to the imputation that their ways are unequal. A mistress, guilty of "allowing several pupils to personate others at examination of school," has her certificate suspended for two years-certainly not an unduly severe punishment; while a master, for "falsifying registers of science and art classes," has his certificate cancelled. To our thinking the one offence is as heinous as the other; and although we are conscious that we are treading on somewhat difficulty ground, we venture to raise a protest against the publication of such a list as this. very well

to take the lofty view that such teachers are a disgrace to their profession, and deserve detection and expulsion. They are, and they do. But the higher justice of the Eternal "knoweth whereof we are made; He remembereth that we are but dust; and "there is mercy with Thee; therefore shalt Thou be feared." There is no mercy in a department of State which has committed itself to such a cruel policy as this. We know of no precedent for it, except that of the railway companies. who sometimes placard on their walls the names of persons convicted of not paying their fares. There are black sheep in every profession. Every bishop has a register in which the names of criminous clerks are inserted, but they would not be so utterly pitiless as to print such a register as a supplement to the "Clergy List ;" and yet there is the same need for it as there is in the present instance. Incumbents wanting curates are liable to make the same mistakes as managers. wanting teachers. In both cases the action of the ratifying authority, whether of the bishop refusing to license, or the department to recognise, comes very often too late to prevent the unfit person actually entering upon his duties; but better it be so than that such an hideous blunder as this should be perpetrated, the authors of which must be blind to the first meaning of punishment as a remedial discipline. But such harsh measures defeat their own ends. Managers detecting dishonesty, drunkenness, and immorality in their teachers, will not report them to a department which is prepared to blazon their names before the world and brand them with a stigma which is practically ineffaceable. There is a sense of justice in every man, even of the most hardened Pharisaical nature, which, when remembering his own hidden sins and frailties, will not allow him to think it a measure of equity to deal harshly with the misdeeds of others. And it passes our comprehension to imagine. how any Department of State, with its petty purblind craft, can attain higher wisdom than that of the Omniscient, who, because He would be feared, shows mercy. A power so merciless, turning its inspectors into detectives, so utterly unbenevolent (if the expression may be permitted us), can only be regarded with a morality as

statistical as its own minute classifications; and if some Dr. Farr would draw up a table of the chances of detection in the falsification of registers, their lordships would only be justified in expecting teachers to act in accordance with its indications. They have utterly rejected Dr. Arnold's principle of trust and confidence. Instead of regarding every person as an honest man until he has been proved otherwise, they seem to assume that every teacher is a thief until they have proved him honest. We protest emphatically against such a policy, and we are convinced a strong minority (we would fain hope a majority) of the inspectors are as opposed to it as ourselves. But their mouths are shut, and they cannot speak; and we appeal to Lord Sandon himself, from motives which to all men are potential, to let this be the first and the last year in which this list is published. Such a list, we are aware, must necessarily be kept at the Education Department, but there is no necessity why it should appear in the annual Blue-book.

SCHOOL BOARDS FOR THE MONTH.

E are glad to see from the report of the proceedings of the School Board for Bradford that benevolent persons are alive to the necessity of providing libraries for the use of school children. The following extract refers to this matter :—

SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

The Chairman, in alluding to the offer made by Messrs. Illingworth to contribute £10 per year for five years towards a general fund for providing prizes for scholars, expressed a hope that the press would make public the offer, in order that other generous people might be induced to co-operate. For his part he was willing to afford aid to the fund.

Mr. Hanson trusted that subscriptions would be made for this object, and also alluded to the beneficial influence of school libraries. He hoped some of their friends who were possessed of the means would help them in this respect. He might mention that no task was more difficult than that of selecting suitable books for the young.

Mr. Duggan protested that the Free Library Committee of the Town Council was doing its best to provide suitable books for both young and old.

Mr. Hanson denied that his remarks contained any allusion to the conduct of the committee.

We are also glad to see, what we see very rarely, an instance in which a teacher is treated with consideration and in accordance with the dictates of common sense in connection with the subject of corporal punishment. Such a paragragh as we quote below reflects great credit on the Dewsbury School Board:

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

The Clerk read the minutes of a meeting of the Attendance Committee, when Mr. Hefford (schoolmaster) attended and stated why the cases of corporal punishment were not entered in the corporal punishment book. ́ He stated that `he did not quite understand what the board wanted. For instance, he wished to know whether every

slight stroke of hand for insolence or insubordination should be recorded, or merely exceptional cases of puishment, or severe caning for serious offences. It was stated that the board did not wish to lessen the legitimate authority of the teachers, or to enforce any vexatious or trifling regulations, but that they did require that any serious punishment should be duly entered in the corporal punishment book as required by the education scheme of the board. It was further stated that this regulation was intended for the proper protection of the teachers as well as for the parents of the children. Mr. Hefford promised to enter cases of corporal punishment as required.

