THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 461 



instruction in the rudiments of Science suited to their age and capacity, 

 which can be illustrated by simple experiments in their ordinary class- 

 room even better than in an expensive and highly organised laboratory. 



Much difficulty is experienced by the School Board for London in 

 obtaining teachers of experience. On this matter Lord Reay made the 

 following remarks in his last annual address : ' The subject^ of the 

 training"'of teachers is so important that I should not be justified if I did 

 not allude to it. This Board has taken great care in providing better 

 opportunities for training ex-pupil teachers and pupil teachers, and I 

 trust that the increased facilities we asked for training our ex-pupil 

 teachers for the Certificate Examination will be granted by the Board of 

 Education. The Board had reason to believe that in too many cases the 

 view of the teacher in giving a Science lesson was too exclusively confined 

 to simply imparting isolated facts of Science to the scholars. It accord- 

 ingly arranged courses of Pedagogical Lectures, confined to teachers 

 capable of profiting by them, for the purpose of improving the methods of 

 instruction in the practical teaching of Elementary Science. T believe 

 that these lectures have already resulted in materially increasing the 

 efliciency of the instruction, and that with the help of suggestions contained 

 in the reports received from Dr. Kimmins, of the Technical Education 

 Board, these lectures will be of increased value in still further improving 

 the methods of Science instruction in schools of the Board.' The Board 

 of Education at South Kensington have also arranged that ' a limited 

 number of teachers and of students in Science classes under the Board 

 who intend to become Science teachers are admitted free for a term or a 

 session to the Sessional Courses of Instruction in the Royal College of 

 Science.' The London School Board allow leave of absence to any of 

 their teachers accepted for this course of instruction. 



A Departmental Committee has been appointed to consider and report 

 upon Training College Courses of Instruction. The principal term of the 

 Reference was 'To draw up specimen Two-year Courses of Instruction for 

 students in Training Colleges, with a view to ensuring that every student 

 who leaves College shall have been through some course which shall pre- 

 pare him in the best manner for some one or other of the various types of 

 Elementary Schools.' The specimen schemes of instruction are still under 

 the consideration of the Committee ; but the Memorandum which has 

 been already issued sets forth the general principles recommended by the 

 Committee. The principal features are the liberty given to the Colleges 

 to frame their own courses ; the inclusion for the first time of Elementary 

 Science and Manual Training ; the minimising of examinations ; and the 

 association of the teachers with the examiners. 



The Scotch Education Department has this year issued a Code of Regu- 

 lations for Continuation Classes providing further instruction for those 

 who have left school. This is to replace the former Evening Continuation 

 School Code and the Science and Art Directory in so far as that related to 

 eveninw classes. The chief novelty of this Code consists in the fact that 

 the classes may be held at any time of the day. It is also interesting 

 to note that there is no superior restriction of age. The work is arranged 

 in four divisions. The first is apparently intended for the benefit of 

 those whose early education has been somewhat neglected, and does not 

 include any higher subjects than would be taken in an ordinary school — 

 ' the Principles of Ai-ithmetic with such practical applications as may be 

 approved of in any particular case. Geography and iSTature Knowledge.' 

 In Division II. the work begins to be specialised under different heads — 



