586 



SCIUJ^CU. 



[Vol. VUI., No. 203 



will chiefly consist in relegating the classics to the 

 higher classes of the pro-gymnasia and to the gym- 

 nasia, and in giving a greater share of the time- 

 table to modern languages. In France the study 

 of modern languages, so long neglected, is being 

 encouraged with great zeal, and at a considerable 

 outlay of money. The minister of instruction, 

 M. Rene Goblet, intends to send those students of 

 the Faculte des lettres who have been recom- 

 mended to him for industry and ability, to Ger- 

 many and England after the tirst year of their 

 university course. All their expenses are to be 

 defrayed by the state. Their stay is to extend 

 from July to December. 



— Professor Alphonse Mongeol of the lycee at 

 Aurillac writes in Vuniversite as follows concern- 

 ing the necessity for a knowledge of German : 

 "The German language is spoken by more than 

 eighty millions of persons in Germany itself, in 

 Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Russia, 

 and America. On a recent journey from Con- 

 stantinople to Paris by way of Buda-Pesth, Press- 

 burg, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Augsburg, Ulm, 

 Stuttgart, Carlsi-uhe, and Strasburg. T called the 

 attention of my companions to the fact, that, al- 

 though we stopped in a number of the finest cities 

 of Europe, it was not until we reached Strasburg 

 that the French language was of the slightest use to 

 us. In all branches of science Germany stands at 

 the top. I need not refer to the countless number 

 of publications on scientific and literary subjects 

 which appear annually in Germany, and which it 

 were folly to think of translating into French. 

 The rector of the school-district of Clermont lately 

 told me that he would gladly exchange all that 

 he knew of Greek and Latin for an equal knowl- 

 edge of English and German. V7ho is there 

 among our scholars, or how many can we count 

 in our entire nation, who can deliver a scientific 

 addi-ess in the German language as Dr. Koch 

 lately spoke in French at Marseilles, and the arche- 

 ologist Schliemann at Constantinople ? " 



— Dr. Percival. president of Trinity college, 

 Oxford, has been appointed head ujaster of Rugby 

 school, and has accepted the appointment. Dr. 

 Percival is an LL.D. of the University of St. An- 

 drews. 



— At the recent election for a lord-rector of St. 

 Andrews university, Mr. A. J. Balfour, M.P., 

 secretary for Scotland, was chosen by a majority 

 of twenty votes over Sir John Lubbock, M.P. 



— Principal Sir William Muir of the University 

 of Edinburgh has announced that an-angements 

 have been completed for conferring a special 

 schoolmaster's diploma, and that regulations have 

 been adopted for the granting of the same. The 



diploma shall be conferred only on graduates in 

 arts of the University of Edinburgh, who have at- 

 tended the education class of the university, and 

 who have passed an examination in the theory, 

 art, and history of education, to be conducted by 

 the professor of education and an additional ex- 

 aminer. Each candidate must give evidence that 

 he has attended a course of practical instruction 

 in a training-college for teachers ; or that he pos- 

 sesses the government qualification in the practice 

 of teaching required of graduates, and provided 

 in the Scottish code ; or that he has taught pub- 

 licly at least one year in a school, and holds a 

 satisfactory certificate of practical skill from the 

 head master of that school. As the first addi- 

 tional examiner of this scheme, the university 

 court has appointed Mr. Maurice Paterson, B.A., 

 rector of the Free church training-college, Moi'ay 

 House, Edinburgh. The subjects of examination 

 in April, 1887, are, ' The class lectures of the pro- 

 fessor of education ; ' Locke, ' On the conduct of 

 the human understanding ;' Milton, ' Tractate on 

 education ;' Comenius, ' Great didactic' 



— The Edinburgh association for the university 

 education of women, founded in the winter of 

 1867-68, for the purpose of providing for women 

 means of the higher education as nearly as possi- 

 ble equivalent to that provided for men in the 

 Scottish universities, has opened, for the session 

 1886-87, classes in English literature, junior 

 mathematics, senior Latin, and logic, conducted 

 by university professors and assistants ; and a 

 class in physiology. Not only do students receive 

 class certificates, signed by the professors and lec- 

 turers, but, by special regulations of the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh, students who have attended 

 a certain number of the association classes, and 

 have passed the local examinations of this or some 

 other university, are admitted to examinations 

 for further distinctions, in the form of ordinary 

 and honor certificates in arts, granted by the uni- 

 versity itself, and signed by the vice-chancellor. 

 A sufficiently extensive course of study in the 

 classes, thus stamped with the approval of the 

 university, entitles to the full diploma of the asso- 

 ciation. At the end of last session, eight students 

 gained ordinary, and four honor certificates, while 

 two gained the full diploma of the association. 



— At Oxford a new hall for women, called St. 

 Hugh's, has been opened. It is intended for the 

 benefit of members of the English church. The 

 annual charge for board, residence, etc., is £45, 

 and the tuition and lecture fees amount to £15 

 more. 



— In the November issue of the Revue inter- 

 nationale de Venseignement, M. Buisson concludes 



