Mr. O'REILLY :— MONITORS. "I can bear testimony to the careful attention bestowed on the Con- Castlebar vent monitors of this district. Punctuality is strictly enforced upon Circuit. them; and a competent member of the Community is specially appointed for their instruction." Mr. O'RIORDAN :— Their Circuit. The pupil "As there were a number of pretty large schools in the Clonmel Clonmel district, a considerable number of monitors were employed. training has been conducted satisfactorily on the whole. teachers in the Clonmel Model School, the only Model School in the district, have acquitted themselves well." Mr. M'ALISTER : "Most of the monitors whom I had to deal with in 1901 were Waterford girls employed in Convent Schools; without exception, I may say, I Circuit. found them well instructed in their literary work; but I was obliged in several cases to allude to the necessity of affording them more ample opportunities of studying and practising the newer branches of the programme. There is still a tendency to restrict their teaching to the infant department-an arrangement injurious both to monitor and infant." Mr. FITZPATRICK : "I consider that the training of monitors as distinguished from their Killarney instruction is defective, in so far as they have not continually before Circuit. their eyes an example of what a really good school should be. As regards instruction, on the other hand, the monitors here are well looked after. Very valuable prizes, known as the Reid Prizes,' are offered yearly for competition among the monitors of the County Kerry, and the keenest emulation prevails.” Mr. LYNAM : "There were no pupil-teachers in any of the schools I inspected during Cork (1) the year. Monitors are generally well prepared in their literary sub- Circuit. jects; but I do not think that their work of teaching is sufficiently supervised and directed by the teachers in charge of them." Mr. M'MILLAN :- "Monitors are, as a rule, well prepared in their literary course; but Castlebar quite insufficient attention is paid to the most important part of their Circuit. training, viz., teaching them how to teach. When put in charge of a class or division they are left to their own devices, and I cannot recall any instance where I saw evidence of a teacher observing a monitor at work, or noting or pointing out faults in the latter's methods of teaching. It often happens that a monitor will answer, correctly and fully, questions on the points to be attended to, or the faults to be avoided, in giving a particular lesson; yet, when desired to go and give this lesson, he will straightway violate many-perhaps even all-of the rules he has so carefully committed to memory.' Ꭰ THE NEW Dublin (2) THE NEW SCHEME. It is still too soon to be able to say much definitely of the progress and effects of the new scheme. A great deal of preparatory work was necessary. The teachers had to be instructed in, or to learn for themselves, the new subjects and the new methods. Strong prejudices had to be allayed, and deeply ingrained habits overcome and altered. Educational reforms seem, from the experience of the past, to be essentially of slow growth. Froebel, whose Kindergarten principles we are now endeavouring to propagate, died half a century ago. It took over twenty years to discover and remove the evils of the results scheme. It would, therefore, be unreasonable to expect much as yet from the latest reform inaugurated but in 1900. Some improvements can, however, be already laid to its credit. Greater correctness and facility of speech on the part of the pupils is very observable. Reading is decidedly improved, and so is written Composition. Singing has extended and improved to a degree sufficient to satisfy the expectations of the most sanguine. Physical Drill has been introduced very generally into the schools, and with very obvious good effects on the bearing of the pupils and on their observance of discipline. In many schools are to be seen small collections of objects forming the nuclei of little museums. These are the lines along which satisfactory progress is generally reported; but a much more complete notion of the work accomplished during the past year will be obtained from the copious extracts quoted below from the Inspectors' General Reports. There seems to have been more or less retrogression as regards instruction in Arithmetic and Geography. A very strong feeling widely prevails to the effect that the elementary portion of the Hand-and-Eye Training so far introduced into the schools is not suited for the senior standards, and that the time of grown boys and girls is merely wasted whilst employed at paper-folding. Mr. STRONGE: "Singing and Drawing are now taught in almost every school in this circuit, and in many with marked success. Not many years ago it was possible to examine schools for weeks in succession without a pupil being presented in either of these subjects. Drawing is now usually begun with pupils of five or six years of age. Dotted paper is used. Paper-folding is frequently met with-not a very valuable exercise the