172 SCIENCE TEACHING. 



of the nuns of the various teaching Orders, courses were organised at four 

 centres, and given successfully. 



Practical and written examinations were held at the close of each course ; 

 the teachers' work during the course and the results of the practical examina- 

 tions being determined by the Professor in charge, the written papers being 

 valued by examiners unconnected with any of the classes. 



A course of four weeks' instruction for teachers of Drawing was organised 

 at the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin. The course was in charge of Mr. 

 Brenan, the headmaster, assisted by four members of his regular staflF, Eighty 

 teachers attended this course. 



In all these courses no less than 293 teachers, representing 196 schools 

 have been in attendance ; and it has been gratifying to find that a large 

 number of teachers were willing to sacrifice their holidays in the work of 

 preparation for the coming session. They attended the courses with admirable 

 punctuality and regularity ; and in work, beyond the regular hours of the 

 course, displayed a keenness and enthusiasm which were remarkable, and 

 augur well for the future of Science and Art instruction. As the results of 

 this form of instruction are to be tested, and grants paid mainly on inspection, 

 a great responsibility is thrown on the teachers and on the inspectors of the 

 Department. The teachers have shown their willingness to share the burden ; 

 it is hoped that the steps already taken by the Department in the direction of 

 establishing the new scheme by training teachers and offering advice as to 

 equipment of laboratories, &c., may be continued and supplemented during 

 the coming session through the Department's inspectorate, whose duties will 

 be largely of a constructive character. 



The need for revising the system of grants for Science and Art instruction 

 to schools other than day schools was not immediately 

 Evening Schools, urgent, and it was, therefore, decided to continue sub- 

 stantially the same regulations as had hitherto applied 

 fthose of the Science and Art Directory of the Board of Education, South 

 Kensington) for the session 1901-2. It is hoped by another session that the 

 officers of the Department will have had sufficient experience of the needs and 

 possibilities of evening instruction in Ireland to enable them to advise the 

 Department in regard to a revised system. 



The academic year just closing was the first in which grants were to be 



paid on the results of inspection alone. The changes in 



The Work of the the inspectorate during the year and the exceptional 



Session 1900-1901. pressure of work resulted in the inspection being far 



less thorough than was intended. 



Science and Art classes in connection with the Board of Education (South 



Kensington), as shown in the following statement, were in existence: — 



Science and Art Schools and Classes in L 



Total number, . 



Number giving evening instruction, 

 ,, ,, day instruction, 



,, ,, Art instruction only, 



" Schools of Science," .... 



'eland. 



127 



35 

 92 



2 



The number of large institutions is small. In some of these very good 

 work is done ; in others the work, as a whole, is poor. 



In Day Secondary Schools in connection with the Board of Education 

 (South Kensington) practical instruction in Chemistry was given in only four 

 cases ; in Physics in two cases only. In no other schools was practical in- 



