266 REPORT — 1889. 



(gr) That the evening school system should be thoroughly revised 

 so as to admit of (1) special curricula suitable to the locality; 

 (2) attendance on ' additional subjects ' without at the same 

 time taking the three R's ; (3) attendance of scholars over 

 twenty-one years of age. Also that a greater fixed grant 

 should be awarded, and less be made to depend on indi- 

 vidual examiuation. 



X. The New Proposed Oode (1889) and chemical teaching.^ 



The chief changes contemplated in the New Code are as follows : — 



(a) The grant on results of examination in the three R's is 

 cancelled, and the merit grant disappears as a separate 

 grant. The grants for elementary science and chemistry as 

 a specific subject are, however, unaltered, i.e., they are still 

 based on results of individual examination. 



(Z)) English is no longer compulsorily the first class subject, and 

 the position of elementary science is thus improved. 



(c) Scholars of any public elementary school may attend science 

 classes at any place approved by the inspector, and stiU earn 

 Government grants. 



(^d) Day training colleges are recognised. Teachers of chemistry 

 may thus be trained in the existing University colleges with 

 a Government capitation grant of 351. per annum. The 

 precise conditions are not yet defined. A third year of 

 training is recognised for the first time. 



(e) The conditions of age and grants are retained in evening 

 schools, but a scholar who has passed Standard V. may be 

 examined in ' additional ' subjects — e.g., chemistry without 

 the three R's. 



These alterations, together with other minor ones, give greater 

 freedom to the teaching in elementary schools, and especially influence 

 the teaching of chemistry (1) by releasing the pressure due to the 

 necessary individual ' passing ' in the three R's ; (2) by making it 

 possible for elementary science to be the first optional subject taken ; 

 (3) by allowing scholars to go outside for science instruction ; (4) by 

 making the chemistry teaching in University colleges available for the 

 training of teachers. 



The Code, however, as will be seen, falls short of the recommendations 

 of the Elementary Education Commission so far as science teaching is 

 concerned. 



Postscript to Appendix. 



The Technical Instruction Act (1889) and chemical teaching. 



The Government Bill introduced and passed at the end of the recent 

 session diSers from Sir Henry Roscoe's Bill, referred to in the Appendix 

 VIII., p. 264, in several respects. It provides mainly that the ' local 



' See article by Dr. Gladstone, ' The New Code and Science Teaching,' Natwre, 

 May 2, 1889; also statement issued by the National Association for the Promotion 

 ■of Technical Education, ' The New Education Code 1889.' 



