230 



REPORT — 1895, 



With regard to the teaching of Mechanics, which has attained a 

 development, within the last few years, far greater in j^roportion than any 

 other of the scientific subjects, it is very satisfactory to note that of the 

 21,532 scholars above enumerated, no less than 3,407 had reached the 

 third stage of the syllabus, while 7,296 were examined in the second 

 Stage. Considering how rapidly the elder children drop out of school 

 after they have passed the legal Standard of exemption, these figures augur 

 well for the value placed upon the instruction in this subject, which has 

 become almost a speciality of the London, Liverpool, Birmingham, and 

 some of the other large School Boards, and which is almost entirely carried 

 on by special instructors on the peripatetic system. 



The sudden rise of more than 50 per cent, in the last two years in the 

 number of students in Chemistry does not admit of any such proportion 

 being found in the lai,er stages ; but considerably over one-fourth of the 

 whole were examined in the second and third stages. The recognition of 

 the importance of experimental teaching is leading to the establishment- 

 of well-appointed laboratories by some of the School Boards, such as 

 those of Hove and Handsworth, which can be made to serve also for the 

 teaching of this science in the Evening Continuation Schools. 



Estimating the number of scholars in Standards V., VI., and VII. at 

 570,000, the percentage of the number examined in these specific subjects 

 as compared with the number of children qualified to take them is 20-9 ; 

 but it should be remembered that many of the children take more than 

 one subject for examination. The following table gives the percentage for 

 each year since 1882 : — 



In 1882-83 

 „ 1883-84 

 „ 1884-85 

 „ 1885-86 

 „ 1886-87 

 „ 1887-88 

 „ 1888-89 

 „ 1889-90 

 „ 1890-91 

 „ 1891-92 

 „ 1892-93 

 „ 1893-94 



