ThemoraldegradationcausedbythecapitalisticexploitationofwomenandchildrenhasbeensoexhaustivelydepictedbyF。Engelsinhis\"LagederArbeitendenKlasseEnglands，\"andotherwriters，thatIneedonlymentionthesubjectinthisplace。Buttheintellectualdesolationartificiallyproducedbyconvertingimmaturehumanbeingsintomeremachinesforthefabricationofsurplus—value，astateofmindclearlydistinguishablefromthatnaturalignorancewhichkeepsthemindfallowwithoutdestroyingitscapacityfordevelopment，itsnaturalfertility，thisdesolationfinallycompelledeventheEnglishParliamenttomakeelementaryeducationacompulsoryconditiontothe\"productive\"employmentofchildrenunder14years，ineveryindustrysubjecttotheFactoryActs。Thespiritofcapitalistproductionstandsoutclearlyintheludicrouswordingoftheso—callededucationclausesintheFactoryActs，intheabsenceofanadministrativemachinery，anabsencethatagainmakesthecompulsionillusory，intheoppositionofthemanufacturersthemselvestotheseeducationclauses，andinthetricksanddodgestheyputinpracticeforevadingthem。\"Forthisthelegislatureisalonetoblame，byhavingpassedadelusivelaw，which，whileitwouldseemtoprovidethatthechildrenemployedinfactoriesshallbeeducated，containsnoenactmentbywhichthatprofessedendcanbesecured。Itprovidesnothingmorethanthatthechildrenshalloncertaindaysoftheweek，andforacertainnumberofhours（three）ineachday，beinclosedwithinthefourwallsofaplacecalledaschool，andthattheemployerofthechildshallreceiveweeklyacertificatetothateffectsignedbyapersondesignatedbythesubscriberasaschoolmasterorschoolmistress。\"[54]PrevioustothepassingoftheamendedFactoryAct，1844，ithappened，notunfrequently，thatthecertificatesofattendanceatschoolweresignedbytheschoolmasterorschoolmistresswithacross，astheythemselveswereunabletowrite。\"Ononeoccasion，onvisitingaplacecalledaschool，fromwhichcertificatesofschoolattendance，hadissued，Iwassostruckwiththeignoranceofthemaster，thatIsaidtohim:’Pray，sir，canyouread？’Hisreplywas:’Aye，summat！’andasajustificationofhistighttograntcertificates，headded:’Atanyrate，I
ambeforemyscholars。’Theinspectors，whentheBillof1844wasinpreparation，didnotfailtorepresentthedisgracefulstateoftheplacescalledschools，certificatesfromwhichtheywereobligedtoadmitasacompliancewiththelaws，buttheyweresuccessfulonlyinobtainingthusmuch，thatsincethepassingoftheActof1844，thefiguresintheschoolcertificatemustbefilledupinthehandwritingoftheschoolmaster，whomustalsosignhisChristianandsurnameinfull。\"[55]SirJohnKincaid，factoryinspectorforScotland，relatesexperiencesofthesamekind。\"ThefirstschoolwevisitedwaskeptbyaMrs。AnnKillin。Uponaskinghertospellhername，shestraightwaymadeamistake，bybeginningwiththeletterC，butcorrectingherselfimmediately，shesaidhernamebeganwithaK。Onlookingathersignature，however，intheschoolcertificatebooks，Inoticedthatshespeltitinvariousways，whileherhandwritingleftnodoubtastoherunfitnesstoteach。Sheherselfalsoacknowledgedthatshecouldnotkeeptheregiste……InasecondschoolIfoundtheschoolroom15feetlong，and10feetwide，andcountedinthisspace75
children，whoweregobblingsomethingunintelligible\"[56]Butitisnotonlyinthemiserableplacesabovereferredtothatthechildrenobtaincertificatesofschoolattendancewithouthavingreceivedinstructionofanyvalue，forinmanyschoolswherethereisacompetentteacher，hiseffortsareoflittleavailfromthedistractingcrowdofchildrenofallages，frominfantsof3yearsoldandupwards;hislivelihood，miserableatthebest，dependingonthepencereceivedfromthegreatestnumberofchildrenwhomitispossibletocramintothespace。Tothisistobeaddedscantyschoolfurniture，deficiencyofbooks，andothermaterialsforteaching，andthedepressingeffectuponthepoorchildrenthemselvesofaclose，noisome’atmosphere。Ihavebeeninmanysuchschools，whereIhaveseenrowsofchildrendoingabsolutelynothing;andthisiscertifiedasschoolattendance，and，instatisticalreturns，suchchildrenaresetdownasbeingeducated。\"[57]InScotlandthemanufacturerstryalltheycantodowithoutthechildrenthatareobligedtoattendschool。\"ItrequiresnofurtherargumenttoprovethattheeducationalclausesoftheFactoryAct，beingheldinsuchdisfavouramongmill—owners，tendinagreatmeasuretoexcludethatclassofchildrenalikefromtheemploymentandthebenefitofeducationcontemplatedbythisAct。\"[58]Horriblygrotesquedoesthisappearinprintworks，whichareregulatedby’aspecialAct。BythatAct，\"everychild，beforebeingemployedinaprintworkmusthaveattendedschoolforatleast30days，andnotlessthan150hours，duringthesixmonthsimmediatelyprecedingsuchfirstdayofemployment，andduringthecontinuanceofitsemploymentintheprintworks，itmustattendforalikeperiodof30days，and150hoursduringeverysuccessiveperiodofsixmonths……Theattendanceatschoolmustbebetween8a。m。
and6p。m。Noattendanceoflessthan21/2hours，normorethan5hoursonanyoneday，shallbereckonedaspartofthe150hours。Underordinarycircumstancesthechildrenattendschoolmorningandafternoonfor30days，foratleast5hourseachday，andupontheexpirationofthe30days，thestatutorytotalof150hourshavingbeenattained，having，intheirlanguage，madeuptheirbook，theyreturntotheprintwork，wheretheycontinueuntilthesixmonthshaveexpired，whenanotherinstalmentofschoolattendancebecomesdue，andtheyagainseektheschooluntilthebookisagainmadeup……Manyboyshavingattendedschoolfortherequirednumberofhours，whentheyreturntoschoolaftertheexpirationoftheirsixmonths’workintheprintwork，areinthesameconditionaswhentheyfirstattendedschoolasprint—workboys，thattheyhavelostalltheygainedbytheirpreviousschoolattendance……
Inotherprintworksthechildren’sattendanceatschoolismadetodependaltogetherupontheexigenciesoftheworkintheestablishment。Therequisitenumberofhoursismadeupeachsixmonths，byinstalmentsconsistingoffrom3to5hoursatatime，spreadingover，perhaps，thewholesixmonths……Forinstance，theattendanceononedaymightbefrom8to11a。m。，onanotherdayfromIp。m。to4p。m。，andthechildmightnotappearatschoolagainforseveraldays，whenitwouldattendfrom3p。m。to6p。m。;thenitmightattendfor3or4daysconsecutively，orforaweek，thenitwouldnotappearinschoolfor3weeksoramonth，afterthatuponsomeodddaysatsomeoddhourswhentheoperativewhoemployeditchosetospareit;