PREFACE. As I believe that many of our social evils would, in a great measure, be removed, if an improvement were to be effected in our national system of education by the inclusion in the Government Code of physical, technical, and industrial training, I have thought that I might, perhaps, in some small degree hasten this much-to-be-desired reform by republishing in a cheap and popular shape some of the more recent expressions of opinion in support of this view. Hence the appearance of this book. I trust it may somewhat assist towards the formation of a public opinion which, within no distant period, shall insist upon alterations being made in the national code of education, so that our young men and maidens may start in life with healthy bodies, with a knowledge of things as well as of books, with the power of using their hands as well as their heads, and of making the most of small resources. If some such reforms, as are advocated in these pages, were effected, the future generation, furnished with the means of leading industrious, prosperous, and happy lives, would find itself in a much superior position to the present, which, being nourished mainly on intellectual food, finds its body starved and its hands paralysed. 83 LANCASTER GATE, W: January, 1888. MEATH. |