Fuly 6, 1871] 
NATURE 
IQI 

to attend the medical lectures at that University, in furtherance 
of the expressed wishes of His Majesty’s Finnish subjects. 
AT the last Calcutta University Convocation the novelty was 
the presence of eight native Brahme ladies. 
GOLD is reported in New Caledonia, near the Scot River. 
SucH is the ease with which scientific intelligence is now pro- 
pagated that the experiments of Dr. Fayrer, in India, on snake- 
bites, have attracted attention in the Panama Herald. It is there 
stated that an efficacious native Indian remedy for snake-bites has 
long been employed in many parts of the interior, and more suc- 
cessfully than ammonia, codron, cuaco, and other substances. 
The composition referred to is made by adding to a bottle of 
alcohol, as strong as can be got, and of at least 35°,- the contents 
of the gall-bladders of every poisonous snake that can be got at. 
The dose is a thimble-full internally and the like externally. 
THE Mechanics Magazine for June 9 and 16 contains a full 
and interesting report of the recent conversaztone of the Institu- 
tion of Civil Engineers. 


FIRST REPORT OF THE SCHEME OF EDU- 
CATION COMMITTEE OF THE LONDON 
SCHOOL BOARD 
ee questions referred to us appear to fall under two chief 
divisions :—(1) The nature of the schools which it is desir- 
able that the School Board should provide ; and (2) the methods 
of instruction which should be adopted in such schools ; and we 
shall therefore group our recommendations under these two heads. 
Before proceeding to state these recommendations, it is import- 
ant to observe that they need not be considered to apply, unre- 
servedly, to those already existing schools which may now, or 
hereafter, be taken over by the Board. 
The nature of the schools to be provided by the School Board 
will, asa general rule, be determined by the conditions under 
which grants of public money are made to schools by the Edu- 
cation Department. 
Under the new code grants are made to public elementary 
schools of two kinds—those in which the instruction is given in 
the daytime, and those in which itis given in the evening. Under 
the regulations of the Scienceand Art Department, payments are 
made to teachers of science and art classes upon the results of 
examinations passed by the scholars. It will be desirable, in the 
first place, to deal with the two kinds of schools, viz., public 
elementary day schools, and public elementary evening schools, 
which it is the immediate duty of the Board to provide; and, 
subsequently, to consider the classes of the Science and Art De- 
partment, in relation to these schools, 
I, Puxsric ELEMENTARY Day SCHOOLS 
Public elementary day schools are conveniently classified into 
infant schools, for children below seven years of age; junior 
schools, for children seven and ten years of age; and senior 
schools, for older children. 
Some of the recommendations we have to make are general, 
or hold good for all three classes of schools, while others apply 
only to one or two of them. 
General Recommendations 
a. MIXED OR SEPARATE SCHOOLS.—By mixed schools, we 
understand schools in which male and female children are taught 
in the same classes; by separate schools, those in which boys 
and girls are taught in separate rooms. 
It is universally agreed that infant schools may be mixed, not 
only without detriment, but with positive advantage to the 
children. 
We therefore recommend that infant schools be mixed. 
With respect to junior schools, so much depends upon the pre- 
vious training of the children, and upon local circumstances, that 
we donot think it advisable to lay down any general rule re- 
garding them. 
On we other hand, while evidence has been brought before us 
tending 10 show that, under certain conditions, senior schools 
may be mixed, we are decidedly of opinion, and we recommend, 
that the senior schuols provided by the School Board of London 
should be separate. 
6, LARGE OR SMALL SCHOOLS,—A Board school should con- 

tain, under one management, an infant school or schools, a junior 
school, a senior boys’ school, and a senior girls’ schoul. 
Large junioy and senior schools of 500 children and upwards, 
can be worked with much greater economy and efficiency than 
small schools ; and we have no hesitation in recommending that 
large schools be established wherever it is practicable to do so. 
But we are of opinion that the number of children in average at- 
tendance in any infant school, or infant department of a school, 
under one principal teacher, should not exceed 250 to 300. 
c. THE PROPORTION OF TEACHERS TO SCHOLARS.—Efficient 
and economical teaching, other things being alike, depends upon 
two conditions ;: the first, the regularity of the attendance of the 
scholars ; the second, the due proportion of the teaching power 
to the number of the scholars. 
We are of opinion that the minimum number of teachers fora 
junior or senior school of 500 children should be 16—namely, 1 
principal teacher, 4 assistant certificated teachers, and 11 pupil 
teachers ; and that the teaching staff should be increased by 1 
assistant certificated teacher and 3 pupil teachers for every addi- 
tional 120 children. E 
d. THE EMPLOYMENT OF FEMALE TEACHERS, — In infant 
and girls’ schools, as a general rule, we recommend the employ- 
ment of female teachers only; and we are of opinion that, in 
many cases, women may advantageously take charge of mixed 
junior schools, We donot think it advisable that female teachers 
should be employed in senior boys’ schools. 
e. Hours oF INSTRUCTION.—We recommend that the period 
during which the children are under actual instruction in school 
should be five hours daily for five days in the week. 
We recommend that arrangements should be made by which, 
during the time of religious teaching, any children withdrawn 
from such teaching shall receive separate instruction in secular 
subjects. 
jf. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.—While we consider that the 
frequent use of corporal punishment is a mark of incompetency 
on the part of the teacher, we by no means deny the necessity of 
the occasional and exceptional employment of such punishment. 
But we recommend that every occurrence of corporal punishment 
be formally recorded in a book kept for the purpose; that the 
pupil teachers be absolutely prohibited from inflicting such punish- 
ment ; and thatthe head teacher be held directly responsible for 
every punishment of the kind. 
g. Music anD DriLt.—On the Ist of February, 1871, the 
Board resolved—‘‘ That it is highly desirable that means should 
be provided for physical training, exercise, and drill, in public 
elementary schools established under the authority of this 
Board :” and on the 22nd of March the Board passed another 
resolution—“ That the art and practice of singing be taught, as 
far as may be possible, in the Board schools, as a branch of 
elementary education.” 
The new code of the Education Department encourages drill, by 
providing that attendance at drill, under a competent instructor, 
«for not more than two hours a week and twenty weeks in the 
year,” may be counted as school attendance ; and although it 
does not make the teaching of vocal music compulsory, it inflicts 
a fine at the rate of one shilling per scholar in average attendance 
upon all schools in which vocal music is not taught. 
We recommend that music and drill be taught in every school 
during the period devoted to actual instruction. 
hk. MorAL AND ReELicious INSTRUCTION.—On the 8th 
March, 1871, the Board resolved—That in the schools provided 
by the Board, the Bible shall be read, and there shall be given 
such explanations and such instruction therefrom in the principles 
of morality and religion, as are suited to the capacities of chil- 
dren ; provided always— 
I. That in such explanations and instruction the provisions of 
the Act, in Sections VII. and XIV., be strictly observed, both 
in letter and spirit, and that no attempts be made in any such 
schools to attach children to any particular denomination. 
2, That in regard of any particular school, the Board shall 
consider and determine upon any application by managers, 
parents, or ratepayers of the district, who may show special 
cause for exception of the school from the operation of this re- 
solution, in whole or in part. 
We recommend, therefore, that provision should be made for 
giving effect to this resolution. 
2. Particular Recommendations 
INFANT SCHOUOLS.—We cannot too strongly insist upon the 
importance of schools for children under seven years of age. In 
a properly conducted infant school, children are not only with- 
