ox THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 



289 



The work under the Evening Continuation Schools Code continues to 



It is evident that the more mathematical subjects— Mensuration, 

 Algebra, and Euclid — not only maintain their progress of the previous 

 year, but continue to increase, though not so rapidly in the aggregate. 

 Elementary Physiography and Horticulture show a great proportionate 

 increase ; while the remainder only show a slight increase or an actual 

 decrease. In Manchester the School Board have a well-regulated system 

 by which the scholars can rise from the Ordinary Day School, through 

 either the Higher Grade Day Schools or Evening Continuation Schools, to 

 the Board's Science and Ai't Evening Schools. These are six in number, 

 five of which are furnished with a laboratory for the Study of Practical 

 Chemistry. Nearly all the Science subjects in the Directory of the 

 Science and Art Department are taught in one or other of these schools. 



The Government Code for this year contains some important additions 

 bearing upon the subject on hand. In the Committee's last report modi- 

 fications in the syllabus for Mechanics and Domestic Economy (for 

 girls) were desiderated, and a more general teaching of scientific method. 

 In the present Code no alteration is made in respect of the subject 

 ' Mechanics,' but, while the course for Domestic Economy remains as 

 before, an entirely new syllabus has been provided under the name of 

 Domestic Science, which is defined as the Science of Domestic Economy 

 and Hygiene, and it is stated in a note that ' the instruction in this 

 subject should be entirely experimental, the experiments as far as possible 

 being carried out by the scholars themselves, and arranged with the object 

 of solving a definite problem. Measurement and exact work should be 

 encouraged.' The whole syllabus is given in the Appendix. The London 

 School Board has already adopted this in five of its schools . 



There is an important alteration in the mode in which the Government 

 grant for specific subjects is to be assessed in the future. Hitherto it 



1897. V 



