316 EDUCATION 



was founded with the assistance of the Science and Art 

 Department. 



In December, 1879, the Committee presented a further 

 report which showed that satisfactory progress had been 

 made in extending the system of local classes. The Council 

 expressed their pleasure in finding that the scheme of the 

 Science and Art Department was meeting with increased 

 approval in the country. The Committee having learned in 

 June, 1880, that it was not the intention of the Department 

 to repeat the course of lectures to teachers at South Ken- 

 sington, advised the Council to urge the desirability of repeat- 

 ing this course. The Marquis of Huntly, who had been 

 Chairman of the Chamber in 1879, pressed the matter in 

 the House of Lords ; ultimately, Earl Spencer acceded to 

 the request, and full advantage was taken of the lectures. 



In April, 1881, the Council invited the attention of the 

 Science and Art Department to the advantages of giving still 

 further facilities for scientific instruction, especially recom- 

 mending the technical training of teachers desirous of esta- 

 blishing classes in rural districts for the giving of instruction 

 in the principles of agriculture. The two University Com- 

 missions were also memorialised, with a view to securing 

 if possible the application of funds to the founding of Chairs 

 of Agriculture at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge 

 and schools for agricultural instruction. In the following 

 December the Committee presented a report showing the 

 progress made by means of classes at South Kensington, 

 from which it appeared that the number of pupils examined 

 had increased from 150 in 1876 to 4353 in 1881, while in the 

 whole nearly 5000 students had been under instruction during 

 the year. The further extension of scientific as well as prac- 

 tical instruction in agriculture was declared to be desirable 

 by the Royal Commission on Agriculture, which presented 

 its report this year. 



The Education Committee had its powers enlarged in 

 February, 1882, and was asked to examine the proposed new 

 Code for elementary education in its bearing on the smaller 

 schools of rural districts ; apprehension being felt that the 



