ON THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 269 
leaving 22,765 as the number of departments with which the foregoing 
table has to dea]. But it must be borne in mind that History is taken in 
3,597, and Needlework (for girls) in 7,396 departments, making, with the 
other three subjects in the table, 44,687 in all. This shows an average of 
nearly two class subjects to each department. As, however, there were no 
less than 5,872 departments in which only one class subject was taken, it 
is evident that the plan of teaching one subject in the lower division of a 
school and another subject in the upper division, thus counting twice over 
in the statistical table, is largely adopted. This is further borne out by 
the fact that, while the Education Department only recognises two class 
subjects taken by any individual scholar, there are 4,458 departments in 
which three, and 284 in which four or five, of these class subjects are 
taught. That Elementary Science is taught in 1,712 departments must, 
therefore, be accepted with the reservation that in many cases it is only a 
portion of the school that gets the benefit of this instruction. 
As a matter of fact, though the means of getting at the precise 
numbers are not available, it can be asserted that Elementary Science has, 
in very many cases, been taught only in the lower standards as a prepara- 
tion for the study of scientific specific subjects in the upper portion of the 
school. This arrangement has received the approval of Her Majesty’s 
Inspectors, as well as of managers and teachers ; and this year the plan 
has received further recognition by the introduction into the Day School 
Code of 1896 of ‘alternative courses in English, Geography, and History 
for schools which take other class subjects in the lowest three standards,” 
the other subjects referred to (though there is nominally a considerable 
choice) being practically Object Lessons or Elementary Science. Object 
Lessons, in fact, are now made obligatory as a class subject in the three 
lowest standards if only one class subject be taken. It is satisfactory to 
find that there is an actual diminution in the number of girls’ departments 
taking Needlework as a class subject as compared with former years ; not 
that this art is neglected, but that it is more frequently taken now as an 
additional subject for the one shilling grant, so leaving the field free for 
two class subjects in addition. 
With increased attention to Object Lessons and Elementary Science in 
the lower portion of the schools, it is reasonable to expect progress in 
the teaching of the scientific specific subjects in the higher standards ; 
and the return for the last five years confirms this expectation. The 
number of scholars examined in the following subjects is shown in the 
table annexed :— 
ss 
Specifie Subjects.—Children 1890-91 1891-92 | 1892-93 | 1893-94 | 1894-95 
Algebra. & - : 31,349 | 28,542 31,487 33,612 38,237 
Euclid ; 5 4 ae 870 927 1,279 1,399 1,468 
Mensuration : atl 1,489 2,802 3,762 4,018 5,614 
Mechanics . : ; : 15,559 18,000 20,023 21,532 23,806 
Animal Physiology . 5 15,050 13,622 14,060 15,271 17,003 
Botany c 2 : é 2,115 1,845 1,968 2,052 2,483 
Principles of Agriculture . 1,23 1,085 909 1,231 1,196 
Chemistry . neat We ¢ 1,847 }+ 1,935 2,387 3,043 3,850 
Sound, Light, and Heat . 1,085 1,163 1,168 1,175 914 
Magnetism and Electricity 2,554 2,338 2,181 3,040 8,198 
Domestic Economy . -| 27,475 26,447 29,210 32,922 36,239 
Total ; a 100,624 98,706 | 108,434 | 119,295 | 154,008 
