851 
Report of the Education Committee on 
withdrawn with only very rudimentary knowledge of the first elements 
of education, and are taken to work at an age which precludes to a 
great extent their use of evening or continuation schools. The 
varied age of children in village schools, from infants of three or 
four years old to boys and girls of thirteen or fourteen, the in- 
adequacy, too often, of the teaching power, and the hard work 
already entailed on the struggling village schoolmaster, render it a 
doubtful question whether you should add to his labours by fresh 
subjects of instruction. Much possibly might be done by useful 
books and diagrams to be used in the ordinary course of teaching, 
and which might give information on rural subjects, and so awaken 
the interest of children in the life which is around them. The 
institution of scholarships to be held at Agricultural sides of 
secondary schools would also have an influence in encouraging 
children of ability to try to improve themselves in this direction ; 
but for the present, at least, it does not seem desirable to overburden 
our elementary schools with any systematic teaching, even of the 
elements of agricultural science. 
John Dent Dent, Chairman. 
November 4, 1S0O. 
[For discussion on this Report, see Appendix, p. cxci, et seq.] 
(b). Report on the Results of the Junior Examination of 
November 1890. 
The Committee have to report that the Examination for the 
Society's ten Junior Scholarships of 201. each for lads between the 
ages of 14 and 18, took place on November 11 and 12, 1890. These 
Examinations have now been held continuously since the year 1874, 
and the following Table shows the results of the examination for 
each of the last seventeen years :— 
Year 
No. of 
Entrie3 
Did not 
present 
themselves 
No. of 
Schools 
No. of Candi- 
dates who 
gained 
Scholarships 
No. of additional 
Candidates 
who qualified 
for Scholarships 
1874 
29 
2 
3 
1875 
22 
5 
10 
1876 
32 
6 
7 
1877 
32 
0 
7 
1878 
29 
6 
9 
1879 
23 
1 
4 
7 
1880 
■10 
2 
7 
10 
1 
1881 
31 
5 
G 
7 
1882 
30 
1 
5 
9 
1 883 
35 
:t 
G 
10 
1884 
16 
1 
7 
10 
1885 
38 
2 
6 
10 
10 
188(1 
48 
<> 
6 
10 
6 
18S7 
43 
3 
10 
10 
11 
1888 
•12 
3 
10 
7 
1889 
■10 
3 
12 
10 
5 
1890 
•12 
2 
14 
10 
6 
