Page "Ralph Lingen, 1st Baron Lingen" Paragraph 2

After teaching as an assistant master at Rugby School he entered the Inns of Court as a Barrister at Lincoln's Inn.

He was called to the bar in 1847 ; but instead of practising as a barrister, he accepted an appointment in the Education Office, and after a short period was chosen in 1849 to succeed Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth as its secretary or chief permanent official.

He retained this position till 1869.

The Education Office of that day had to administer a somewhat chaotic system of government grants to local schools, and Lingen was conspicuous for his fearless discrimination and rigid economy, qualities which characterized his whole career.

When Robert Lowe ( Lord Sherbrooke ) became, as vice-president of the council, his parliamentary chief, Lingen worked congenially with him in producing the Revised Code of 1862 which incorporated " payment by results "; but the education department encountered adverse criticism, and in 1864 the vote of censure in parliament which caused Lowe's resignation, founded ( but erroneously ) on an alleged " editing " of the school inspectors ' reports, was inspired by a certain antagonism to Lingen's as well as to Lowe's methods.