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The Brighton School Board have hit upon an ingenious device for encouraging regular attendance in schools. The fee is fixed at threepence per week, such fee to be reduced to twopence for each child on his attending the full number of times that the school has been open in the previous week.

EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

MUSIC IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

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Sir Charles Dilke having moved for a copy of all memorials sent to the Educational Department on the subject of Musical Instruction in Public Elementary Schools, and the answers made thereto by the Department," a return of which the following is a copy has been made and printed by the House of Commons.

No. 1.-MEMORIAL OF THE CLERGY RESIDENT IN AND NEAR MANCHESTER. To the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education. The memorial of the clergy resident in and near Manchester, respectfully sheweth,

1. That your memorialists are of opinion that the national cultivation of music for the due performance of religious services, and for promoting general education and the culture of the people, is deserving of the encouragement of the State, as in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, &c.

2. That, in the first instance, it appears to your memorialists desirable that efficient instruction in music should be given in elementary schools and night classes, for which special teachers, having musical ability, should be trained, and that the schools should be examined, and prizes given, according to the system already established in other subjects of science and art.

3. Your memorialists express a hope that the subject may receive the favourable consideration of the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education.

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Bishop of the Diocese, And by 102 clergymen resident in or near Manchester. -MEMORIAL OF THE MANCHESTER DIOCESAN BOARD OF EDUCATION. To the Lords of the Committee of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on

No. 2.

Education.

The Memorial of the Manchester Diocesan Board of Education respectfully sheweth,

That, in the opinion of your memorialists, if is desirable that additional encouragement should be given to teaching of vocal music in elementary schools, as being a means of cultivating the musical tastes of the people, and so tending to promote their moral and social elevation.

That, at the present time, in the majority of elementary schools, singing is taught only by ear, the words and music of the requisite number of songs being learnt, but no attempt being made to cultivate part-singing, or to teach the art of vocal music according to any definite method.

That, in order to supply this want of efficient instruction in music, it is necessary, in the first place, that competent teachers should be provided, and that a system of examination should be instituted to test the instruction given.

Your memorialists would suggest that one means of accomplishing this, is by placing music on the list of subjects for which grants are made and certificates given by the Science and Art Department, thus affording the same facilities and encouragements for the teaching of music in elementary schools as are afforded for the teaching of drawing.

And your memorialists will ever pray.

14th May, 1878.

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No. 3.-FORWARDED BY THE LANCASHIRE ASSOCIATION FOR THE CULTIVATION OF MUSIC AMONG ALL CLASSES.

National Cultivation of Music.

At a meeting of the clergy, held on the 30th of January, 1878, at Manchester, at which the Bishop of Manchester presided, a committee was formed for the purpose of securing more efficient instruction in music in elementary schools and promoting the training of teachers. In accordance with the request of the committee, the Rev. Dr. Burton and the Rev. E. Preston Anderson submitted for approval the following graduated system, and it was ordered to be printed for general consideration :

Suggested Musical Grades for Elementary Schools.

Grade I.-Vocal music by ear, as taught at present for the Government grant of a shilling per head.

Grade II.-Musical nomenclature,-viz., the use of the staff or stave, treble and bass clefs, sharps, flats, and naturals; and forms of notes, rests, and bar lines.

Grade III.-Scales, major and minor in the open key. The dot, accidentals, different kinds of time, together with a knowledge of the following marks of expres sion: ƒfƒ, ƒ, mf, pp, mp, p, crescendo, diminuendo, sf, <>, and rall.

Grade IV.-Intervals.-To sing a simple melody in the open key: to understand such words as grave, adagio, largo, allegro, andante, moderato, presto, tempo.

Grade V.-The scales of G, D, F, and B flat, major, with their relative minors. To sing simple melodies in these keys; and a knowledge of the following forms-viz., chant, hymn tune, CM., LM., and SM.; and the meaning of the words solo, duet, trio, quartet, chorus, melody, and harmony.

Grade VI.—The keys of E flat, A flat, and A and E major, and their relative minors. To sing simple melody in any key. To understand the meaning of the words anthem, sanctus, oratorio, opera, glee, part-song, madrigal, &c., together with the names of some principal composers in each department.

