388 REPORT— 1897. 



First Class. — Elements of Mathematical Geography ; horizon ; 

 directions. Form and size of the earth. The Globe (meridians and 

 parallels, geographical longitude and latitude). Rotation of Earth. 

 Day and Night. Revolution of Earth. The Seasons. 



Elements of Physical Geography. — General sketch of the different 

 parts of the Earth and their horizontal and vertical distribution, with 

 especial attention to Central Europe. The Native Land. Map drawing. 



Second Class. — Revision of work done in Class I. The Moon. 

 Eclipses. General sketch of the world, its political divisions, especially 

 of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. ' Culturbilder.' Map drawing. 



Third Class. — Revisal of Mathematical Geography. The Solar 

 System. Thorough study of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and its 

 relationship to other lands, with special attention to industry and 

 commerce. General comprehension of Political Geography. ' Culturbilder.' 

 Map drawing. 



VI. — Official Programme for Primary Schools, Belgium 

 (from December 28, 1884). 



Elementary Course. 



1. The cardinal points : method of orientation by observing the 

 -position of the sun. Exercises. The intermediate points. 



2. Plans. — The class-room, the school, the street, the land covered with 

 buildings, the commune : {a) teaching how to read the plan ; (b) how to 

 draw it : 1st, the chief parts of the plan ; 2nd, the cardinal and then the 

 intermediate points. 



3. Conversations about the home region : geographical phenomena 

 and terms for them, natural productions, occupations of men, industry and 

 commerce. Walks and excursions. 



4. First idea of the canton. 



5. The visible horizon ; the form of the earth ; the earth isolated in 

 ;-space ; first observations and simple explanations. 



6. Show on the globe : (a) land and water ; (b) the five divisions of 

 "the globe and the oceans. 



7. Point out the position of Belgium and the surrounding countries on 



the globe. 



Intermediate Course. 



1. Orientation. — Revision of what wa,s learned in the elementary 

 course. 



2. Plans and Maps. — (a) Make children draw plan of the playground, 

 and of the street, and orient the plans. 



{h) Lessons in reading simplified maps of the commune, 

 (c) Reading of the map of canton. 



{d) Drawing from memory different sketches relative to communal 

 and cantonal maps. Ideas of distance. 



3. First notions of the globe. 



4. General divisions of globe — the five parts of the world and the 

 oceans. 



