Scriven Report on Child Labour * Education and Schools*

[ education and schools ] [ Number of Scholars at Sunday School] [ number of teachers ]

[ number of places of Religious worship ] [ Returns of Day Schools 1841 ]

[ Samuel Scriven's submission ]

EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS

28) The subjoined return of the weekly, Sabbath, and infant schools, with the number of places of worship, is, as far as it goes, conclusive evidence that no efforts are spared on the part of the wealthy classes to afford ample opportunities to the younger branches of the community of acquiring moral and religious education. Indeed I do not believe that there is any other part of the country, certainly none that I have visited, where such examples, " so worthy of all imitation", are to be met with: -

Returns of Sunday Schools in the Staffordshire Potteries
 and Surrounding Neighbourhood (February 1841)

Number of Scholars Receiving Instruction

Number of Teachers giving Instruction

Number of Places of Religious Worship

Returns of Day Schools in the Staffordshire Potteries, 1841

29) I almost tremble, however, when I contemplate the fearful deficiency of knowledge existing throughout the district, and the consequences likely to result to this increased and increasing population, and would willingly leave the evidence to speak for itself, did I not feel that I should ill discharge my duty were I to shrink from the task; on an examination of the minutes of evidence which I have the honour to forward from Cobridge, Burslem, &c. &c., it with appear that more than three-fourths of the persons therein named can neither read nor write. An internee may be possibly drawn that I may have been partial in my selection of them, but I beg distinctly to be understood as having on all occasions had them before me irrespective of any educational competency they may have possessed. But it is not from my own knowledge that I proclaim their utter, their absolute ignorance. I would respectfully refer you to the evidence of their own pastors and masters, and it will appear that as one man they acknowledge and lament their low and degraded condition. My experience has satisfied me that this state of things is attributable to the three following causes.

30) The first, and perhaps most prominent, I conceive to be that of sending children at too early a period of life to labour from morning till night, in hundreds of cases for 15 or 16 hours consecutively, with the intermission of only a few minutes to eat their humble food of " tatees" and " stir pudding", and where they acquire little else than vice, for the wages of ls. or 2s. per week, whereby they are necessarily deprived of every opportunity of attending a day or evening school.

31) Another is the total indifference of parents, who, although in numberless instances earning from 2s. to 3s. or 4s. per week, and not requiring the early labour of their offspring, nevertheless care so little about their immediate or future welfare, as to be equally satisfied whether they continue in ignorance or not.

32) A third is doubtless the poverty of others unemployed.

33) In all the schools 2d. per week is required from every pupil, which, although trifling in amount, is beyond the reach of many; instances, happily, are not wanting in which benevolent persons contribute this stipend to the children of industrious and deserving parents, who have during the recent depression of trade been thrown out of work.

34) There are in the district Sunday-schools belonging to the church, and to dissenters of many denominations, but chiefly to Methodists of' the " Wesleyan", " New Connexion", " Christian Association", and " Primitive" connexion. In these are congregated immense numbers of children of both sexes. The practice of all is to open their doors at nine o'clock in the morning, and close them at half past ten, when they retire to the religious worship of their respective churches or chapels: to open again at one o'clock, and retire at half past two generally, for the same purpose, thus giving three hours of instruction deducting half an hour for prayer and singing, with which they commence their duties. There are defects in the system of Sunday-school training, or whence arises the fact of children whose depositions I hand you from Burslem, the very pride of the potteries, their very seat of learning, being so profoundly ignorant as not to know one letter from another, and yet regularly "attend Sunday schools" my deliberate opinion is; that in an educational point of view they are not doing the good which is attributed to them: first, on account of the limitation of the hours of schooling; next; from the absence of writing, and other such secular instruction; and, thirdly, on account of the teachers; who with honour be it spoken, are eight-tenths of the working classes, yet unequal to the task of teaching. I do not mean to detract from the merits of Sunday-schools as a source of religious knowledge, which by some is considered the basis upon which all others should be built, or from the moral effects resulting from the congregating of children in religious places; or from associating with religious friends; but would rather give my humble praise to the many sects who have with such determined efforts striven to stem the torrent of infidelity, profligacy, and drunkenness, and continue with pious zeal, in imitation of their founder, to extend the knowledge and love of God.

