TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



221 



16,396 boys,_ 16,982 girls, 25,179 iufants. Tlie wliole accommodation provided by 

 all classes of elementary schools within the city was, when the Board began its 

 work, for 48,548 children, and it was thus divided :— for boys, 18,795 ; for girls, 

 14,603 ; infants, 15,150. Thus, while there is a total deficiency of 10,000 in the 

 number of school-seats compared to the number of children, there is an actual 

 excess of 2399 for boys over the total number of boys in Manchester, and a defi- 

 ciency of 2379 in the accommodation for g-irls. 



Turning from quantity to quality of education, we find a still greater disparity 

 between the sexes. The following statistics regarding the subjects studied were 

 compiled by the clerk of the Manchester School Board from returns furnished by 

 the teachers : — 



The result is to show that in thes3 elementary schools the boys, after mastering 

 the mechanical and preliminary subjects of reading and writing, are allowed an 

 introduction into matters which have a tendency to enlarge their mental view. 

 The girls, instead of partaking in these advantages, are occupied with the practice 

 of needlework. The School Board of Manchester gives comparative discourage- 

 ment to the education of girls by its by-law, which fixes the fee to be paid for 

 girls at only three fourths that of boys. The following Table shows the amount of 

 school fees paid during one year for boys and girls respectively : — 



The number of scliool orders granted, and of attendances made, show an equally 

 unsatisfactory result as regards girls. The figures refer to the poorest classes of 

 the people, as the orders are only granted in cases where the parents from poverty 

 are unable to pay the school fees ; — 



1872. 16 



