberdare, who was pcompanied by the vice-chairman of the school |Mu*d Mr Lewis "Williams, arrived, accom- panied by the members of the school board JBd others. His lordship, who was at the prin- foal entrance doorpresented with a key by Mr Wil- ptnis, was conducted over the building, the dif- £ rent purposes of the various rooms being ex- ttained by Mr Robinson, the architect. A tour of the building having been made, the Jtfants' school was selected as the room for tbe J>eech-making. y In addressing those present, and the attend- ee included a large number of ladies, Mr Lewis WILLIAMS said: Ladies and gentle- taen—We are favoured to-day with the presence Itce included a large number of ladies, Mr Lewis WILLIAMS said: Ladies and gentle- taen—We are favoured to-day with the presence if one whom I am sure I may justly describe as a toblemam who is the foremost friend of education ? Walea. (Applause.) The only regret we have m this occasion is in the absence of the esteemed Miairman of the board, Mr Batchelor, who fcrough a aomewhat continued and serious indis- fcrough a aomewhat continued and serious indis- position was preveuted from attending, and in, fcgard to whom I am sure I am expressing the fishes of every member of the board rhcn I say I hope that bis health Lay soon be restored, and that he may continue to render to the town the invaluable services he |l so competent to render. The general results, I fcay say, of the schools in Cardiff, denomina- tional as well as board schools, are such as to place the town in the front rank with any town p the whole kingdom. Our aim as a board has Been to su^T- sufficient school accommodation mi every child the town, and to take steps to (ecure the attendance oi every child of school age fct some efficient school. ± i\t co*t, w.1.^ tome by this generation alone. io •xtend fyer 40 or 50 years. The schools, we thi £ *« wIll kst 150 years at least, and the cost will be ■artly by this generation, partly by the next, anc Mrtly by our children's children. But In view of the progress of science and ly by our children's children. But In view of the progress of science and the progress of our town, we feel lhat our work as a board has not been accom- plished. (Applause.) I wish to thank Lord ;AJ erdare for the very valuable report of the j dej>ai tmontal committee regarding the condition I Ikf education in the Principality—(applause)—and fee .;lIy that in response to the very valuable sug- fcest-.ons of that committee as to the necessity for advanced elementary schools, the Cardiff School fcoafd have felt it their bounden duty to under- take that work. I do not know that there is any toWl in the Principality—and few towns in Eng- ine—where such a school is required more than !■> We are becoming a great engineering •»d r._f shipowuing port, and some of the most taluaoleV^itions the young men of Cardiff can Jook forward 0 are M engineers. I am told that ■o deficient aie e Gf 8ci100is 0f t{je kind required fchat the Boar o Trade officials cannot supply Ihe demand m Oar .»for th# me^_ ^,red, and they S. {tea obliged to send to Scot-land to fill these p. j Bball be s"fc^t n?ore men to fill these Sats, and tnat a t>.essful future even an now awaits the educatjn q{ Cardiif> (A |»lause.) ADnRKSS BY LORn ABERD: Lo d ABEBDARE then Lord f h. jressed the meet1llg, 5SAb.hu i. ^ent on v^ie .0n of i. T uning of board ,u -this is not- th^h some eegret s —the first tim.ú I have been |QVjfj» to tak>» i>art in such a cereraony. This is, bc^-v, the first time, in the courseof a tolerably n, tiiat I have t«en able to dnd time to be prese aud I congratulate myeeJf that I am present, for my eyt», the eyes cr/fthe southern portion of the Prir oti'ity, have been attracted to Cardiff, and the fu>I ^ork it is doing in so many directions. I rejoice to see this fresh evidence of Hie public spirit and liberality with which hare in Cardiff charge has been undertaken of the 8dncatwa of the young of this mo~.f. important town. THlC FIRST BTXP II importance taken in the ir.-u.se of national edu. iation in this country will be remembered by nany persons I see around me, who were, when ihat step was taken, grown men, and who had )>een so for some years'. That was when Parlia- ment, in a fit of unusual audacity, determined to e the sum of j630,000 towards the improvement «f onal education. This was the first great W-ii, it was one much opposed at the time, and oppose '■V- a great variety of reasons, the Siost respectaDie 'if them being the danger of the ,tate taking to itself the education of the people. THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM or EDUCATION Jix the subject was discussed the ground enlarged, and a very great work was done by vhat was called the voluntary system, aided by State grants. t<ft w I am sure that neither I Ror any person in room