The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844: with a Preface written in 1892Engels, Friedrich
History
The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844: with a Preface written in 1892
Engels, Friedrich
Great Britain -- Economic conditions; Working class -- Great Britain
"In Birmingham," says Commissioner Grainger, "the children examined by
me are, as a whole, utterly wanting in all that could be in the
remotest degree called a useful education. Although in almost all the
schools religious instruction alone is furnished, the profoundest
ignorance even upon that subject prevailed."--"In Wolverhampton," says
Commissioner Horne, "I found, among others, the following example: A
girl of eleven years had attended both day and Sunday school, 'had
never heard of another world, of Heaven, or another life.' A boy,
seventeen years old, did not know that twice two are four, nor how
many farthings in two pence even when the money was placed in his
hand. Several boys had never heard of London nor of Willenhall,
though the latter was but an hour's walk from their homes, and in the
closest relations with Wolverhampton. Several had never heard the
name of the Queen nor other names, such as Nelson, Wellington,
Bonaparte; but it was noteworthy that those who had never heard even
of St. Paul, Moses, or Solomon, were very well instructed as to the
life, deeds, and character of Dick Turpin, and especially of Jack
Sheppard. A youth of sixteen did not know how many twice two are, nor
how much four farthings make. A youth of seventeen asserted that four
farthings are four half pence; a third, seventeen years old, answered
several very simple questions with the brief statement, that he 'was
ne jedge o' nothin'.'" {112a} These children who are crammed with
religious doctrines four or five years at a stretch, know as little at
the end as at the beginning. One child "went to Sunday school
regularly for five years; does not know who Jesus Christ is, but had
heard the name; had never heard of the twelve Apostles, Samson, Moses,
Aaron, etc." {112b} Another "attended Sunday school regularly six
years; knows who Jesus Christ was; he died on the Cross to save our
Saviour; had never heard of St. Peter or St. Paul." {113a} A third,
"attended different Sunday schools seven years; can read only the
thin, easy books with simple words of one syllable; has heard of the
Apostles, but does not know whether St. Peter was one or St. John; the
latter must have been St. John Wesley." {113b} To the question who
Christ was, Horne received the following answers among others: "He was
Adam," "He was an Apostle," "He was the Saviour's Lord's Son," and
from a youth of sixteen: "He was a king of London long ago." In
Sheffield, Commissioner Symonds let the children from the Sunday
school read aloud; they could not tell what they had read, or what
sort of people the Apostles were, of whom they had just been reading.
After he had asked them all one after the other about the Apostles
without securing a single correct answer, one sly-looking little
fellow, with great glee, called out: "I know, mister; they were the
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