322 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE. 
some interval after the offence, and it should be confined to two 
or three strokes on the hand with a small strap. The offences 
for which corporal punishment is to be inflicted may be stated as 
serious and repeated misconduct, lying, theft, cruelty, insubordi- 
nation, bad language, etc. 
VI . — Training of Teachers. 
As regards the training and examination of teachers, I have 
•expressed myself so fully in my general reports, that I can only 
repeat what I have said in them. On this, as on nearly all 
points, my experience of twenty-two years at the head of the 
•department, almost exactly coincides with that of the educa- 
tional authorities of England, the United States and other 
countries. All rules as to Teachers’ Certificates must recognize • 
the principle that approved service as a teacher is of at least as 
much value as the ability to pass an examination. All certifi- 
cates must be subject to the condition that the candidate has 
passed a certain period of probation in actual charge of a school 
oi department of a school. I cannot say what the case now is, 
but in my time, the examinations for certificates were notwith- 
standing my efforts to keep things within due bounds crowded 
by two undesirable classes of candidates. The first of these was 
the town candidate whctse aim in attending, the examination, 
was not to fill the useful but unattractive post of a country 
teacher, but to flaunt his paper certificate as a kind of diploma. 
The candidates of this class though useless as members of the 
general teaching staff of the department having had the advan- 
tage of town life and education, usually took good places, 
sometimes the best in the examination. The other class was 
chiefly composed of persons who had little chance of ever 
passing an examination and even less if possible of satis- 
factorily conducting a school. They were mostly persons 
"h° bad tried other ways of making a living and failed 
therein and who took to teaching as a last resort. The 
candidates forming this class were those for the most part who 
peipetrated .the errors held up to ridicule in the examination 
teports. It is of the highest importance that admission to 
examination and the issue of certificates should be confined as 
strictly as possible to those who are actually likely to become 
teachers, ready and willing whenever and if required to go 
through all the grades of the service and to owe their promotion 
to merit and ability. Upon those who really intend to, become 
teachers and who have the qualifications for the office it is no 
hardship to be required to undergo a period of probation to prove 
their fitness for the office. To those young teachers in town 
schools who do not mind spending a few years at those institu- 
