BIRMING- GRESS ON A.D. 1877. in schools, VII. I now come to what the Code calls "Domestic Economy" for girls, which it places as the last and tenth division after nine others, being-1, English Literature; 2, Mathematics; 3, Latin; 4, French; 5, German; 6, Mechanics; 7, Animal Physiology; 8, Physical Geography; 9, Botany; and 10, Domestic Economy. Will anyone venture to say that a knowledge of health, good food, thrift, and the like, is not of much greater value to every one of the three millions of children of working people (under thirteen years of age), than Latin and every other of the subjects I have named, and yet the teaching of domestic economy is discouraged unless the child "parses a simple sentence, and knows the geographical outlines of the colonies!" VIII. Daily attention in schools to one or more of the subjects of domestic economy, will lay the foundations of knowledge the most useful throughout a whole life. This knowledge is easy to acquire; it is not abstract, but practical, and not easy to be forgotten. It cultivates all the faculties. Its elements may be taught in the in the infant infant school, and may be made most interesting. Children may begin with it even before attempting the three great arts. Moreover, domestic economy will impress the value of public education far beyond anything else on the minds of the working classes, and make them friendly to it. school. IX. It is my conviction that if the several subjects embraced under domestic economy, and none others, were connected with reading, writing, and arithmetic, throughout all the six standards, and all other subjects whatever, of grammar, geography, and history, were made optional, and left to night classes, the results of the State systems would be much less meagre" than my Lords of the Education Committee, at present deplore that it is. X. But we ought to be grateful to the Duke of Richmond and Gordon and Lord Sandon for being the first to introduce domestic economy, even in its present humble and mis-recognized position, and I, for one, heartily am so; but if they desire to see the work done effectively, I think they must seek for better advisers and far more earnest administrators, who really know what the children of the labouring classes are. XI. I venture to suggest that Her Majesty's Government refer the question of the practical value of a knowledge of domestic economy in the cultivation of the three primary arts, to a small HAM CON DOMESTIC Commission of five persons permanently sitting, two of whom BIRMINGshould be women, which might also consider the use and economy GRESS ON of the present public examinations. I have no doubt that a result would follow which would commend itself to the judgment of the A.D. 1877. Government, the Parliament, and the people. XII. Every branch of domestic economy is directly connected with the health of the people. I conclude with reminding you of the eloquent words which the most powerful man in this country at the present time, lately uttered:-"The health of a people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness and all their power as a State depend. It is quite possible for a kingdom to be inhabited by an able and active population; you may have successful manufactures, and you may have a productive agriculture; the arts may flourish, architecture may cover your land with temples and palaces; you may have even material power to defend and support all these acquisitions; you may have arms of precision and fleets of fish-torpedoes; but if the population of the country is stationary or yearly diminishing-if, while it diminishes in number, it diminishes also in stature and in strength, that country is doomed. The health of the people is, in my opinion, the first duty of a statesman." So said the Earl of Beaconsfield. I say Amen! and add that the pathway to health is found in a knowledge of the principles of domestic economy acquired through the three arts-reading, writing, and arithmetic. Part II. Health of the people. Lord Bea consfield on health of the people. MAN CHESTER CONGRESS A.D. 1878. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL COLLEGE BY SIR HENRY COLE, K.C. B., LATE SECRETARY OF THE SCIENCE AND ARGUMENT.-Introduction of the teaching of Domestic Economy into Public TH I. HE introduction of "Domestic Economy" into the teaching of public elementary schools is of the first importance to the future well-being of the people, morally and physically. The training of the child, of three years old, to begin to live rightly, comes before learning the alphabet and reading. Our ancestors were a great people, really cultivated in the arts of home-life, before reading was common among them. Now, changes in industry have nearly abolished old home-life, and deteriorated it in many respects. It was only in 1874, that the importance of training school children in the conduct of life, was first made part of public elementary education. With great political wisdom and foresight, Introduction Lord Beaconsfield's administration first introduced Domestic Economy into the Code of 1874. of Domestic Economy in Education Code. II. It seems to me, that the first principles on which Domestic CHESTER Economy are based, such as order, method, cleanliness, &C., MANshould be inculcated as underlying every subject. These subjects CONGRESS are laid down as ON DO- A.D. 1878. 