ON THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 171 



but also, in certain standards, elementary mannal instruction in the use of 

 tools ; and in higher schools and evening schools this work might be 

 carried still further. 



' (124.) That if technical instruction of this kind is to be given in our 

 schools, it should not be applicable to boys under ten yeai-s of age. The 

 ultimate object of such instruction, however, might be furthered by judi- 

 cious systematical science teaching given to the younger scholars, in which 

 they should be associated in preparing specimens, helping to make models 

 on their geography lessons, and so forth. 



' (125.) That examinations in science should as far as possible be 

 conducted orally and not on paper, especially in the first five standards. 



' (12G.) That if it should be thought that children ought to receive 

 some instruction in manual employment other than that which the elemen- 

 tary schools available for their use can give, the best way of meeting the 

 need would be by the establishment in connection with some higher insti- 

 tution of a workshop for boys of exceptional ability, or for others to whom 

 it was considered desirable to give this instruction. 



' (127.) That arrangements might be made to substitute attendance at 

 such a centre on one or two afternoons in the week for attendance at the 

 elementary school. 



' (128.) That the higher grades of elementary schools in which more 

 advanced science is taught, and where a certain number of children stay 

 beyond the seventh standard, may be regarded as continuation schools. 



' (136.) That it is desirable that the management of technical instruc- 

 tion should be entrusted to the Education Department, and not to the 

 Science and Art Department. 



' (142.) That the evening school system should be thoroughly revised - 

 that a special curriculum and special schedules of standards and subjects 

 should be allowed, suitable to the needs of a locality, and that the local 

 managers should be encouraged to submit such schedules to the Depart- 

 ment for approval ; that the provision embodied in the Code requiring all 

 scholars in evening schools to pass in the three elementary subjects as a 

 condition of taking of additional subjects should cease to be enforced;, 

 and that no superior limit of age should be imposed on the scholars. 



'(1-51.) That a knowledge of the principles of agriculture, which 

 might be taught in higher elementary schools, where such existed in 

 country places, would be of great value to those children who might 

 hereafter be engaged in agricultural labour. 



' (152.) That in certain cases the object of higher elementary schools 

 might be secured by attaching to an ordinary elementary school a class 

 or section in which higher instruction was provided for scholars who had 

 passed the seventh standard. That liberal grants made, as in Scotland, 

 to the managers of elementary schools for advanced instruction to scholars 

 who have passed the highest standard, would facilitate the provision of 

 such higher instruction in the smaller and less populous school districts.' 



These recommendations were signed by fifteen out of the twenty-three 

 Commissioners. The remaining eight presented an entirely separate 

 report, as they differed from their colleagues on many other points ; but 

 they agree in principle with the above recommendations so far as your 

 Committee have quoted them. The following are some of the comments 

 of the minority, which will show that they are at least equally desirous 

 of seeing greater facilities given for instruction in science in elementary 

 schools. 