would wish to say one disrespectful word of the voluntary system. The voluntary 81""m stepped in when there was an utter of nahonal provision, and although the *ol svstam was very far from performing the of providing education for the t ill it went in that direction to a extent, and grew with marvel- nay be true that tbe voluntary "«s8 it made is to traced to .hose involved in a disin- jcation, and that its triumphs stives to some extent. But e in themselves respectable, and with unmingled satisfaction to se persons who throughout the Ith of the land first aet themselves '"ent of elementary education. f the 1810 Education Act edu- ublic trust, and authorities it districts and divisions of d with seaing that effect is "T. occa- 'ke-a ■oi 4; '\i., Ul- now ^es they V cation. >' of the o- ucation -ci excel. their ,_JS re- ^ng now .—why are *■<1 do more ? .red >;verb ■ nt, and .ppetite for .astty satisfied. j. our citizens who or things from which t. 1m which they get not neari) vantage which they might clearly e:. now consider- ing whether something moiv u not be done by means of these elementary schools to further the progress of national edp.oation. Facts like these f- r«sd themselves stmnglv upon the minds of the members of the Departmental Committee, over which I had th* honour to preside. (Applause.) THR RKCOATMKNDATIDN OF THE COMMITTEE. We iJt, when we recommended that a large in- crease should be made in the number of interme- diate schools, that though there was a great improvement in the quality of t.he education given at these schools, yet the whole ground was far from being covered, for though it might be said that elementary aud intermediate and higher education really do include everything, yet there is a very considerable gap—and one that is strongly felt, one the filling of which would effect a great social improvement between the elementary aud the intermediate schools. (Applause.) The trades- man, the shopkeeper, the well-to do-aiti^an, would, by sending his children to an intermediate school, be not only depriving himself of the labour of his children at a peritd when he might profit by it, but he would have to pay fees which, in very many cases, he could not afford to pay. (Applause.) THE ADVASCBD BLWTBNTAET SCHOOL. And it occurred to us that in Wales > ",1" there was a very large population in o' facturing districts where something bet intermediate school and the advanc would be of the greatest value in devei powers of clever young persons. It that object that we suggested that t ments of Bradford and Wolverhampl way of advanced elementary schools, made througliout South Wales where j The Government responded at onoe t: gestions, and the result of it was the c" the Education Department—Mr Mu culax all it is called-which has excite interest in the Principality. Loud a A FORMER COMMISSION. I hear constant objections to t hese a mentary schools upon various groa titt-i ago there was one of the mo commissions going round the count sat. It had reference to the educa ments. The report of this commis to have been drawn up by the Bishop They recommended that a much better usesho«.vl be made of endowments than wae made at pre- I sent, and the establiahmeut of three grades of schools—1st, 2nd, and 3rd—which they thought would cover the whole region between oar univer- sities and elementary achoolg and they &re very indignant at the proposal to establish these ad- vanced elementary schools, for, as they state, the advanced elementary schools will interfere with the progress of the grade school.. they recommen- ded. Is ow, though In my opinion, their scheme, admirable as it is, and great as it is, may do much work by directing attention to faults and wants, the result of want of inquiry into this particular branch of the subject, I would suggest that they apply themselves to the consideration of how the endowments they referred to can be rescued and that they do not apply themselves to the consideration as to whether or not a large class of the community— our poorer tradesmen, our- artisans—could avail themselves of the advantages of theae schools if they were erected. It was a sense of the ad- vantages which these advanced elementary schools would confer which induced the com- mittee to make the recommendations they did, and which induced the Cardiff School Board to take the steps they have now taken. THE TWO VOICES. While on the one side appeals are beingr made to the friends of higher education as to whether the proposal to establish such schools is .mpn.cticable, there is another appeal being ide to what I may call the lower alld more selfish interests of the work- in" classes, who are told that these schools would not be for the benefit of the working classes, but for t^e benefit of the shopkeepers and the richer claK8(: I do not believe these arguments