288 



REPORT — 1897. 



The increased teaching of scientific specific subjects in the higher 

 standards is the natural consequence of the greater attention paid to 

 natural science in the lower part of the schools. The number of scholars 

 examined in the above subjects is shown in the table at the bottom of 

 previous page. This shows a fair increase in the total ; the greatest 

 proportional increase will be fountl to be in Mensuration, Botany, and 

 Chemistry. In the case of the Principles of Agriculture, and in Mag- 

 netism and Electricity, there is an absolute falling off. 



Estimating the number of scholai-s in Standards V., VI., and VII. at 

 605,000, the percentage of the number examined in these specific subjects 

 as compared with the number of children qualified to take them is 24-2 ; 

 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, and shows that science is gradually recovering from 

 the great depression of about eight years ago : — 



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 

 „ 1894-95 

 „ 1895-96 



The Returns of the Education Department given above refer to the 

 wliole of England and Wales, and are for the school years ending with 

 August 31. The statistics of the London School Board are brought up to 

 the year ending with Lady Day, 1897. They also illustrate the great 

 advance that has been made in tlie teaching of Elementary Science as a 

 class subject, and they give the number of children as -well as the number 

 of departments. 



The very rapid increase of the past twelve months must be regarded as 

 highly satisfactory ; but there is still room for improvement, as consider- 

 ably more than half the departments for older scholars are still without 



this teaching. 



