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closed during school hours, lest it should mar the result of 

 the examinations, and only open afterwards when the boys are 

 tired and hungry. Not one boy in five uses it. Football 

 comes as an amusement but provides what is not attempted in 

 school ; a lesson in judgment, courage, and decision, also 

 physical development ; all invaluable for the success of the 

 future man. He would also wish them to consider society as 

 it exists. Manchester has been largely made from men with 

 almost no education. When their profits were largest, men 

 making fortunes did not know how to keep their accounts, 

 probably could only read and write. Men at present in Belfast 

 held leading positions in society who knew little else than the 

 three R's. Some were idle at school, noted as mischiefs, but 

 had physical vigour. With such facts before them they should 

 be careful not to put too great value on " Education" as at 

 present given. 



Dr. Sheldon, Royal Academical Institution, considered that 

 the two leading topics of the essay were the attitude of pupil 

 and teacher to one another, and the advisability of examina- 

 tions held by an outside authority, but before speaking of these 

 he would say a few words on some of the other questions 

 touched on by the essayist, (a) He agreed with the essayist 

 that punishments could not drive knowledge into a pupil's 

 head, but he would remind him that they might drive idleness 

 out. (3) The essayist while speaking against corporal punish- 

 ment had suggested no substitute. The speaker thought it 

 preferable to the German plan of long detention in the school 

 or in the home, and also considered it to be the most suitable 

 punishment for some offences, such as bullying, (c) He could 

 not agree with the essayist that a child's questions should 

 always be answered. If the object of the child was to attract 

 attention, then it should be repressed and if the information 

 was accessible the child should be directed to seek it out ; as a 

 desire for knowledge was useless, unless a willingness to put forth 

 effort accompanied it. Genuine questions with answers outside 

 the scope of a child's reading should be answered, (d) As re- 

 gards specialization of subjects, he thought this was for the 



