TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 631 
The division of time between the two parts of the college training—the 
academic and the professional—varies according to the course. The general 
tendency is to increase the amount of professional work ag the college entrance 
standard rises. But the shorfer courses are more predominantly professional 
than the longer. Further, the practice is adopted of putting the professional 
training towards the end of the longer courses. 
Teaching Practice for all students in attendance is provided for in the 
Sydney schools. A large number of schools are made use of in order that only 
a few may be attached to each school. While engaged in practice-teaching, each 
group of students is under direction of a member of the college staff who acts as 
supervisor of practice-teaching. 
Some years ago considerable opposition existed to the plan of training 
teachers without preliminary apprenticeship. Experience does not seem to have 
justified the fears entertained. No doubt the young teacher, like the young 
medical man, requires a period of practice to make him a competent practi- 
tioner. This is secured partly by requiring a fairly long period of continuous 
practice immediately antecedent to exit from college, and partly by the pro- 
bationary period prior to issue of the teacher’s certificate of competence. The 
evidence available goes to show that High School and college training followed 
by a period of probation produces practitioners of at least good quality as did 
the apprenticeship system. 
The immediate future development will consist in carrying into effect the 
principles already indicated. The short course of training will be increased 
from six to twelve months. A larger proportion of the students will enter 
after completing a sound secondary schooling. The college courses will become 
still more professional in character. 
Under the direction of the college are two Demonstration Schools, the head 
teachers of which hold the position of lecturers in education on the college 
staff. A small amount of experimental work is carried out in these schools, 
some of which has been published. 
From time to time the college publishes monographs of educational interest. 
These are mainly the work of members of the college staff. The stimulus of 
such work is considerable, and efforts are made to allow those members of the 
staff who undertake investigations the leisure necessary for carrying them out. 
(A discussion followed, in which Professor Frnpuay, Dr, C. W. Kiuuins, 
and Professor J. A. Green took part.) 
2. Problems and Methods in Russian Experimental Pedagogics. 
By Professor A. Netscuaserr, Ph.D. 
There is no administrative unity in Russian education. The Ministries of 
War, Commerce, Public Instruction, Agriculture, and Benevolent Institutions 
all have educational responsibilities, and the Orthodox Church adds to the 
complicated list of administrative authorities. This want of unity leads to 
difficulties in practice, e.g., the transition from primary to secondary school is 
very difficult. Public opinion moves in the direction of a single type of school 
of general education for all children. 
The autocratic régime of ministers has led to many ups and downs in 
education, but the fact that repression in one Ministry might be contem- 
poraneous with advance in another has had compensating effects. In recent 
years the Ministry of Commerce has been particularly active in the encourage- 
-ment it has offered to private initiative and experiment in education. 
Public educational movements began in Russia under Catharine II., due 
largely to the influence of Comenius and Locke. The first university in Russia 
(Moscow) was founded in 1755, and at first middle and lower schools were con- 
trolled by university professors. This ended with the establishment of a 
Ministry of Education, and, under a rather barren officialism, the schools 
became simply imitators of their Western neighbours. 
Under Alexander II. new ideals came into being. They were voiced by 
Ushinsky and Pirogoff, who urged the establishment of Chairs of Pedagogy in 
