ON THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 



279 



Needlework shows a steady increase, as it is an obligatory subject in 

 girls' schools, and it is more advantageous in a financial point of view to 

 take it up as a class subject rather than under Article '109 (c), in which 

 case it necessarily displaces geography or science : — 



It must be borne in mind that the figures against ' English ' represent 

 in all cases complete departments, although those against the other sub- 

 jects do not necessarily do so, as it is optional to break up the second class 

 subject into two, in which case they count doable in the oiEcial return. 

 This applies in all cases to history, as it cannot be taken in the lower 

 division ; and there are about 3,000 mixed schools in which the boys 

 take geograjihy while the girls take needlework ; there must therefore 

 be some 3,500 departments in which no other class subject but ' English ' 

 is taught at all. 



The anticipated reduction in the teaching of geography or science on 

 account of drawing being made a class subject does not make its appear- 

 ance in the figures of the foregoing table, and it can scarcely be expected 

 to afiect sensibly the figures of next year, as the time for the change from 

 the Science and Art Department to the Education Department was post- 

 poned, but a considerable eS'ect will probably be manifest two years 

 hence. 



In regard to the scientific specific subjects the following are the 

 number of children individually examined : — 



