ON THE APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTOBS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 219 



1. That Parliamentary Grants be made for the Education of the Deaf 



on the ' German ' system. 



2. That the Grants be made to meet all the educational needs of any 



given district or locality, and that a sum in proportion to the 

 number of deaf pupils therein be appropriated for their benefit. 



3. Aid to Training Colleges, or Grants to approved Students desiring 



to be trained. 



Report of the Coonmittee, consisting of Mr. James Heywood, Mr. 

 Shaen, Mr. Stephen Bourne, Mr. Wilkinson, the Eev. W. 

 Delany, and Dr. J. H. Gladstone (^Secretary), appointed for 

 the pjiirpose of reporting whether it is important that H.M. 

 Inspectors of Elementary Schools shoidd be appointed with 

 reference to their ability for examining in the scientific spjecific 

 subjects of the Code in addition to other matters. 



The Committee nominated at Sheffield for the purpose of considering 

 ' whether it is important that H.M. Inspectors of Elementary Schools 

 should be appointed with reference to their ability for examining in the 

 scientific specific subjects of the Code in addition to other matters,' have 

 received a considerable amount of evidence upon the subject, and beg to 

 I'eport as follows : — 



1. It has come to their knowledge that the teaching of the scientific 

 specific subjects is practically discouraged by the incapacity of many of 

 H.M. Inspectors to examine in them. 



2. This incapacity is explained by the fact that the Inspectors are not 

 generally chosen so much for their fitness to judge of such educational 

 work, as on account of their high, scholarship, or through political 

 patronage. 



3. In the opinion of this Committee there might be an examining body 

 for H.M. Inspectors, composed of three of the most experienced of the 

 present senior Inspectors, associated with a similar number of the Science 

 Examiners of the Science and Art Department. The examination should 

 be thrown open to Elementary Teachers, and the candidates might be 

 tested in the practical work of examination in one of the Central Elemen- 

 tary Schools in London. 



4. The Committee believe that the opening of the Inspectorship to 

 fully qualified Elementary Teachers would tend to raise the esprit de corps 

 of the profession, and improve the character of both Inspector and 

 Teacher. 



5. The Committee are further of opinion that while a university 

 degree may be fitly regarded as a test of scholarship, it is not a test of 

 the particular qualifications for an examiner, and therefore is not suffi- 

 cient in itself to guarantee the holder thereof as worthy the position of 

 Inspector. There appears to be no I'eason why academical honours should 

 be made an indispensable condition of appointment. 



6. The Committee recommend that a Memorial be presented to the 

 Lords of the Committee of Privy Council on Education embodying the 

 above conclusions. 



