Smith addresses the rise of schoolteachers as professionals in the Victorian era and, as a function of that rise, their often-conflictual relationship with Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Wesleyan clergy. Venturing beyond the traditional treatment of Anglican themes, the book carefully documents how the financial and educational status of teachers improved while that of clergy diminished. Utilising a range of ... Read morehitherto neglected sources of information, Smith provides a useful case study of the rise of one professional class. Recommended".
Choice "His book contributes not only refreshing comparative insights but also a vivid realisation of the Victorian interplay of religious, moral, social and economic factors in education as well as the tensions they engender. It makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the philosophy of education of the period and to the discernment of commitment".
Professor V A McClelland, former Director of Institute of Education & Professor of Educational Studies at Hull University, and a noted biographer of Cardinal Manning Show Less