Abstract
IN opening the session of the Birmingham and Midland Institute recently, the President, Mr. Charles Dickens, referred to the “penny system” of instruction as “one of the most remarkable schemes ever devised for the educational behoof of the artizan;” and as this system, so far as we know, is adopted only at the Birmingham institution, we have made inquiries respecting its working there. We learn that, soon after the opening of the Science Classes in 1854, the teacher, Mr. Williams, observing that after a few terms the attendance fell off, suggested the establishment of Penny Lectures, as introductory to systematic scientific instruction. This plan answering well, an arithmetic class was commenced by Mr. Rickard, to which students were admitted on payment of one penny at the door. Subsequently other classes were started on the penny system, and now among others even chemistry and physical geography are taught in penny lessons. The chemistry class was formerly conducted on the quarterly plan, the fee being 3s. per term of twelve lessons. Though the fee was low, the attendance seldom reached more than 40 or 50 per night; while since the introduction of the penny system it is about 100 during the winter months. The persons attending the class are of all grades of society; but since the change to the penny system the proportion of artizans has much increased. We are not surprised at this, in fact it is what we should expect. The wage-paid class receive their earnings weekly, they pay their rent weekly, their “settlings” are made weekly, and their books they take in in weekly numbers. It is not to be surprised at, then, that a science class in which the fee is paid weekly should be popular with artizans. Where the fee is so low as one penny we do not see how a class can pay; but such institutions as that of Birmingham are not intended, and never were intended, to pay in a commercial sense. The promoters and subscribers are only too pleased to find their efforts successful in inducing attendance at the classes. Viewed in this way we believe the penny system to be the best of any; and the Birmingham and Midland Institute deserves all honour for having introduced it.
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Penny Science Classes . Nature 1, 57 (1869). https://doi.org/10.1038/001057a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/001057a0