National Schools Terms

Full title: The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales.

Contents

Initial Principles

The Society’s first annual report published in 1812, just after its formation the previous year, listed the following as its principles:

THAT the NATIONAL RELIGION should be made the Foundation of NATIONAL EDUCATION, and should be the first and chief thing taught to the Poor, according to the excellent Liturgy and Catechism provided by our Church for that purpose, must be admitted by all friends to the Establishment; for if the great body of the Nation be educated in other principles than those of the Established Church, the natural con-sequence must be to alienate the minds of the people from it, or render them indifferent to it, which may, in succeeding generations, prove fatal to the Church, and to the State itself.
It must indeed be admitted in this country of civil and religious liberty, that every man has a right to pursue the plan of education, that is best adapted to the religion which he himself professes. Whatever religious tenets therefore men of other persuasions may think proper to combine with the mechanism of the new system, whether tenets peculiar to themselves, or tenets of a more general nature, they are free to use the new system so combined, without reproach or interruption from the members of the Establishment. Or the other hand the members of the Establishment are not only warranted, but in duty bound to preserve that system, as originally practised at Madras, in the form of a Church of England Education.
The friends therefore of the Establishment throughout the kingdom are earnestly requested to associate and co-operate for the purpose of promoting the Education of the Poor in the doctrine and discipline of the Established Church. It is hoped that such co-operation will not be wanting, when the object in view is nothing less than the preservation of the National Religion, by ensuring to the great body of the people an education adapted to its principles.

1837 Summary of Activities

The National Schools existed to bolster the strength of the Church of England at a time of increasing secularism and challenges from the dissenters. This was expressed succinctly in an article in the Norfolk Chronicle of April 1^st 1837 following an explanation that the funding for the National Schools was in severe decline:

We trust therefore most sincerely, that the Managers of this Institution will find themselves amply supported by the benevolence and zeal of those, to whom they have thus appealed:
“They fain would hope, that the supporters of the Established Church perceive, how justly our National Schools have been compared to a chain of fortresses, surrounding and protecting it. They cannot but hope, that the Clergy will use their influence to preserve our portion of these bulwarks from decay…”

The Formal Agreement with the National Schools

The following document sets out the agreement between the vicar of Deopham (the Rev. George Turner) and the Society under which the National Society agreed to support the new Deopham school:

TERMS OF UNION

TO BE SUBSCRIBED BY PARTIES DESIROUS OF UNITING THEIR SCHOOLS WITH THE

National Society

FOR PROMOTING THE EDUCATION OF THE POOR IN THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH THROUGHOUT ENGLAND AND WALES

I, the undersigned, being desirous that the School is to be established at Deopham near Attleborough in the County of Norfolk and Diocese of Norwich should be united to the NATIONAL SOCIETY declare that

“The Children are to be instructed in the Holy Scriptures, and in the Liturgy and Catechism of the Established Church.”
“With respect to such instruction, the Schools are to be subject to the superintendence of the Vicar or Principal Parochial Clergyman for the time being.”
“The Children are to be regularly assembled for the purpose of attending Divine Service in the Parish Church, or other place of worship under the Establishment, unless such reason be assigned for their non-attendance as is satisfactory to the Manager of the School.”
“The Masters and the Mistresses are to be members of the Church of England.“
“A Report on the state and progress of the Schools is to be made, at Christmas in every year to the National Society; and the Schools are, with the consent of the Manager, to be periodically inspected by persons appointed either by the Bishop of the Diocese, the National Society, or the Diocesan Board of Education.”
“In case any difference should arise between the Parochial Clergy and the Managers of the Schools, with reference to the preceding Rules, respecting the religious instruction of Scholars, or any regulation connected therewith, an appeal is to be made to the Bishop of the Diocese, whose decision is to be final.“

Signed …..

Dated …..

To be signed either by the Minister and Managers in conjunction, or by the Minister alone, stating that he is sole Manager, or by the Minister alone, declaring that he is empowered to sign both for himself and for the Managers.

In the absence of the Incumbent of the Parish, the Officiating Minister, who signs the above, will be required to state that the Incumbent approves of the application for Union.

The above form, when properly filled up and signed, should be transmitted to the Secretary of the Society, who, when the Committee have received the School into Union, will send an official Certificate to be hung up in the School-room.

Reproduced courtesy of the Chapter of Canterbury, their ref BB4/238

Navigation

Return to Schools

Date	Change
3/5/26	Initial terms of reference
16/4/24	Extract from Norfolk Chronicle, 1837
31/10/23	Published