will prev^» an<^ 1 would just point out that the fees charged are those which are within the rer10*1 the large proportion the better to-do our working classes. Wherever theae schools have been established, or anything like these school.s'has always been drawn forth a spirit, liberality amongst the inhabitants of the district f° found scholarships 1111 be competed for by the children Cf t?e working classes, which have enabled these chilai?n t? be supported, and amply supported, during the time-? ^heir^ attend- ance at advanced elementary school:ü, school boards themselves have, I believe, the power, within certain limits, of founding such scholar- ships. But once the use of the schools was recog- nised, these would not be wanted. OTHER ARGUMENTS AGAINST. It is said by some that the teaching at these advanced elementary schools would be of a very superficial character. Were this the case, I should be opposed to them. But the special subjects would be taught, and taught well and thoroughly. In the ordinary elementary schools the teachers were too much engaged with other work to do this—the teachers' hands were too full, in fact, of the immediate and pressing work of the school, and overlooking the pupil teachers. But at the advanced elementary schools it is not proposed to do ordinary work of this kiM, and the masters will b« specially fitted for the special tasks which will be allotted them—masters familiar with the higher subjects, which are required by those who wish to continue the education of their children some years longer than is usually the caee. (Applause.) THJT SCOTCH STSTXM. I read yesterday, with very great interest, what I must call a report upon this subject, which ap- peared in the columns of the South, Wales Daily News, (Applause.) It interested me all the more because much of the information was upon an experiment made in the very large and important suburb of the city of Glasgow—Govan, a town beyond the limits of the city of Glasgow, and largely within the county of Renfrew, which at one time I had the honour of representing in Parliament. (Loud applause.) Now I observed that provision wag being made for the teaching of these special subjects, at any rate for teaching such of them as the scholars may themselves learn. The article in the South Waits Daily Niws contrasts the difference between the teaching of these special subjects in England and Scotland. Scotland has always bad a system of its own. The special subjects, and, indeed, higher subjects than those included in the special subjects, have been ever since the time of Xnox taught in some of the Scotch schools— of course, sometimes very imperfectly, but some- times very admirably taught, Of course every- thing depended upon the .teaming and ability of the schoolmasters. In the three counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray, these special subjects were, and are, taught in an ad- mirable manner. But in these counties they have the advantage of especially larger endow- ments, which bequests have been very wisely and most vigilantly applied in making consider- able payments to the schoolmasters who pro- duced the best result in the higher subjects. The consequence was that French, German, mathe- matics, Latin, and natural science were taught in many of these schools in a manner which would surprise many of us. THK SCOTCH PNTVERSITIW! we find were /pnerally supplied, if not directly from these scliools, at 10-' —ate indirectly. That is to say, the students at these ,ools frequently, after leaving school, continued at • and con- tinued their studies, and later on they went bo the university without any intermediate schools. At the ordinary schools the special subjects are 1 thoroughly taught, and this has made education ^-itland far more general and intermediate England, and had been followed with ..I!t results. (Applause.) Let '1.de in the teaching of the tland had an Education he code. In Scotland, d in specific subjects 13,300 bnt in 1881 >d to 55,000. (Ap. jhave ■gber mathe- ire oar colliers mathematics. itm of things in o the teaching ake two sab- er Latin. In '33 in mathe- !n 1375, in in 1881 lea the ind in .once ..in, it .,f prosecu- departments ailp in those in /t employment. A without some con- _,jt 01 Latin neither can he Le ¡ .*• can he be a theologian. Thus it vU" Scotch havp from time immemorial j vHlued to learn Latin, not from any super- atious reverence for it, but froal a knowledge of the practical uses to which it can be applied. (Applause.) THK COST OF THK ADVANCRO ELKIIKNTARY SCHOOL. Let me say one word on another subject in con- nection with the advanced schools, and diat is with reference to the cost. I have no doubt but that these schools will, especially at the first starting, require some assistance from the rates. At Bradford :t appears that of the four schools, the girls' ».:inol is self-supporting— that is to say, every gir- pays 9d per week. The f.x) erntnent treat it i an elemental. school, exair jj. arKj niak' itt usual and the grant a-^ u, ■ r .le the school to be.