1. (a) Food and (b) its preparation. (c) Clothing and materials. ECONOMY. 2. (a) The dwelling. (6) Warming. (c) Cleaning. (d) Ven- Part II. tilation. 3. Rules for (a) Health. (b) The management of the sickroom. (c) Cottage income and savings. Selections. Here are some ten different subjects requiring different kinds Subjects in of technical knowledge. III. These subjects have been repeated annually, and are stated in the same words and order in the Code for 1878. These definitions appear wide, but are incomplete, and I do not think they are philosophically arranged. What are the limits to "food"? and what interpretation suitable to an elementary school is to be put upon it? Does it include all vegetable and animal life good for food? and the means of obtaining it by agriculture and breeding and catching of wild animals? Also a knowledge of the imports and exports of food throughout the world? If the "preparation" means "cookery," why not use that English word, older than Chaucer? but, perhaps, a wider meaning is intended in the Code? It is to be remarked that "cookery" appears by the Education Report of 1876-7, the last published, to be the only specific subject of Domestic Economy taught, and its introduction accidentally arose from the lectures in 1874, started by Her Majesty's Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851. And then the Code says, food is to be taught with clothing. Why? And clothing, apparently, excludes needlework! which is especially provided for in another part of the Code. The other subjects, too, seem imperfectly thought out. Why are warming and cleaning only mentioned in connection with the dwelling, whilst both heat and cleanliness are at the foundation of food, clothing, health, &c.? All these subjects involve technical science. IV. I need not pursue this topic. The Education Department wisely introduced them into elementary education, but, I fear, its executive did not realize their full significance, or the best means of imparting the knowledge of them. The bald start of Domestic Economy suggests St. Paul's utterance to the Romans, "How shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except Domestic MAN CHESTER CONGRESS MESTIC ECONOMY. A.D. 1878. Teaching of they be sent?" Although an excellent idea, and embracing technical knowledge of the first and highest importance, the words "Domestic Economy" have been chosen as a title, but a better one is expressed by Harriet Martineau in "Household Education," and by a recent writer as "Home Life and Elementary Education." V. At first, Domestic Economy was little understood by Her Majesty's Inspectors, and some of them positively discouraged its discouraged. teaching. It was a subject quite alien to their literary education. Want of a system. Needlework They were admonished by a circular in January last, and enjoined to attend to it. The terms are at present very little understood by the general public, and they will not appreciate their importance until a system of some kind for giving practical instruction in the meaning of them, has been devised. It seems to me absolutely necessary that some intelligent, well thought out system, suitable to elementary and secondary schools, should be created, and teachers trained and certificated before the work can be well done. VI. At present, the only two subjects taught with some system and cookery are Needlework and Cookery. Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, started a School of Cookery in 1874. It began by lectures and demonstrations, attended especially by the middle classes, but it has gradually been matured into a training school for teachers. By means of the first teachers trained in it, local schools have been established in many places. What has been done thus far in providing special teachers for cookery, should be done for training teachers in other subjects, especially needlework, health, the dwelling and its details, and thrift, adapted not merely to elementary schools, but to secondary education, especially in night classes. Elementary instruction ciples of Domestic Economy. VII. It cannot be expected that advanced instruction can be in first prin- given in these subjects of Domestic Economy in primary schools, but elementary instruction may well be given even in infant schools, and the first principles underlying all the subjects, such as those of cleanliness, neatness, order, method, carefulness, and the use of the hands, as Froebel devised a quarter of a century ago, can be taught to all children, of both sexes, and elementary teachers can be made to practise them. VIII. The army of 15,000 elementary teachers cannot be trained |