35) On a reference to the table it will be seen that there are in the several townships 17 day-schools, upon either Dr. Bell's, the Lancasterian, or the Infant system; but in the attendance upon these, as compared with the Sunday-schools, there is a sad falling off; nearly all of them are handsome and spacious edifices, and capable of holding and seating comfortably four times the number of children in daily attendance.

36) Amongst the most prominent are those of Hanley, Shelton, Stoke, Longton, Burslem, Dale Hall, and Tunstall; these are noble institutions, and do honour to the respective inhabitants. The boys and girls have their separate rooms, which are lofty, dry, well ventilated, warm, and in all respects adapted to their purposes; and each has its master or mistress, who has generally been trained at one of the normal schools, and therefore, it is presumed, well qualified for his duties. It has however, not been my fortune to find much order or decorum in the children, or cleanliness in the rooms they occupy.

37) Most of the schools belong to the National Society, and are therefore upon Dr. Bell's system, and do not admit the children of other denominations unless they conform to the worship of the Church; at least such is the general rule, although it may sometimes be departed from. It must be remembered that this district is the stronghold of the Kilhamites or new Methodist connexion; and that the Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists or Ranters, prevail in immense numbers, and constitute perhaps four-fifths of the population; that they have, within a few years, erected at their own expense a vast number of' chapels of great beauty and magnificence, together with detached Sunday-schools in all respects corresponding; so that they may not have the pecuniary means, however much they may have the inclination, to build day-schools for their children. The rule above alluded to in the National School necessarily excludes them; hence the insignificant number of those that attend. Independent of this, monitors are appointed over each class. Boys, as well as girls, as soon as they arrive at eight, nine, or ten years of age, are sent to work; these monitors are therefore very young, and possess only the ability to read "a bit" themselves, or it may be spell. Parents even of the church have a strong objection to pay the weekly 2d., 3d., or 4d. for their children to be made the monitors of others, or to their receiving instruction from others as such; see the evidence of James Hulme, No. 46, who, although he could not read, was one of the most intelligent lads that I have met with; he depones " that they put lads over me that could na' read better than meesel, and when I came to a hard word they used to say, Go on, go on; put it off, put it off; so I did na' loike that; I told my father, and Ire took me away."

38) There is only one school upon the British system throughout the townships, and that at Hanley, a superb edifice of its kind, open to the children of every denomination of Christians, comparatively well filled and regulated. There are several infant-schools well conducted, but the numbers attending them are very scanty. Amongst them I may mention one under the management of Jane Shriven, at the National School of St. John's; here I selected many of the children for examination, whose proficiency perfectly astonished me, and speaks volumes in honour of the mistress.

39) There are no industrial schools of any kind. These would appear to me to be of the utmost value to the children of both sexes in such a place as this, as the nature of their employment has peculiar claims for such.

40) In Hanley and Fenton there are Mechanics' Institutes for adults well attended; Hanley has 336 members, a good library of 1500 volumes, reading-room, and class-rooms for drawing, engraving, chemistry, these arts being essentially to workmen engaged in the manufactories: if something of the kind could be established for younger persons I doubt not but that it would prove of immense importance to them in after life.

41) The preceding communications from Messrs. Davis, Galdard, Garner, and Harding will convey some facts relating to the medical topography of their respective places of residence.

42) I feel great pleasure in recording the gratifying fact, that throughout the whole of my visits, whether in the factory or workshop, the cabin at the pit's mouth, or in the humble cottage, I have been received with the utmost respect, kindness, and hospitality; not the result of any merits of my own, or of a previous knowledge of the people, for I came amongst them a total stranger, but from an impression that something was about to be done to regenerate the youthful population from a state of moral degradation and physical toil;-a measure which I believe would be hailed with gladness and satisfaction.

I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,

Your most obedient servant,

S. SCRIVEN.