^Pburted. I did n. -.ay they pay for the building mau<ai'> it. Ihe boys school costs aboi xiie as ar ordinary elementary I school—that and no more. Compare the cost of that with the enormous advantage to the whole country and to many of the moet intelligent and most ambitious amongst our countrymen (Loud applause.) THK QUESTION OF TAXATION. Do you ever ask yourselves why the people of the upper classes quietly submit to be taxed for the education of the children of the working classes? I take it that the two main objects are these—first, they feel from the political point of view the absolute necessity of having an educated population, in order to avoid having a dangerous population, and that all the more strongly when such an enormous increase has been made in the powers of the people. That is one reason. The other reason is that they.feel that, looking at the great exertions made in regard to education by all the great States of the world, it would be wrong for England to remain behind—that educa- tion for the people was not only necessary for the continuance of our national position as regards other countries, but also to draw out the best aDd brightest intelligences in our own; for we have an enormous mine of undeveloped wealth in the in- tellect of our country and though there IDIoy be semething in the doctrine of the relative succes- sion of trained intellects, yet I doubt not but that had education bean universal, we might have had from amongst the poor and ignorant classes men arise who may have rivalled the refutation of a Newton or a Herschel. (Applause ) HIGHER EDUCATION.—THK PROPC-iKD COLLEGE. You cannot expect from me on *his occasion any ■•"■Mi the rival clainis of Cardiff and ■ r,^rnosed college. All ;i;- b««t to it. aw., tu:.» f th* lege is uot <»• • school boys might be kepi "1 and taught, so the writer af the letter apj*f— think, everything that was Becemary and, in the next place, that the effect of these colleges would be to send boys there who ollKht to be at school, and thus to send boys to college at an immature age. With respect to the first argu- ment, we have met it over and over again. In the first place, the establishment of the one single institution at Aberystwith did more to call the attention of the whole of the Principality to the insufficiency of intermediate education given than any amount of eloquence, or than any amount of leading articles in the newspapers would have done in half a century. In the next place, the example of Scotland shows that the colleges can be of the greatest possible use, even where, all in Scotland, a defective system of education exists. THK NATIONAL MIND. With regard, to Oxford and Cambridge, I may say that the national mind desires to be developed in various directions, and that, admirable as the education there given and at the Scotch colleges it is not suited to the requirements of those who to Owen's college, Manchester. In a country like England the higher education should adapt itself to the various wants of the different branches of society. When we speak in Wales of founding colleges upon the Scotch sys- tem, we do not mean that we shall slavishly copy that system. (Applause.) We shall have our colleges founded upon the system most suited to the natural genius of the people, and the effect of our colleges will be very soon shown amongst a people with so much natui J quickness and avidity for learning as the Welsh have at all times exhibited. But here I am very anxious to put in A WORD OF WARNING. We do not mean when we speak of our colleges, places for lodging the students and overlooking their conduct as well as teaching them. The proposed colleges will be simply places for teach- ing, and the students will be left to end their own lodgings where they can. Now I am extremely anxious that the great subscriptions which have beeu collected, and which I hope will hereafter be collected, shall be applied in the beet and wisest possible manner. And, at the outset, I venture to express a hope that no very la-jge portion of these subscriptions, not a penny more filaü absolutely necessary, will be spent upon the buiialZS- Of course you must have good class rooms, laboraioi&s you have already in your library rooms provided ft'hich nught be used for these purposes. I want you to do nothing shabby; but I want you to be strictly economical, and to remember that the money you collect may be utilised far more for the public advantage by paying good salaries to the best masters, and by the foundation of scholarships. (Applause.) THK OPINION Of SIR CHARLRS LYELL. In connection with this