Gus. M. BURTON, Rector of All Saints', Chorlton-on-Medlock,

Manchester.

E. PRESTON ANDERSON, Curate of S. Gabriel's, Hulme, and
Precentor of the Manchester Gregorian Choral Association.

Manchester, 3rd April, 1878.

No. 4.-MEMORIAL FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BALFRON, STIRLINGSHIRE. Unto His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, Privy Council Office, London. The following memorial from the School Board of Balfron, Stirlingshire, humbly showeth,

That your memorialists are deeply sensible of the great importance of musical instruction in the schools throughout the country; that at present, while the Government grants a shilling a head where such instruction is afforded, no encouragement given where excellence is attained; that consequently neither teacher nor school boards are sufficiently interested in seeing that the children receive more than the simplest elements of musical training, and that even these are in many instances imperfectly taught.

Your memorialists therefore trust that the Government may be induced to fix some standard of efficiency, such, for example, as sight-singing as distinguished from singing by ear, whereby a small remuneration may be given to those schools in which the musical instruction is of a superior quality.

In name and by appointment of the School Board of Balfron.

(Signed)

ROBERT SEWELL, Clerk.

No. 5.-MEMORIAL OF THE SCHOOL FOR THE DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF MANCHESTER, TO THE LORDS OF HER MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL OF EDUCATION.

The memorial of the School Board for the District of the City of Manchester respectfully showeth,

That, with a view to the improved teaching of music in public elementary schools, it is desirable that music be placed on the list of subjects encouraged by the Science and Art Department, and made specially applicable to pupil and assistant teachers, with a scale of grants similar to that specified for results in drawing; and your memorialists would urge that a great impetus would also be given to the popular study of vocal and instrumental music on scientific principles were a scheme elaborated

whereby certificates (similar to the "D" drawing certificates) could be obtained by teachers desirous of earning money by giving instruction in music in both its branches, with provisions for a partial certificate for either vocal or instrumental music similar to the provisions with regard to free-hand and other drawing.

That, in pursuance of this opinion, your memorialists have already established a class for the study of vocal music by notes, and have placed it under a competent instructor; but they consider it probable that comparatively little progress will be made until the cost of such classes is made merely nominal, and the interests of elementary teachers generally in this subject is secured by the granting of public money for scientific tuition in music.

Signed on behalf of the School Board for the District of the City of Manchester,

(Signed)

HERBERT BIRLEY, Chairman.
FRANK ORDE RUSPINI, Clerk.

The answers made to the foregoing memorials were merely formal acknowledgements.

THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL ON EDUCATION TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL, FOR THE YEAR 1877.

(Continued from page 120.)

The following tables show the increase which has taken place in the number of candidates for admission to training colleges, and of students undergoing a course of professional instruction :

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Showing the Sources from which the Candidates for Training, in each of the above three years, were mainly drawn at the previous Christmas Examinations.

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Health of Pupil-teachers.-Doubts have from time to time been expressed whether the course of study prescribed by the Code for pupil-teachers, combined with their employment for from three to five hours each day in school keeping and teaching, may not be too severe a strain upon young persons from 13 to 18 years of age. We therefore, during the examination for admission to training colleges (in England and Scotland) held in July, 1877, obtained from the medical officers of these institutions a return as to the health of the candidates for Queen's scholarships who presented themselves for examination, We found that out of 1,995 male and 3,149 female candidates specially reported on to us on that occasion, the medical certificates showed that 1,810 males and 2,616 females were strong and in good health; that 171 males and 469 females were not strong, but free from positive illnes; 11 males and 38 females were in bad health, but likely to recover; while 3 males and 26 females were reported to be in permanent bad health.

