Higher Grade.

For these latter subjects viz., subjects of practical instruction, when taught by properly qualified teachers, special grants are allowed (Articles 21 (e) and 143), in addition to the grants for theoretical instruction on account of the additional expense involved, and with certain restrictions these subjects may be. taken also by scholars in the senior division of the school. (Article 21 (h)). The number of schools that received grants under these Articles during the past year was experimental science, 50; manual instruction, 190; cookery, 610; laundry work, 89; dairying, 3; dressmaking, 24; practical household economy, 14.

The Higher Grade departments under Chapter IX. of the Code Departments (at present 34 in number) provide a regularly organised course of instruction, extending over at least three years, and possess a correspondingly more numerous staff and special equipment. The courses of instruction are classified as being predominantly scientific, predominantly commercial, or as specially suitable to girls, while in exceptional cases courses of a special character are allowed. During the past year in the Higher Grade Schools or Departments, payments were made under Article 142 of the Code in respect of an average attendance of 1,074 (766 boys and 308 girls) in the Science Course; of 1,749 (667 boys and 1,082 girls) in the Commercial Course; and of 447. (1.10 boys and 337 girls) in Girls' or other Courses. There were 1,712 scholars in the first year's stage of the various courses, 1,053 in the second, and 505 beyond the second. In the Science Course, 286 scholars, in the Commercial Course, 590 scholars, and in Girls' or other Courses 156 scholars were paid for at the higher rate on account of exceptional efficiency.

Savings.

banks and school..

libraries.

General

Review.

Under Article 143 payments were made for attendance in Higher Grade Schools at courses of lessons in experimental science, manual instruction, cookery, laundry work, dressmaking, and household economy.

It is of interest to note that savings banks have been established in 122, and school libraries in 681 schools.

For convenience of reference, it may be well again to recapitulate the alterations in the system upon which grants have been made in recent years. By an important change introduced into the Code in 1886, the large part of every school which consists of scholars below the 3rd Standard was relieved of individual examination, its efficiency being judged by a collective test. The change was introduced as an experiment. It was afterwards carried out on a wider scale, so that individual examination ceased to form the basis of any payment for the ordinary standard work of the school. In the Report for 1897-98 further changes were

foreshadowed, which have since been carried into effect.
The main features of these changes were the fixing of a
standard of attainment (that of the Merit Certificate) which may
fairly be regarded as the satisfactory outcome of an Elementary
School Course; the giving still greater freedom to Managers
and Teachers in the determination of the steps by which
that standard shall be attained, subject to such general-
provisions as shall secure sufficient breadth in the education
given; and the defining of a normal curriculum for an
Elementary School, in which provision is made for the teaching
of Drawing, and also for such study of the common objects and
natural features of the neighbourhood as may be a preliminary
or concomitant of the more definite study of Elementary Science
and Geography. A change in the method of inspection has also
been developed, the main principle of which is that inspection
should not regulate teaching but vice versa, though it will still
be the business of the Inspector to animadvert on deficiencies
in the curriculum. While the Merit Certificate, already referred
to, is to be taken as the evidence of the satisfactory completion
of an Elementary School Course, it will also serve the purpose
of an entrance examination, which must be taken by all pupils
whom it is proposed to enter for a course of higher
education, as a test of their fitness to
a test of their fitness to profit by such
instruction. In the education of these more advanced
pupils, instruction in what were known as specific subjects
had a prominent place. But the results of this form of
teaching were somewhat unsatisfactory, and we have now
substituted for these subjects a general course of instruction
intended, as far as possible, to meet the wants of the pupils,
regard being had to their probable future occupation. In the
framing of courses for Advanced Departments, therefore, a large
discretion has been left to Managers, subject to such general
powers of control as the Department has found it necessary to
exercise in the interests of sound education. Encouragement
has further been offered to such of those Advanced Departments
as are in a position to do so, to propose more definite courses
for the instruction of pupils who are likely to remain at school
for three years or more. These are the Departments already
referred to as Higher Grade Departments.

IV.-Teaching Power.

Certificated

The schools under inspection in 1901 contained 3,643 Number of departments, with an average daily attendance of 636,374. For Teachers. these 11,268 certificated teachers (as against 2,406 employed in 1869) were employed, or a proportion of one certificated teacher for every 57 children. But, if the average attendance reached its proper level, the number of children under instruction in aided schools daily ought to be about 745,000 and for this number 13,070 certificated teachers would, at the same rate, which is certainly not too high, be required.

