170 KEPOIIT — 188S. 



practical training of Land and eye, some adapting of the ordinary lessons 

 of the school to the affairs of life, and to the acquiring of aptitude in the 

 special occupation in which the scholar is to be engaged.' 



Postscript. 



Since the foregoing report was prepared Mr. Samuel Smith's Con- 

 tinuation Schools Bill has been printed, and the final report of the 

 Royal Commission on the Working of the Elementary Education Acts, 

 England and Wales, has been issued. 



The former provides that in the Continuation schools proposed to be 

 created instruction must be given in at least three of the subjects speci- 

 fied in the First Schedule, which includes, inter alia, elementai'y mathe- 

 matics, mechanical drawing, and elements of agricultural science, and 

 may be given in any of the subjects specified in the Second Schedule, 

 which includes use of tools, and art handwork generally. 



The final report of the Royal Commission is a very lengthy document, 

 and contains a large amount of matter bearing upon the subject with 

 which your Committee have to deal. The following are some of the prin- 

 cipal recommendations affecting the teaching of science in elementary 

 schools : — 



' (15.) That in making future appointments to the office of inspector, 

 it would be desirable, in regard to a lai-ger pi-oportion of them than at 

 present, to give special weight to the possession of an adequate knowledge 

 of natural science. 



' (89.) That, as far as practicable, the children should be grounded in 

 all the four class subjects, and that when only some of them are taken 

 the selection should be left to the school authorities. 



' (90.) That the provision of the Code, which requires that if only 

 one class subject is taken it must be " English," should be repealed. 



' (93.) That geography, if properly taught, is a branch of elementary 

 science, which should not be separated from the other branches, and 

 might well be taught along with object lessons, in accordance with the 

 recommendations of the Royal Commission on Technical Instruction. 



' (94.) That in Standard VII. the time allotted to geography might 

 advantageously be devoted to specialising some particular branch of th© 

 subject. 



' (114.) That the following subjects of elementary instruction are to 

 be regarded as essential, subject to the qualifications we have already 

 made :— 



... . . . • 



Geography, especially of the British Empire. 



Lessons on common objects in the lower standards, leading up to a 

 knowledge of elementary science in the higher standards. 



'(118.) That though boys while at school should not be taught a 

 trade, some elementary instruction in science is only second in import- 

 ance to the three elementary subjects. 



' (120.) That the curriculum of elementary scientific subjects might 

 vary according to the special requirements of each locality. 



' (121.) That object lessons should be continued in the lower stand- 

 ards in succession to similar teaching in the infant school. 



' (123.) That the curriculum in the ordinary elementary schools might 

 often include not only instruction in the elementary principles of science. 



