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The National System.

It is only sixty-five years ago that Foster's Education Act was passed in England and half a century since the foundation of our own wisely-planned system of National Education for children. That the State undertakes this great task is recognition of the importance of education for civic life. Since that time we have concentrated our attention on the education of the youth of the community; and rightly so — first things first. But though our educational system, notwithstanding its errors and defects, has brought great benefits in its train, it has had one very unfortunate, and, I believe, unforeseen consequence: it has accustomed our peoples to associate education with the school, whether primary, secondary, or university, and to imagine that whoever has passed through any or all of these institutions has been educated.