166 EEPORT— 1888. , 



appendix contains valuable evidence fi'om several scientific men, amongst 

 others ; and statistical tables relating to the instruction now given in the 

 schools under the Board. From these it appears that object lessons are 

 given in all the infant schools, occupying on an average about one and a 

 half hours per week, and in 91 per cent, of the boys' and girls' schools ; 

 but in the case of many of these they are confined to the lower standards, 

 and the average time devoted to them is less than three-quarters of an 

 hour per week. This is in strange contrast with the ten and a quarter 

 hours per week, which is the average quantity given in the boys' schools, 

 and nine and a quarter in the girls' schools, to the literary subjects of 

 instruction — reading, writing, spellmg, and grammar — and to the four 

 hours at least per week which the gii^ls are expected to give to needle- 

 work. Though these object lessons are the principal means by which a 

 knowledge of science is given, about half of the elder boys get some 

 instruction in some scientific specific subjects. The principal recom- 

 mendations in which your Committee are interested are : — 



1. That the methods of Kindergarten teaching in infants' schools be 

 developed for senior scholars throughout the standards in schools, sa 

 as to supply a graduated course of manual training in connection with 

 science teaching and object lessons. 



2. That the teaching of all subjects be accompanied, where possible, 

 by experiments and ocular demonstration, and that the necessary ap- 

 paratus be supplied to the schools. 



10. That greater attention be paid to the teaching of mechanics as a 

 specific subject, and that models for illustrating the instruction be placed 

 on the requisition list. 



16. That, in order to allow time for experimental teaching and manual 

 work, the time now given to spelling, parsing, and grammar generally, be 

 reduced. 



28. That application be made to the Education Department that the 

 new Code be revised, as follows: — 



(6.) By applying to senior departments the regulation made with 

 regard to infants' departments in Article lOG (b.) of the new Code, viz., 

 that the award of a merit grant should have ' regard to the provision 

 made for . . . simple lessons on objects, and on the phenomena of nature 

 and of common life.' 



(c.) By providing that more freedom of choice may be given to 

 managers and teachers in the selection of class subjects, in order that the 

 first class subject need not necessarily be English. 



(/.) By rendering it obligatory upon pupil-teachers to exhibit a 

 knowledge of elementary science in some form at their annual examina- 

 tions. (Schedule V.) 



A lengthy discussion on the general principles of the Report ha» 

 taken place, and the first recommendation has been carried, with the 

 addition of the words, ' but not so as to include teaching the practice 

 of any trade or industry, and that the method of Kindergarten in 

 the senior schools be tried first in a few special schools throughout 

 London.' 



Two Technical Instruction Bills have been brought into Parliament 

 again this year — the one by Sir Heni'y E. Roscoe and the other by the 

 Government — but each of them considerably varied from those of the pre- 

 ceding year. Neither of them progressed beyond the first reading ; the 

 former having been supplanted by the Bill of the Government, which,. 



