376 REPORT— 1897. 



graphy may be taken as an independent subject of examination for the 

 Junior Certificate, but is not compulsory. (See Appendix XXIV.) 



The College of Preceptors conducts examinations in schools either on 

 a syllabus drawn up by the college or by the school. In the former case 

 no geography is required in the first and second grades, but for the third 

 and fourth grades a syllabus is given. (See Appendix XXVa.) 



Schools may be examined in extra subjects, of which physical geo- 

 graphy may be one or the geography of two continents another. 



It is an optional subject in the professional preliminary examinationi 

 conducted by the College of Preceptors (Appendix XXVc.) ; but no com- 

 mercial geography is required for the commercial certificate. 



In the certificate examinations of the College of Preceptors candi- 

 dates, in addition to other subjects, must choose one of the three — ■ 

 English, History and Geography ; but all may be taken. The out- 

 line of requirements seems to indicate that topographical and political 

 geography is all that is necessary ; except for first-class certificates, where- 

 ' Geography, Political, Physical and Mathematical,' is the title employed. 



The Society of Arts conducts examinations in geography which are- 

 taken advantage of by many schools. 



Wains.— Mr. F. W. Phillips, Headmaster of the Newport Intermediate 

 and Technical School, writes : ' Geography is an obligatory subject in all 

 intermediate schools, to the extent that it must be introduced into the 

 curriculum somewhere or another. This does not necessarily imply that- 

 every form in the school will take it, for the letter of the regulation, though 

 perhaps not the spirit, would be complied with if but one form did so. 

 Generally speaking, it might be taken for granted that it will be attended 

 to in the lower school in all cases. 



' Its fate in the upper school will depend upon : — • 



' (a) The extent to which the different departments of the upper school 

 are developed ; 



' (6) The ultimate attitude of the Universities towards the subject. 



' The development of departments will vary with the si/e of the schooL 

 The final development would give at least three strong departments, 

 classical, science and commercial, each of which would be represented by at 

 least one form, called, say, the Classical Sixth, the Science Sixth, and the; 

 Modern Sixth. If the school be very strong there might be three corre- 

 sponding fifth forms. But, for the moment, take the three Sixths into 

 consideration. Will they do geography 1 



' The Modern Sixth. Yes, certainly, a course of commercial geography. 



' The Science Sixth. Hardly, unless thei-e were some distinct encourage- 

 ment for scientific geography in the chief science scholarships. 



' The Classical Sixth. Not unless the subject be made a possible one 

 for university matriculation, or unless it were allied with history in 

 scholarship examination.' 



^Scotland. — Secondary education is somewhat better organised in 

 Scotland than in England. The academies and high schools prepare their 

 advanced pupils for the leaving certificate of the Scottish Education Depart- 

 ment or for the preliminary examinations of the Scottish Universities. 



In the examinations both of the Education Department and of the 

 Universities geography occupies a subordinate place in the examination, 

 in English. 