subject I will read to you the opinion of Sir Charles Lyell, a man emi- nent in science and of world-wide experience. Writing in 1336, Sir Charles Lyell says :— I remember that when some £8,000 had by a great effort beeu got together at Bristol for lectures and for a collection of books and other useful aliment for the mind, as the misguided projectors thought, in came the architect, gave them a handsome building, pocketed the cash, and left them with a room for the newspaper readers, and scarcely a farthiuz to vsty their invaluable curator, Millar. So it was with the London Literary Institute in Moorflelds—-about thirty or forty thousand pounds sunk—and a hundred other cases. Yet, un- warned by experience, the planners of the London University followed in the same track, and spent several hundred thousand pounds in erecting a huge and never to be finished editice, with a splendid portico costing alone £30,000, or £40,000, and leaving nothing for professors but debts. Then came the King s College, a.nd another splendid subscription, for there is no end to the gullibility of Johu Bull. Might not anyone have told the poor per- sons who, with an honest zeal for their cause, put down their £5 or £50, that it is not science, nor learning, nor religion, nor anything but architecture that is encou- raged by ituch munificent donati B4 in England ? Had they hired a. set of the uglieet houses in the Strand, and bribed with their two or three thousand pounds the first teachers in Great Britain, their sooc««s would, have carried everything before tbein. But what did they do? ReMed a huge wing of a buikling which swallowed up all the money, nd is now unfinished ui- side. although part oi it. contrary to the original plan, is fitted up fur students' private chambers. There is no hope for natural history, or science, or literature, until they precede, instead of follow the architect. Seven years later^ir Charles Lyell, in writing to his sister, says:— The fa.ct is that there (Manchester), as everywhere ia ttacland magnificent subscriptions, which might have endowed' lectures equal to the Lowell Institute, have been all spent in building, and it is the same whether £50 000 or S150,000 a.re subscribed in this country and as in the case of the London University and King's College here, the buildings, which cripple them with debt, remain unfinished. If anyone should have the wisdom of Mr Lowell, ana forbid a farthing to be spent on building, an institution, with half the funds of King's College or London Uni- versity, would bave the ptck. of ail tbe Ilrst teachers. and leave the rest behind. Now I want the college in South Wales, whether it is at Cardiff or Swansea, to have the pick of the very best teachers and professors. I remember when I was in the Education Department notic- ing that in regard to elementary schools that people were so anxkwjs to secure really good teachers for their children that they did not allow religious scrupl#s to interfere io their choice ef a -r1: when, as in any case in Lincolnshire, Protectant children were attracted in large num- bers to Roman Catholic sohoob, 80 superior was the teaching. If this was the case with schools it wonld be more eminently tbe case in regard to universities. (Applause.) I trust what has been said on this ocoasion will be taken in good part by the citizens of Cardiff. They are justly proud of their town. They have done a good deal to embellish it, and provide for its health, and I am far from censor- ing tlpm for doing 80. They are spending the ratepaj ers' money on behalf of the ratepayers, but v^vv you COIDe to subscriptions for the foivwf of a colkgs, I do entreat you first to see that it ia need providing the students with professors. Provide good teachers first, and all other considerations will be secondary. (Applause.) Mr THOMAS RKM then addressed the assembly, and gave an account of the expenditure of the Cardiff School Board on this school. He affirmed in the strongest possible manner that it would never be possible for them to compel the rrtepayers of the community to contribute towards schools where any kind of "iama "wen taught. It wouldbeworth the reputatioa of any Government, Conservative or Liberal, to propose saeb a thing. (Applaose.) The MATOB, in proposing a vote of thanks to i Lord Aberdare, said he hoped they would be I favoured with his lordship's presence on the occa- sion of laying the foundation atone of theU niver- sity College in Cardiff. (Applause and « laugh.) The Rev. O. J. THOMPSON seconded, and said Terence to what had fatten from Mr Thomas He did not wish to throw *>ted coaL which might v He was somewhat —dare's remarks would heading spirits of the ")1"Ø off tbeir bal- lad, than they -) He was Aberdare a tan in tbe IK Swat m. (Ap- te vote of ¿

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