teachers say. I have not seen any other part of the Hand-and-Eye course taught. In two schools only I have examined in measurements under the Elementary Science Programme. The schools have not yet been supplied with the apparatus necessary to give a full course of instruction in this subject. "The introduction of new and easier Reading Books and the simplification and large modifications of the course in Arithmetic and Grammar, together with the almost complete elimination of Geography, have much reduced the high pressure at which the teacher was formerly compelled to work, and permit him now to devote more time to the form and quality of the instruction given. Efforts are being made to improve the style of Reading-a subject in which there is ample room and verge enough for improvement. More care also is devoted to Penmanship. The blackboard which, under the Results System, was seldom or never used for the purpose of teaching a division how to form certain letters by repeated examples, is now frequently brought into use, especially by teachers who have recently been trained, In Arithmetic bills of parcels and mental calculations are still weak points. It is not, however, because Mental THE NEW Arithmetic is not taught. So far as I have observed a teacher has SCHEME. rarely any well ordered plan or method of teaching the subject. Dublin (2) Analysis is, as a rule, very fairly taught, and in some schools to a Circuit. degree of excellence. Where it is carefully and soundly taught, the children show a much keener appreciation of the meaning of what they read, and in complex sentences have less difficulty than formerly in grasping the logical connection of the various parts of the sentence. A subsidiary gain to be noted is, that at the Reading Lesson a boy well acquainted with Analysis dwells with a slight emphasis upon the most important words in the sentences, and thus helps his audience to the comprehension of the subject matter. "Drill has been introduced into all the schools. This was the one subject of the Revised Programme which was taken up with actual enthusiasm. The teachers combined, formed classes, and paid drillmasters to instruct them. The conductors of Convent Schools employed Constabulary pensioners and ex-Army men to introduce the subject into their schools. "As regards Hand-and-Eye Training and Elementary Science the schools are so few in which they are taught (except in the case of paper folding) that it would be impossible to form or express any opinion regarding their usefulness or otherwise." Dr. ALEXANDER :— "A marked improvement in the intelligence of the pupils is notice. Cork (1) able since the introduction of the Revised Programine. Circuit. "The lines on which sound educational progress can alone be made are clearly indicated in the Revised Programme, and they are being intelligently followed by a very considerable number of the teachers. "Reading is, on the whole, greatly improved. It is much more distinct and intelligent. "The only ordinary subject in which the proficiency is frequently disappointing is Arithmetic in the case of the senior standards. This arises, I believe, from two causes, (1) misapprehension as to the requirements of the programme; (2) the difficulty many teachers still feel in adapting themselves to the new conditions. "Paper folding and Drawing have been very generally attempted. In by the organizers in this branch has led to a great improvement. in Music have yet visited the District. Physical Drill has been Dr. SKEFFINGTON :— "The new courses and methods have certainly made school life Waterford much brighter and more interesting. "Drill has also been very generally (in fact almost universally) taken up in schools, and is a great favourite with the pupils. "Reading has become generally both clearer and more intelligent. Circuit. THE NEW Waterford Killarney Ballinasloe "Penmanship has made good progress in the lower standards, and Composition is now practised from third standard up. "Spelling also is improved. "Analysis is generally taught, though rarely beyond simple sentences as yet. "While Geographical Readers are now used to some extent in nearly all schools, the maps are too little consulted, though the New Programme distinctly states that the Geographical lessons should always be accompanied by appropriate charts and maps, to which constant reference should be made.' "The use and manipulation of decimals is much better and earlier known, and in some degree better understood. "There is much more attention now given to Mental Arithmetic. "There is very considerable extension of common knowledge of Mensuration, and areas are much better explained by aid of squared and dotted boards. "In Science the teachers take very careful notes, and make good drawings of apparatus, &c., from which they should be able to teach in their schools. But in Hand-and Eye few, if any, notes are taken, and very few teachers have any work to refer to-thus depending merely on memory to teach this branch; and to make the matter worse, many teachers do not begin (as they should) to teach those