Some account of the origin and objects of the new Oxford examinations for the title of Associate in Arts and certificates, for the year 1858 / by T.D. Acland ; also letters from J. Hullah [and others] and selected papers relating to the West of England examination.
- Acland, Sir Thomas Dyke, 1809-1898.
- Date:
- 1858
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Some account of the origin and objects of the new Oxford examinations for the title of Associate in Arts and certificates, for the year 1858 / by T.D. Acland ; also letters from J. Hullah [and others] and selected papers relating to the West of England examination. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![]6 especi.'illy in the interest created among the parents. It was evident that, whatever difficulties might stand in the way of sub- jecting youths already in business to examination, none stood in the way of school examination, provided that reasonable prudence was observed on certain points, especially the independence of private establishments, the social status of the parent, and their sacred feelings on religious subjects. The knowledge gained by personal communications with masters and with parents led to a clear understanding of the points to which they respectively attached most importance, and on these data the Prospectus and Proposals published in the Appendix were drawn up. They were first submitted to persons universally respected and likely to be well informed as to the sentiments of the laity of different shades of opinion. It appeared that the two points requiring to be guarded within the Church were, on the one side, that the integrity of the Church of England system should be respected ; on the other, that* the examination should be placed in the hands of laity as well as clergy : these two points being agreed upon, it was decided to give to Dissenting parents a pledge of entire fairness by accepting as evidence of religious teaching a certificate from any one in whom they might individually place confidence. Attempts were made from opposite quarters to induce the Committee to require one uniform and comprehensive examination in Religion. Some persons hoped by avoiding any reference to Church doctrines to take away all excuse for recognizing the Dissenting certificates; others (not Churchmen) asked for a Scriptural examination as a means of getting rid of the Prayer-Book. But the Committee adhered to their first principle. They disclaimed all interference with the integrity of the Church examination, taking care, how- ever, that the responsibility should be vested where it would be discreetly used, and they refused to make their own examination compulsory. The result proved the wisdom of the course pur- sued. The examination was satisfactory to Churchmen, and no serious complaint was made by Dissenters ; pupils from several dissenting establishments appeared ; and out of 107 boys 100 passed the examination in religious knowledge. The proposals so matured were issued on the 23rd December to about thirty persons, including magistrates in town and country, merchants and bankers, tradesmen and farmers, with a request that they might be returned with remarks. Several im-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22440392_0046.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
