LORD STANLEY ON RURAL EDUCATION.

Colonist, Issue 16, 15 December 1857, Page 4

LORD STANLEY ON RURAL EDUCATION.

Lord Stanley has proposed a scheme of rural education for the county of Norfolk. After pointing out the local peculiarities of' the county, as affording facilities on account of the population not being too much dispersed, he says:— " I should suggest the establishment of five principal or central libraries, from which smaller institutions of a similar nature might be supplied with books. Beginning from the west, Lynn occurs as the first suitable point; and here, in fact, the work has been done. Norwich and Yarmouth should j be provided with depots of the same kind; j and there, at least, neither means nor will j are likely to be wanting, Fakenham! towards the north, and Thetford on-our j southern boundary, might, with.properjor- ! ganisation, supply the intervening districts, j To pronounce what number of volumesieach I such library ought to contain is difficult. I' have often stated my belief that a collection ; of 5000 volumes may be so chosen as to include nearly all that, for;popular purposes"; is valuable in English literature; 'and that estimate I see no reason to alter. The cost of books may be taken roughly at 4s. per volume, or five to the pound, which, allowing for expenses of furniture, would employ an outlay of £1200 for each library, or £6000 for the whole. When one considers what sums are recklessly wasted by the richer classes in this coimtry on objects of mere selfish luxury or pleasure, it is difficult to imagine that such an amount would not be forthcoming, if only the importance of the end to be gained were once duly estimated." The noble lord then proceeds, in some little detail, to prove that libraries of this kind once founded would be self-sup-porting, by citing examples at Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, Lynn, and places in Lancashire. "Next it may be demanded," he continues, "by what agency the benefit of libraries such as those I describe can be extended beyond the immediate vicinity of each ? I answer, by the establishment in every village of small local reading-rooms, each of which may be supplied with books from the nearest central depot, paying for their use, and having also, if that be practicable, a limited stock of standard works in its own possession. Such a reading-room may be easily established wherever a school exists. AH that is required is, that some one person should make himself responsible for the due payment of the annual subscrip-

tion and for the safe custody of the Vbluriies issued. In the district immediately surrounding Lynn many parishes and villages are thus assisted, and there is no reason why the system should not be extended over the entire comity. Taking its area in square miles (in round numbers, 2100), it will be seen that forty-two institutions such as I describe would give one to every fifty square miles, or, in other words, nearly one to every square of seven miles each way. If the number were doubled, we should have one to every twenty-five square miles, or one to every square of five miles each way. The latter number might probably be considered as sufficient for all purposes. But with these branch or affiliated institutions we need have no present concern; local efforts will create them in every place when once the central establishments are formed, on which their efficiency must in a great degree depend. I regard, therefore, the work on which you are engaged at Fakenham not as an isolated enterprise (in that case it might be fitly left to those who are to derive immediate benefit from it), but as falling into and forming part of a larger scheme, as does also the kindred institution already existing at Lynn."