ON THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 361 
the year ending with Lady Day, 1899. They also illustrate the great 
advance that has been made in the teaching of Elementary Science, in- 
cluding Object Lessons, as a class subject. 
| Class subjects—Departmenta 1890-1 1801-2 1892-8 1898-4|1894-5 1895-6 1896-7|1897-8 1898-9) 
11 | 113 | 156 | 183 | 208 | 246 
—|— 
364 
Elementary Science., 322 
Object Lessons 442 | 657 | 
ae pl aca ariel) Oar 
The work under the Evening Continuation Schools Code continues to 
progress, as will be seen by the following table, which gives the number 
of scholars taking scientific subjects in the year 1897-98 compared with 
those for the previous year. ; 
| Number of Scholars | 
Science Subjects : - 
1896-97 1897-98 
Euclid , : : é F : : +) 1,036 1,525 
Algebra. : : : ; ; sal 7,467 9,996 
Mensuration ; ‘ é ; ; : 27,388 29,966 
Elementary Physiography . . : ‘ Hi 3,712 4,807 
Elementary Physics and Chemistry . 3,135 2,902 
Domestic Science . A : — 117 
Science of Common Things j : | 10,910 13,874 
pas eh a a 5,658 | 6,590 
Mechanics . f A Z ; : : al 1,365 1,129 
Sound, Light, and Heat . : : . : 726 813 
Magnetism and Electricity : ‘ : 2 3,834 3,967 | 
Human Physiology . F : ; : 3 5,865 6,237 | 
Hygiene . ‘ 5 ; . < , 3,179 4,062 | 
Botany - ; : : : : , ‘ 692 763 | 
Agriculture ‘ : : ; ; : ; 2,355 2,300 | 
Horticulture : ; é E : 5 : 1,001 1,354 
Navigation. . : : : ; : : 68 37 
Ambulance ; 3 ; j j : ; 9,086 13,030 
Domestic Economy . : ; : : 19,565 23,271 
Woilis | 107,042 126,740 
The differences represent a total increase of 19,698, which is equiva- 
lent to 18:4 per cent. The only actual decreases are in Elementary 
Physics and Chemistry, Mechanics, Agriculture, and Navigation. It 
may be remarked that it is rather the practical than the theoretical 
subjects which are receiving less attention. The Mathematical subjects 
are still advancing rapidly, and so are Elementary Physiography and the 
Science of Common Things. The cognate subjects of Hygiene and 
Ambulance are evidently rising in popular favour. The same may be 
said of Horticulture. It would be interesting to know the relative pro- 
portions of young men and young women in these latter classes, but the 
Government returns do not supply this information. The only one of 
these subjects reserved exclusively for women is Domestic Economy. 
Domestic Science, as distinguished from the preceding, has only recently 
been formulated, and the first-fruits are only beginning to make their 
appearance in the column for the latter year. Unlike the day school 
work, which is Jargely governed by the requirements of the Education 
