Conclusion

Abstract

This book has sought to uncover some of the important, diverse, but often overlooked pedagogical endeavours that took place between 1885 and 1910. Extramural English literature teaching was not flawlessly executed, by any means; uneven attendance figures were symptomatic of larger deficiencies in the Extension Movement, particularly organisational disputes and the limited financial resources that were available. Nevertheless, the Movement could boast exemplary levels of scholarship from lecturers, and positive reports from examiners testify to student commitment, and to the effectiveness of a new teaching model. Efforts to portray this as a systematic course of education found reward in the affiliation scheme, which denoted a certain degree of Oxbridge approval, prompting Collins (among others) to intensify demands for an honours degree in English in order to centralise instruction in the subject, and provide proper training for extramural teachers.