Sources of
Supply.

a

It might, indeed, become necessary to employ even larger number. The tendency of late years has been towards a reduction in the number of pupil-teachers, and this may probably lead to an increase in the number of adult teachers. The number of female assistant teachers recognised under Article 32 (c) 3 has this year increased to 211, as compared with 124 in 1900; we hope, however, that this does not indicate an inclination on the part of school managers to employ these assistants, instead of obtaining the services of fully qualified teachers. We would welcome also a further development of separate infant departments, under independent female teachers, and we trust that this may be the result of increased attention. to, and appreciation of, the advantages of infant training. These causes may lead to the employment of a number of certificated teachers even in excess of our estimate.

It is well to recapitulate the sources from which the existing supply has been drawn, and is now annually recruited.

In the earliest years of administration under the Act, it was necessary to make special arrangements for the recognition of those actually engaged in teaching, and the Code accordingly so provided. Certificates were granted (under Article 66) to teachers who were in charge of parish schools, and who gave proof of fair professional skill. The Education Act actually granted to such teachers the status of certificated teachers, and to this we added the grant of a parchment certificate upon a favourable report from an Inspector. Further, by Article 59, which became a lapsed article in 1879, certificates were granted to teachers who, in other than parochial schools, had served with success for several years, and satisfied the Inspector as to their professional skill. The total number of certificates thus granted was 553 to male and 138 to female teachers. The supply of new teachers from these sources has, of course, now come to an end, and the Provisionally number must constantly diminish whose certificates have been Certificated. thus obtained.

Teachers

Another class of teachers are those who hold provisional certificates (which are valid on certain conditions until the teacher completes his or her 27th year) granted upon the completion of an entirely satisfactory course as pupil-teachers. These qualify the holder to take charge of a small school with less than 60 children in average attendance. A somewhat lower qualification has been accepted as sufficient for the charge of a school with an average attendance of not more than 40 scholars. We consider that such teachers may, for a few years, serve in small schools with advantage to themselves, and at a smaller cost than the salary of a fully-trained teacher would involve. The number of such teachers, however, is practically stationary, though we find from our returns that, during last year, 101 teachers of these grades were actually in charge of such schools in place of 88 so in charge in the previous year.

Setting aside these necessarily limited sources of supply we find that the general source from which the body of certificated teachers may be recruited, is to be found in the successful candidates at the annual examination for certificates, conducted under the directions of the Department. As the result of the last

examination, 905 teachers were thus added to the body.

The number includes students in training colleges, University Additions King's Students under Article 96, graduates under Articles 47 during the II. (c), and 95 (b) of the Code, and acting teachers, as shown year. in the following table:

This shows a decrease as compared with last year, when the numbers were 207 males and 765 females, or 972 in all.

Turning again to the whole existing supply of teachers, we Proportion find that of 4,362 male teachers, 80-31 per cent. had been of Trained students in a training college, while of 6,906 female teachers, Teachers, 62-70 per cent. had received a similar training. It must not be forgotten, however, that of the minority, especially in the case of the male teachers, many have obtained, otherwise than in the training colleges, a training of a very valuable sort. Many of both sexes, who enter the examination as acting teachers, have acquired a knowledge of the duties of their profession, by serving as pupil-teachers, and afterwards as assistants, under teachers of large experience and skill. Of the male teachers again, we find that 967 are graduates, while many have been partially educated at the universities, and have also acquired experience by service in schools. In the case of university graduates, the examination is confined to those subjects only which bear directly on the practical duties of a teacher, or which are not included in the university curriculum.

The training colleges, however, continue to constitute the chief Training source of the teaching supply, and we found it expedient in Colleges. 1898 and in 1900 considerably to increase the number of recognised students. These colleges, which are eight in number, are now recognised for 1,382 students.

We estimate very highly the plan of adding some attendance at Attendance university classes to the ordinary curriculum of the training colleges. at University This plan was first proposed by the Code of 1873, under which the fees of students, who, after giving proof of their qualifications,

Classes.

5593

C

attended university classes, were admitted as part of the legitimate expenditure of training colleges. Advantage has been taken of the opportunity to a large extent. The number of students who attended the university classes in the past winter is shown in the following table.

In addition, University classes were attended by King's Students under Article 96. Tables on p. 23.

127

42

28 133

2

See

Geology