children to whom such instruction did not apply. "I am convinced that we need much more general interest in our system of education altogether. We need the co-operation of parents and teachers, not only in carrying out the system, but in determining what it shall be. I think that at present the interest and sympathy of the teachers is not sufficiently enlisted in this matter. The representation of the teachers on the Local Authority would be a valuable step in this direction. I do not like to see the interests of the teaching profession treated apart from the interests of education. The two should be brought together, and many hindrances in the way of a teacher's career would be removed. In another letter he writes: "Any proposal which contains the principle that we have a right to teach our children what we believe is to me valuable ". It seemed to him that fairness and justice demanded, that arrangements should be made to teach such religious truths in the schools as any body of Christians desired for their own children. This, he felt, would be a recognition of the principle of religious liberty which is so dear to Englishmen. He hoped that in time all those who cared for religion would unite in demanding that adequate opportunities for definite religious teaching in accordance with the wishes of the parents should be provided; and he was disappointed that nonconformists were not more keen in the matter, but so often seemed inclined to approach the whole question from the point of view of party politics. The education question, he said, was encumbered with the refuse of past controversy, and his earnest desire was that all this might be cleared away and forgotten, and that no considerations should be allowed to have any weight except such as concerned the welfare of the child, which should be to all the sole object of pursuit for all. My thanks are due to the editor of the Contemporary Review for permission to reprint paper entitled "A Plea for Knowledge". the LOUISE CREIGHTON. I. THE VALUE OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. SPEECH DELIVERED TO THE NORTHAMPTON EDUCATION SOCIETY, 22ND JUNE, 1891. I WISH to ask you to consider what is the position which religious knowledge fills with regard to education generally. I venture to think that it is a much larger and more important position than is generally imagined. If, in the first place, we consider religious teaching simply and solely as a means of education, it seems to me that it contains material of greater educational value than anything that comes into the curriculum of the ordinary school. If you ask me, how I would recommend that a child's mind should be trained, whether by teaching it the subjects which come under the heading of religious knowledge, or by teaching it any other subject, I have not the least hesitation in saying that, simply with a view to its education, I would teach it what is called religious knowledge. The same opinion was once expressed to me by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors, who said, that he was grieved not to be allowed to examine in the subject which was to him the most real test of the intellect of the children. He complained that he was allowed only to deal with the mangled remains |