lessons as they learn them, which might prevent their forgetting; but they seem in most cases to wait for apparatus not at all necessary to the early stages; for as yet paper-folding is, I believe, all that is taught even by the sub-organizers.' Mr. HYNES : "Several mistresses, who have been trained in Cookery, have introduced that subject in their schools. "Drill, I am happy to note, has, as the saying is, caught on. At first, some silly prejudice against it, as likely to lead ultimately to conscription for the army, sprang up in the country parts, and resulted, in some localities, in its being completely interrupted for a time. "Steady progress in Reading is, I believe, being made under the revised scheme of instruction. More attention is being paid to clearness of utterance. Improvement is likewise observable in Explanation. Penmanship, Composition, and Grammar are now taught more intelligently and more effectively than formerly. "The study of Geography has suffered under recent changes. Many of the teachers ceased instruction on the old lines, before suitable Geographical Readers were placed on the list. "Mental Calculation is better taught. The utter helplessness in making out the most ordinary shopping transactions, which was so prevalent, has disappeared, and good answering in this part of the Programme is more the rule now than the exception. "The only extra branches attempted here are Irish and Instrumental Music. The latter is almost entirely confined to Convent Schools, and is efficiently taught." Mr. M'ELWAINE : "The proficiency in this circuit is not high, and good schools are exceptional. So far as the new subjects are concerned, I consider the circuit very backward. 66 The programme in English as a rule receives due attention, In many schools neither Historical nor Geographical Reader has THE NEW been introduced by direction of the Managers, who are awaiting a series SCHEME. to be issued or approved. of by the R. C. Bishops. Ballinasloe "I very seldom find all three Readers (Literary, Historical, and Circuit. Geographical) taught. Generally I find Literary and Geographical Readers in use. "So far these Readers have not been taught satisfactorily. Sometimes there is only one book for a standard which one pupil reads to the others. The maps are not used in conjunction with the Readers as they should be. “Arithmetic is rarely well taught, and I scarcely ever find the full programme taught, as schools are not supplied with weighing and measuring apparatus. The metric and decimal portion of the programme is frequently neglected. "There is scarcely a school in the circuit in which Hand-and-Eye Training is to be found. As I have said previously, the teachers are anxious for an opportunity of attending organizers' classes in this subject to qualify themselves for giving instruction in it. Drawing is taught in nearly all schools, and by many teachers who are not qualified to teach it. "I have not yet examined any school in which the Programme in Course I. (Experimental Science) has been taught. In two or three I have found Course IV. (Electricity and Magnetism.) This course of Elementary Science will not be taught effectively until teachers have been trained to teach it, and, so far as I know, scarcely a teacher in the circuit has been so trained. Object Lessons might be made a most valuable means of instruction, but they are not. The teaching of Object Lessons should be made a most important part of the work, and put in front of the work done by the organizers in their classes. They can be taught in all schools both in town and country. The Object Lessons I hear given are as a rule worthless. "Singing is now taught in nearly all schools. Some teachers attempt this subject, although from want of ear, voice, or training they are unable to teach it. A few employ an extern teacher. Singing has never before been taught to anything approaching the extent to which it is now taught, and very satisfactory progress has been made. "I have been called upon to examine in Cookery in only two schools. "As to equipment required for teaching new subjects in programme, very little has been done towards providing it, when it involves ex• pense. Neither Managers nor teachers are willing to incur expense, and local parties do not contribute." Mr. Cox : "A greater advance has been made in my late district in the subjects Galway of the new code before I left than is to be found here at the present Circuit and moment, organizers having regularly visited there. I think that the Coleraine teachers here are quite as anxious to make a beginning as were my District. former teachers; as is evidenced by the fact that many who do not regard themselves as fully competent have attempted Drawing, Drill, and in some few instances Paper-folding. In all such cases I try to keep the work on the proper lines. Teachers seem to find the greatest difficulty to lie in Object Lessons; whilst want of suitable books for Geography and History has retarded the introduction of these subjects Not much is done to the new parts of the programme for Arithmetic. |