THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 



459 



A still greater change in these figures will probably become apparent 

 next year, as the terms ' class subjects ' and ' Elementary Science ' are 

 removed from the Code, and this branch of instruction is covered by the 

 term of ' lessons, including object lessons, on Geography, History, and 

 Common Things.' The number of departments in ' schools for older 

 scholars' for the year 1899-1900 was 23,214, so that English Grammar, 

 which ten years previously was taken almost universally, is now taken 

 in little more than one-half of these ; Elementary Science, mainly in the 

 form of object lessons, being taken instead. 



In last year's Report your Committee gave the number of scholars 

 qualified for grants in specific subjects as compai'ed with the number of 

 scholars presented for examination in these several subjects in former 

 years. It seemed to indicate that the abolition of the system of indivi- 

 dual examination had been received with great favour by school managers 

 and teachers, and that the work of the upper Standards had been more 

 largely devoted to this branch of instruction. The returns for the year 

 1899-1900 appear to show that the spurt caused by the change in the 

 plan of assessing the grant has not been fully maintained, every subject 

 showing a falling-otf as compared with the previous year, either abso- 

 lutely, or relatively to the number of scholars in the upper Standards. 



The figures for 1898-99 gave 50-7 as the percentage proportion of 

 scholars qualified for grant as compared with the possible number of 

 students. Those for 1899-1900 gave a percentage of only 45-1. It does 

 not necessarily follow, however, that the ultimate result is to be regarded 

 as unfavourable, for it appears that the amount of time given by the 

 scholars individually during the year has been raised from about fifty-two 

 to sixty hours. 



The aggregate number of scholars in the Evening Continuation Schools 

 taking subjects of instruction more or less scientific in their character has 

 not varied much in the year 1899-1900 from that of the previous yeai-'s 

 return, but is still considerably less than in 1897-98, as the following 

 table will show. The fluctuation in the individual items is, however, 

 larger than might have been expected from the close approximation of 

 the totals, and would rather seem to indicate a want of continuity in the 

 course of the studies. 