The following conversation on corporal punishment is undoubtedly very graphic and amusing. As all the facts of the case are not before us we do not venture to express an opinion on it. Excitable people are prone to exaggerate such matters. We dare say such a statement as that "the child's back was in a jelly" in places would be found to be considerably beyond the truth. The clerk spoke of the offender as "a wicked boy," and expressed the opinion that he deserved the beating he had received. This conversation took place at a recent meeting of the school board at Llangattock-nigh-Usk :-

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

Captain Herbert said that since he had been away he had heard a report that one of the boys had been severely beaten by the schoolmaster. If that was so the board should take the matter up and ascertain whether the schoolmaster was wrong.

Mr. Morgan said he thought the lad ought to be brought before the board first and a complaint made.

The Chairman: Of course there must be discipline in a school.

Captain Herbert: Very likely, Mr. Porter, the schoolmaster was right; but my opinion is that corporal punishment should not be given too severely.

Mr. Hughes said that Mr. Porter had been summoned by the parents of the child,

but they managed to settle the case before going into court.

Mr. Williams: I saw his back; it was in a fearful state.

The Chairman: That is a very tender part of the back.

The Clerk: I know it always marks very well. I dare say the wicked boy deserved it.

Captain Herbert: What instrument was used?

Mr. Hughes: A cane.

Captain Herbert: I should like to see the cane.

Mr. Williams said that the child's back was in a jelly in places, and black and blue, and afterwards it went yellow. He saw the child's back twice. Really the child did look awfully bad. The child was brought to me that evening and stripped, and there were terrible marks upon him.

Captain Herbert: Really it should be looked into.

master should be reprimanded or not.

The question is whether the

Mr. Hughes: I don't think, Mr. Chairman, corporal punishment is now allowed in board schools.

The Clerk said there was nothing in the Act upon it, but some boards had included the subject in their by-laws.

Mr. Williams: If a child of mine was beaten like that I would prosecute the schoolmaster to the utmost of the law.

Mr. Hughes pointed out that there were many ways to punish the boy without beating his back to a jelly, and an experienced master had told him so. He could have kept the boy in, and have given him extra lessons.

The Chairman: It's no use to put a boy like this in a corner to stand on one leg, &c. He would be only winking and laughing at the other scholars.

Captain Herbert: The question is whether the master has not acted too severely with the lad. If he is not to be trusted to use his authority properly as a schoolmaster why we must get some one else, that's all.

The matter was deferred until the next meeting.

We feel almost incited to defend the London School Board against the treatment it has received at the hands of one of "the provincial boards" on the subject of spelling reform. It is the Woking Board that is guilty of this disrespect. The board would not allow the clerk to read the communication received from the London Board; and the chairman and clerk made the following exceedingly uncomplimentary remarks. We quote from the School Board Chronicle: "The chairman said he had paid attention to the subject as it had been discussed in the press, and he was of opinion that a more silly proposition was never introduced to the public."

The Clerk: "It shows that London does not possess a monopoly of common sense."

We cut the following paragraph from the School Board Chronicle of September 1. The clergyman referred to does not appear to have acted in a very wise manner. We quite agree with our contemporary that "thorough Churchmanship" is not a qualification that ought to be taken prominently into account in the election of a master of a board school :

Out of forty applications for the appointment of master to a board school at March in Cambridgeshire, the Rev. J. W. Green selected one who, in advertising for an appointment as schoolmaster, had taken pains to make known to all whom it might concern that he was "a thorough Churchman," and Mr. J. Andrews made haste to second the nomination. One Mr. Dawbarn, however, regarded the candidate's advertisement of his thorough Churchmanship as not altogether an unequivocal recommendation for a board schoolmaster, and proposed that another candidate should receive the appointment. Upon this Mr. Green made indignant protest and left the room, and Mr. Andrews warmly declared that he would take no part in the proceedings and promptly followed Mr. Green into retirement. The proceedings, however, seem to have suffered no serious interruption, for the second candidate nominated was forthwith elected. Notwithstanding the indignation of the proposer and seconder of the first candidate, we think the board acted wisely. We see no reason why a thorough Churchman should not make an excellent master of a board school, unless he advertises his thorough Churchmanship as a special qualification for the post, which makes a difference.

