458 



REPORT — 1901. 



C. Training of Teachers. — 1. There should be established in each 

 university an Honour School or Tripos specially suited for those who 

 are to take up the profession of teaching, and qualifying for the degree 

 of B.A. 



2. The establishment of such a school would carry with it the pro- 

 vision of adequate professorial and other instruction in the subjects 

 required. 



The Teaching of Science in Elementary Schools. — Report of the Com- 

 mittee, consisting of Dr. J. H. Gladstone (Chairman), Professor 

 H. E. Armstrong (Secretar}/), Lord Avebury, Professor W. R. 

 DuNSTAN, Mr. George Gladstone, Sir Philip Magnus, Sir 

 H. E. RoscoE, Professor A. Smithells, a^id Professor S. P. 

 Thompson. 



Appendix. — Irish National Scliools : Object Lessons and Elementar]/ Science p. 461 



For a number of years past your Committee have given a tabular state- 

 ment showing the increased attention which has been devoted to instruc- 

 tion in natural and experimental science from year to yeai-. Up to 1890 

 the Government Code of regulations for day schools was so framed as 

 practically to exclude such teaching. Schools were at that time limited 

 to two so-called ' class subjects,' which were specifically defined as 

 ' English, Geography, History, and Elementary Science,' and of which 

 ' English ' must be one. Of the other three ' Geography ' has always been 

 the most popular, and ' Elementary Science ' was the least so. Hence, 

 in the year 1889-90, the number of school departments in which English 

 was taken amounted to no less than 20,304, while Elementary Science 

 was taught in only 32. At that period the instruction in English was 

 almost exclusively confined to grammatical exercises, and that in 

 Geography to topographical details. Nowadays both terms are to be 

 underst(jod in a much broader and more scientific sense. At the period 

 above named a free choice among these subjects was given, and the pre- 

 ponderance of English grammar began to decline, and has continued to 

 do so ever since. In 1890-91 the figures for English and Elementary 

 Science were 19,825 and 173 respectively ; in 1891-92 they were 18,175 

 and 788 ; the table given below will show the comparative figures each 

 succeeding year to 1899-1900. Object lessons were made an obligatory 

 subject of instruction in the three lower Standards from September 1, 

 1896, and hence the rapid rise in the two succeeding years ; they then 

 became merged into the general term of Elementary Science, and, follow- 

 ing the terminology of the Code, may sometimes be included under the 

 head of Geography, which may account for the reduced numbers for 

 Elementary Science in the last two years of the table : — - 



Class Subjects — De- 

 partments 



English . 



Geography . 

 Elementary Science 

 Object Lessons 



1892-931 1893-94 



17,394 



14,256 



1,073 



17,032 



15,250 



1,215 



1891-95 



16,280 



15,702 



1,712 



1895-96 



16,327 



16,171 



2,237 



1,079 



1896-97 



14,286 



16,646 



2,617 



8,321 



1897-98 



l.S,456 



17,049 



2,143 



21,882 



1898-991 



1899- 

 1900 



13,194; 12,993 

 17,872; 18,632 



')21,301 



f 



19,998 



