Si 



heard a gentleman saying, it used to be that they had a com- 

 petition once a year but now there is a competition the whole 

 year. It begins in January and goes on to December. He was 

 pleased that Mr. Brown was so kind in his remarks with regard 

 to the languages fearing that he might follow in the footsteps 

 of the Right Hon. Robert Lowe, now Lord Sherbrook, and the 

 late Sir James Simpson, of Edinburgh, who would denounce 

 the whole system of language teaching, and go in for physical 

 training which has received such attention for the last twenty 

 years. He thoroughly agreed with the greater part of the 

 paper, but believed it was Utopian. The children of those 

 present, or their children's children, might see that principle 

 in operation in the North of Ireland, but he thought it was not 

 likely to be adopted sooner. 



Mr. Armstrong, while holding the opinion that Mr. Brown's 

 views were somewhat Utopian, entirely concurred with most 

 of his ideas. He was much interested in the original diagrams 

 exhibited on the wall, which were evidence of the labour and 

 thought Mr. Brown had expended on the subject. 



Mr. Adam Speers (Upper Sullivan School, Holywood) said 

 that whilst he thought many of Mr. Brown's ideas on education 

 Utopian, yet he agreed with a good deal of what had been 

 said. He would not, however, admit that Mr. Brown's picture 

 of the relations between teachers and pupils, at the present 

 day, was a true one, or that modern methods produced paralytic 

 idiots. He (Mr. Speers) also thought that much of what is 

 called " cramming " nowadays by people who know no better, 

 is really the best possible teaching ; and if this be " cramming" 

 there was a great deal of it going on in all schools where pupils 

 are prepared for examination in prescribed courses. He 

 believed that these courses are, as a rule, carefully studied by 

 pupils, and faithfully taught by teachers. He ventured to say 

 that teaching and learning of that sort should not be mis- 

 named " cramming ; " but teaching which has no higher aim 

 than to enable pupils to pass examinations with the least 

 possible knowledge, or with no real knowledge of the subjects, 

 is •' cramming." He was certain that the teaching was 