These figures do not warrant the belief that the Code is too exacting in its requirements; but we feel bound to express our opinion that these requirements, if thoroughly met, while not too much for the health of the pupil-teachers, are amply sufficient for the purpose for which they are designed. It is essential, however, that these requirements should be met more thoroughly than has hitherto been the case. With this view, when we lately reduced the number of hours during which pupilteachers may be called upon to take part "in keeping and teaching" the schools in which they are engaged, we required that any time thus gained for private study should be devoted exclusively to mastering the Code subjects to the extent which the Code prescribes. This time should not be wasted by the pupil-teachers in attempts to acquire a superficial acquaintance either with more advanced branches of the same subjects, or with others less essential for their future career, first as students in training, and then as teachers of public schools.

Science. With the view of encouraging the study of scientific subjects in training colleges, the syllabus has of late years provided that success in the examinations in science, held in May of each year by the Science and Art Department, should be taken into account in determining the students' places in the class list of candidates for certificates as teachers of public schools. This recognition of branches of study, which are every day becoming of more importance, has been attended by results which have in some respects been satisfactory.

The total number of male students examined in England at Christmas, 1877, was 1,350, who, together, worked 3,029 papers at the May examinations. The success of

the students at these examinations will be seen from the following table :-
:-

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Of the 23 English training colleges for female students, 13 sent cardidates to the science examinations. These were Brighton, Chichester, Darlington, Durham, Homerton, Lincoln, Liverpool, Salisbury, Southlands, Stockwell, Swansea, Wandsworth, Warrington, and Whitelands.

The total number of female students examined at Christmas, 1877, was 1,618; the number of science papers worked in May was 1,254.

The results of the examinations were as follows:

* In addition to these, four passed in Honours.

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Languages.--Languages now enter into the course of study in all the training colleges for masters and in most of those for mistresses. At Christmas 1sst 1,462 papers were worked by male students and 367 by female students.

The following table shows the number of papers worked in each language :

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Modification of Syllabus.-Towards the end of last year we received from the Reverend T. W. Sharpe, the Inspector of Training Colleges for Masters, a memorandum to the following effect:

:

The additions made to the syllabus within the last few years, viz., the option permitted to each student of taking up two ancient or modern languages and three sciences, and the harder examination in mathematics, press very heavily upon second year students. This option, especially as regards sciences, has been exercised freely, and in the case of inferior students too freely, to the detriment of their knowledge of the subjects required ordinarily in public elementary schools. The science examinations have also presented favourable conditions as compared with other subjects of equal educational value. It is essential that a competent knowledge of the ordinary subjects referred to above, viz., English grammar, geography, and British history, should be secured. It is essential also that the number of subjects prescribed by the syllabus should be no more in number than would require a fair number of hours per day to be devoted to lectures and class work, or compel the students to pass more than eight hours daily in study. It is found that a fair number of candidates work good papers in geography and grammar at admission, and a smaller percentage in history. It might have been expected, and may be reasonably hoped, that in a few years better candidates may have a competent knowledge of all three subjects at admission, and may be able at once to proceed to a higher course. At all events it is desirable that the present class of better candidates should be permitted to dismiss two of these subjects at the end of the first year, and that opportunities should be offered by college libraries for the extension of knowledge in these subjects, not through text-books as at present, but through travels, biographies, standard histories, and literature generally. It should be remembered also, that the students have passed the age at which it is possible for the mind, distracted by a variety of studies, to commit to memory such series of facts and figures as are easily mastered by the undistracted memory of a pupil-teacher.

Mr. Sharpe further stated that :—

It appears that in some of the colleges one or both of the following defects are to be noticed as regards the study of the theory and art of teaching; either the stndents spend too few hours in the practising and model schools or are not properly superintended while there. It is advisable that a definite minimum number of hours should be prescribed for the students' practice, and that a special college officer should be employed for their superintendence, who should hold no other office.

After a careful consideration of this memorandum, we made some changes in the syllabus, with a view of giving effect to the proposals which Mr. Sharpe's wide experience and knowledge led him to suggest. The syllabus, and a special minute with respect to science instruction in the training colleges, will be found in the Appendix. We trust that while the revised course of study and examination now laid down will promote the thorough practical instruction of the whole body of our students, it will give to those who are qualified to avail themselves of it an opportunity, not only of extending and deepening their knowledge of the ordinary and essential subjects, but

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