A letter to N.W. Senior, Esq., one of Her Majesty's Commissioners for inquiring into the state of public education, explanatory of communications and of evidence on half school time teaching; on the military drill, and physical training; and on the administration of funds applicable to popular education / by Edwin Chadwick.

  • Chadwick, Edwin, 1800-1890.
Date:
1861?]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to N.W. Senior, Esq., one of Her Majesty's Commissioners for inquiring into the state of public education, explanatory of communications and of evidence on half school time teaching; on the military drill, and physical training; and on the administration of funds applicable to popular education / by Edwin Chadwick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    children from the infant school, as a class preferably to others? an operative was asked. Because they require less beating, and they are sooner taught, was the ex- pressive answer. By advanced agriculturists the like testimony is given of the superior economy of trained and educated over uneducated and ignorant labourers. Why do you prefer trained and educated men as private soldiers ? was a question put some years ago to superior and experienced non-commissioned officers^ whilst adverse opinions were reported from general officers. Because they are more obedient, more cool, more steady under fire, less liable to panics, and a smaller number are more to be trusted, was the general answer. And Sir John Burgoyne and other military authorities maintain that one educated soldier, as a sapper and miner, is as effective for the purpose of war as three ordinary soldiers of the line. Experienced naval commanders have testified to me that they would work vessels more safely and satisfactorily with from one-fifth to one-fourth less number of hands, if all were as moderately well-educated and intelligent as some few of them are. The evidence, of which I have adduced examples, as to the difference between drilled and undrilled labourers;, establishes the conclusion, that by physical training, and by the naval and military drill, alone and apart from its value as a preparation for war, four drilled men may be made as efficient for the purposes of ordinary civil service and productive industry as five undrilled men, or more; that is to say, that by an outlay for training power,—as will be seen, of little more than one pound per head, a fifth additional value will be given to every labourer in after life; or regarding the subject collectively, at such a rate of expenditure, an addition equivalent to the produce of the labour of one-fifth more of population, without the expense of additional food, clothes, or shelter, to maintain them. If a due examination and estimate be made of how much of the national wealth is due to the additional efficiency of so much of the general labour as is imparted by the very imperfect elementary education now given, if an estimate be made of the vast waste from ignorance, it will be seen that to restrict any public expense which is really necessary to ensure a sound elementary education for the whole of the population, is to economise the means of economy on the largest scale. To the question