Intelligence. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE.-Prince Albert has consented to preside at the inauguration of the educational movement, which will take place at Willis's Rooms on Monday, June 22nd. The question which will be submitted for consideration is-" The early age at which children of the working classes are taken from school." On the following day (Tuesday, June 23rd), the conference will be divided into four sections. 1. To inquire into the fact, causes, and results of the alleged early removal. of children from school. 2. To institute similar inquiries in respect to the education of foreign countries. 3. To consider the expedients which have been proposed for keeping the children of the working classes longer at school. 4. To inquire into the merits of such other expedients as shall be proposed for the consideration of the conference, and particularly those known as half-time schemes. The report of these sections will be laid before a final meeting on Wednesday, June 24th, over which Prince Albert will again preside. CHAIRMAN OF SUB-COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT: The Rev. Canon Moseley. TREASURER: The Venerable Archdeacon Sinclair. Alfred Hill, Esq. HONORARY SECRETARIES: I The Rev. John G. Lonsdale. The first Meeting of the Conference will be held at Willis's Rooms, on Monday, June 22nd, when the chair will be taken by H.R.H. The President, at three o'clock. On the second day of its Meeting (Tuesday, the 23rd of June), the Conference will be divided into four sections, each to meet at 12 o'clock, at the Thatched-House Tavern. SECTION A. Chairman: The Lord Bishop of Oxford. To inquire into the fact of the alleged early removal of children from school in the agricultural, manufacturing, and mining districts of England, Scotland, and Wales; and into the causes of such early removal and its results. SECTION B. Chairman: Lord Lyttelton. Secretary: Rev. J. D. Glennie, jun. To institute similar inquiries in respect to the education of foreign countries. SECTION C. Chairman: Sir James Kay Shuttleworth, Bart. To consider the expedients which have been proposed for keeping the children of the "working-classes" longer at school; under the heads of— FIRST CERTIFICATE SCHEMES. In respect to which are to be considered, 1st, The circumstances under which the Certificates are to be granted. (a) The authority which is to grant them. (b) The qualifications of those who are to receive them. 2ndly, The means of giving effect to the certificates when granted. (a) By pledges from the employers of labour that they will give a preference to those candidates for their employment who hold the certificates. (b) By seeking out suitable situations for the holders of certificates, and watching over their interests when so employed; and with that view establishing corresponding committees in town and rural districts. SECONDLY, PRIZE SCHEMES. In respect to which are to be considered, 1st, How the Prize Fund is to be raised. Whether by subscriptions to a common fund, or by local subscriptions applied for the benefit of the locality where, or the religious community by which, they are raised? 2ndly, The conditions under which the prizes are to be awarded. (a) By what authority? (b) With what qualifications, as to age, character, and attainments? (c) By what means the qualifications are to be determined? 3rdly, The nature of the prizes. (a) Whether money prizes; (b) Apprentice premiums; or (c) Books, clothes, tools, &c., &c.? SECTION D. Chairman: The Very Rev. the Dean of Salisbury, To inquire into the merits of such other expedients as shall be proposed for the consideration of the Conference, and particularly those known as HALF-TIME SCHEMES. Being schemes for the occupation of children half their time at school, and half at labour; the same arrangement being proposed to be made by parents and employers voluntarily, as under the provisions of the Factory Bill is made (in respect to certain children) compulsorily. In respect to which are to be considered, 1. What are the times to be prescribed for the attendance of the children at school,-certain hours of each day, or certain days of each week? 2. Whether the time at school ought to be equal to the time at work, or less or more than it? 3. Whether a portion of the school-time may be taken in the evening? 4. Whether the appeal in favour of the half-time scheme should be addressed to the parents or the employers of the children? The discussion of every subject will be preceded by the reading of a paper on that subject before one of the sections. Gentlemen proposing to read papers are requested to communicate with the Honorary Secretaries at the earliest possible opportunity. The FINAL MEETING of the Conference will be held at eleven o'clock on Wednesday, the 24th of June, at Willis's Rooms. A summary of the proceedings of the sections will be laid before this meeting, and resolutions will be proposed to it founded thereon. A subscription of one guinea has been opened, to defray the expenses of the Conference. Subscriptions are received by the Honorary Secretaries, and may be remitted to them by Post Office Orders, payable at the CharingCross Office, and addressed to them at 44, Chancery Lane; or they may be paid to the account of the "Treasurer of the Educational Conference," at Messrs. Drummond's, Charing Cross. Admission to the Conference will be by cards only: these may be obtained (price 5s. each, to admit to all the meetings) at the Thatched-House Tavern, and at the Depositories of the National Society, Sanctuary, Westminster, and of the British and Foreign School Society, Borough Road. A ticket of admission will be forwarded to each contributor towards the expenses of the Conference, on application to one of the Honorary Secretaries. Several more noblemen and gentlemen have promised their support to the proposed Conference, or have expressed in general terms their approval of it. On Tuesday, June 23rd, the Sections will meet at 12 o'clock at the Thatched-House Tavern. The following papers have already been promised under the several Sections: SECTION A. Miss Carpenter, "On Juvenile Delinquency in its relation to ignorance." Rev. M. Mitchell, H.M. Inspector of Schools, "On the evidence afforded by the Reports of H.M. Inspectors as to the early age at which children are taken from school." Mr. Flint, late Assistant Diocesan Inspector in Derbyshire, and Organising Master of the National Society, the same subject, with reference to Schools not under Government Inspection. Herbert Mackworth, Esq., Inspector of Mines, "On the age at which the mining population begin work." W. H. Hyett, Esq. "On the results of the Educational Census.” W. Goodman, Esq. Chairman of Birmingham Education Association, "On the result of returns from Birmingham, showing the degree in which labour and idleness respectively interfere with Education." SECTION B. Joseph Kay, Esq., "On the age at which children leave the Elementary Schools in various countries of the Continent of Europe." The