At a recent meeting of the Northampton School Board the following letter was read from Mr. James W. Wood, sub-inspector of factories. The chairman's experience of the working of penny banks was not favourable, but he wished to do all in his power to aid the plan :—

I need

Dear Sir,-May I ask as a favour that you will use your influence in aiding to establish a penny bank in each Northampton public elementary school? scarcely point out that for our poor people thrift is as great a gain as education, and that it also requires to be taught. A penny bank at each school is bringing a further good influence to bear in making our schools popular. May I also suggest that advantage should be taken of the machinery of the Post-office Savings Bank, and school banks only used to help a child to save a shilling, which, when saved, should be transferred to a Post-office bank-book, under the child's own control? I think such penny banks could be easily established in Northampton, if you would use your position as chairman of the school board to call together and consult the managers of the schools, who doubtless only require some gentleman to lead in the matter. mite, may I offer to each school having twenty half-timers, as prizes for good attendance and good conduct, five Post office bank-books, with a shilling deposit in each, to start the ch ld on the way? I have no doubt many gentlemen will be quite willing to start the full-timers. Hoping you will think the scheme practicable, in which case I know I shall have your ready sympathy, &c.

As my

The Norwich School Board has not yet decided to submit to the Education Department. It has sent to the department the following lengthy resolutions, to which their lordships are invited to agree :—

The Education Department having declined to receive a deputation from this board on the general subject of fees in the different board schools in this city, the board are desirous to have the various matters settled upon which correspondence has arisen with the department, and therefore submit and request that an inquiry should be forthwith instituted by the department into the educational requirements of Norwich, with special regard to the poverty of the various districts in the city, in order that a scheme may be prepared by or under the sanction of the department for the immediate provision of the necessary schools, and for such a scale of fees in each case as may meet the proved condition of the population; and the board assure their lordships of their readiness to do all in their power to make such inquiry complete, and to act according to the result.

The board take leave to justify this application by the fact that in London and other cities and towns in England a very important, and indeed the most urgent, part of the work of elementary education is being carried on with the consent of the department in schools with the weekly fee of one penny per scholar; whereas in Norwich, with a lower average rate of wages, the department had refused its sanction to the opening of any permanent school with the weekly fee of one penny.

And the board respectfully urge, as a further reason for the inquiry now asked for, that in those countries (of Europe as well as in the United States) with which English industry has the sharpest competition it is shown, as the result of experience, that the question of fees materially affects the progress of elementary education.

The board append to the above resolutions the following statement of facts: "(1) That at a meeting of the Birmingham School Board, held November 2nd, 1876, the chairman reported that remarkable results had followed the adoption of the penny fee, that the reduction in every case had trebled the attendance, and had not injured the denominational schools in the neighbourhood, which had maintained their usual rates. (2) That Mr. Williams, one of the inspectors appointed by the London School Board, in his report dated October, 1876, stated as follows: "I have had to report. that the raising of the school fees from Id. to 2d. has had the effect of causing a great and sudden falling off in the number of scholars attending one of the Tower Hamlets schools. The two senior departments of the school are now but little more than half full, for the decrease in the attendance seems to be beyond the power of the visitor to remedy; and it would, therefore, appear to me that the lost scholars cannot be recalled to their vacant places unless the fee be restored to the original amount.' (3) That at a meeting of the Manchester School Board in March last the chairman said he should support the resolutions for penny schools from a feeling of the immense importance of such schools. That it was very important the system should be tried, as it would meet a want which had never altogether been met by the power to remit fees in certain That in London the great bulk of the children were taught in penny schools; that in Birmingham the penny schools were working with considerable effect; that in Leeds they had one or more, and they ought to try the experiment in Manchester. The establishment of free schools and penny schools would have a beneficial effect on surrounding schools."

cases.

The majority of the board have pledged themselves, if the department will institute the inquiry, to abide by the result. It appears that Plymouth has 11 of these penny schools, Wolverhampton 1, Birmingham 7, and Brighton 8.

It appears that the school boards are taking proceedings against the Italian children, who, of course do not attend school. At Brighton one of the members of the board wondered if they should be compelled to teach these children Italian. The following paragraphs of the proceedings of the Brighton and Burnley School Boards refer to this matter:

The letter from the Education Department on the above subject having been read