156 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Infant Schools. 



It is a difficult task for mothers to interest children when attending to 

 their domestic duties. Infant schools are of great value as a relief to mothers, 

 and to give variety to a child's life, their object should be principally to amuse 

 and interest in a rational manner, rather than to instruct ; all lessons should 

 be very short, and should be directed rather to a child's memory than to its 

 reason. 



Elementary Schools. 



These should be as large as possible, and should, therefore, be so situated 

 as to command a large district. Considerable space should be allotted for 

 recreation. The schools should be large, in order than an efficient staff of 

 masters may be kept, and that the children may be divided into classes large 

 enough to have a separate master, and use a separate room. It is most 

 difficult to keep the attention of a number of boys if several teachers are at 

 work giving instructions before various black-boards in different parts of the 

 room. I can testify to the extremely hard work it is to the teacher, as I have 

 on several occasions given lessons to advanced pupils in the same room in which 

 several elementary classes were being taught, and have found that the strained 

 attention required for discipline makes spirited teaching an impossibility. I 

 look upon separate class-rooms as absolutely essential to the fair progress of 

 the pupils. 



The question of " mixed schools " (that is where both sexes are taught 

 together) is receiving great attention in England ; it is a question upon which 

 I can offer no opinion. I know, however, it is believed in by many holding 

 the very highest scholastic positions in England, and it is worthy of careful 

 investigation. 



I am of opinion that the subjects taught to all the pupils of elementary 

 schools should be of a much wider range than at jiresent. There should also 

 be additional subjects, which should be paid for if parents desire their children 

 to learn them. After " the three R's," the next most important thing, in my 

 opinion, is mechanical drawing. This at present is scarcely taught at all, yet 

 it is not too much to say that in many trades it is almost more iuii)ortant to be 

 able to read a drawing than a book, and to make one than to write. There are 

 but few professions in which a knowledge of drawing, particularly mechanical 

 drawing, would not be useful. The use of mechanical drawing instruments 

 is a fine means of giving a careful delicate touch and manipulative faculty. 

 It is, I believe, altogether the best means that can be used for this purpose in 

 large classes. I am convinced also that as a means of intellectual training 

 the problems of mechanical drawing are of immense value. The importance 

 of mechanical drawing has been very ra])idly forcing itself upon the minds of 

 all engaged in education, especially is this the case wherever traditional methods 