Rev. F. C. Cook, H.M. Inspector of Schools, "On the Schools of Germany." SECTION C. The Rev. Nash Stephenson, Secretary to the Section, "On the Result of Prize-Schemes." Seymour Tremenheere, Esq. Inspector of Mines, "On the result of Prize and Certificate Schemes." SECTION D. Alexander Redgrave, Esq. Inspector of Factories, "On the operation of the Half-Time Scheme in Factories." The Rev. C. H. Bromby, Principal of the Training School, Cheltenham, "On Voluntary Half-Time Schemes." J. Symons, Esq. H. M. Inspector of Schools, &c. "On Industrial Training as an adjunct to school teaching." Horace Mann, Esq. "On Civil Service Competitions as a means of promoting Education." The Rev. P. Marshall, "Factory Education, with suggestions for improvement." The Rev. Canon Girdlestone: "Will an improvement in the dwellings of the labouring classes have any influence upon the value which they attach to the education of their children; and can any use be made of the electoral franchise in the same direction?" The final meeting of the conference will be held at 11 o'clock, a.m. on Wednesday, June 24th, at Willis's Rooms. [It is much to be desired that two days should be allotted to the Sections, and the final meeting made an evening one.-Ed. J. E.] SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM, under the direction of the Committee of Council on Education. President, The Right Hon. the Earl Granville. Vice-President, The Right Hon. W. Cowper, M.P. We understand that the following rules have been sanctioned for the admission to this Museum, which will be opened to the public in June. 1.-The Collections of objects relating to Education, Architecture and Trade, of Pictures, Sculpture, and Ornamental Art, and Models of Patented Inventions, will be open to the public daily, from ten till four in the day-time, and from seven to ten in the evening on Mondays and Thursdays, except during the appointed vacations. 2.-On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, and daily during the Easter and Christmas weeks, the public will be admitted free; but on these days, books, examples, models, casts. &c. cannot be removed for study. 3.-On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, the public will be admitted on payment of 6d. each person. This sum during the day-time will enable any person to consult any books, diagrams, &c. in the Collections of Education, and to copy any article in the Collections of Art; except Modern Paintings, for which special permission in writing must be obtained. In the evening works cannot be removed. An annual Ticket of admission to all the Collections, morning and evening, may be obtained for 10s. 4.-Sticks, Umbrellas, Parcels, &c. must be left at the doors. 5.-Except the fees above mentioned, no fee or gratuity is to be received by any officer of the Department from any person. 6.-The Library of Art is open every day, from eleven a.m. to nine p.m.; except Saturday, when it is closed at 4 p.m., and the usual vacations. 7. All registered Students of the Central School of Art have free admission to the Library. Occasional Students are admitted upon payment of 6d. which will entitle them to entrance for six days from the day of payment of the fee, inclusive: a monthly ticket may be obtained for 1s. 6d. and an annual admission for 10s. 8.-Refreshment and Waiting rooms in a special building have been erected, and presented to the public, by the Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851. They are under the management of Mr. G. Withers. 9. The General Omnibus Company have arrangements in progress to convey passengers to and from the Museum and all parts of the metropolis, every half hour at least. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. MOON'S ROTATION.-It being now clearly proved and generally admitted that it is a mistake to describe the moon as rotating on her own axis, and Mr. Steel's arguments in no way meeting Mr. Good's clear demonstrations, we must close this controversy. Mr. Hammond's letter was too late for this number, we regret to say. MIDDLE CLASS EXAMINATIONS. OW to improve the education of the middle or commercial class has hitherto been a problem that seemed to defy solution. The upper classes have their public schools and their universities, in which they pass through a clearly defined course of training, and from which they obtain certain definite and specific advantages. If these institutions are not all that might be desired, there is always hope of improvement in them, because their regularity and permanence make it possible to test the action of every part of their system, and so to discover and remedy their defects. At the other extreme of society, also, large provision has been made for education. Many a man of name and of substance in this country had never the chance of such a schooling as is now offered to the child of a day labourer. All over the land have sprung up goodly edifices-smiling as with a suppressed consciousness of architectural beauty-in which all the accommodation, appliances and furniture of education have been bestowed and arranged in a manner hardly inferior to Eton in the last generation. And in such schools the work of education is attempted often with earnestness, and sometimes with success. Bungling and blundering there may be, and what is yet worse, a high-flying pretentiousness, which would almost proffer the sciences and the classics to every boy and girl that can raise two pence a week. Yet with all these errors and extravagancies much is being done for the poor. Not one of the achievements of this age is more worthy of our admiration, none in which we can with less risk of vanity indulge feelings of exultation. But it could not long escape notice that a sort of injustice was being done to the classes immediately above the poor, by the very care and pains that have been expended upon the latter. No philanthropist would desire to foster the capacities of the lower classes so as to enable them to raise their heads over those whose place is naturally above them in society. It is right to provide a proper culture for those who are unable to procure it without help, but to alter the relative position of the social grades is no legitimate fruit of the employment of public money. And, indeed, whatever may be thought of appearances, nothing was further from the intention of the promoters of national education. Their case had been noticed, their inarticulate cry, as the master of Balliol poetically called it, had been heard, but it was not easy to get at them, the approach was beset with great practical difficulties. Between the ancient university systems on the one hand, and the newly reclaimed soil of Government Education on the other, lay an interval as variable and shifting as the winds and waves that divide the Old World from the New. In plain words, nothing was done for the middle classes, because there was no opening to interfere in their behalf. Their position is distinguished from that of the third great section of the community, by this immense |