CHAPTER 11. ORGANIZATION. The regulations in paragraphs XI and XII of the articles governing admission roughly outline the education given. The school is kept to its maximum as closely as possible, the number rarely falling below 990. At the date of writing there are 998. Of this number there are 120 in the nautical division, the remainder being in the general school. The officers are as follows: Superintendent (Captain Burney, R. N.) One aide, who looks after the general discipline. One medical officer. One storekeeper and cashier (a naval paymaster). One head-master. Four schoolmasters. One music-master. One clerk. Two school sergeants (acting as drill-masters). Six school corporals, each of whom has charge of a company, and in addition has other defined duties, as follows: No. 1 teaches sailmaking. No. 2 teaches matmaking. No. 3 has charge of mess-hall. No. 4 teaches swimming. No. 5 has charge of seamanship instruction. No. 6 instructs in house painting. Two seamanship instructors. Two junior seamanship instructors. The trade staff is given in another part of the paper. The general school is divided into two watches; each watch is divided into two sections, A and B, of 220 boys each, each of which sections is under a master with a staff of four, sometimes five, pupil teachers. The section is subdivided into six classes, termed upper and lower first, upper and lower second, upper and lower third. There are thus about thirty-six boys in each class, who in school are taught together. The term "class" in this case corresponds with the use of our word "section" at the Naval Academy. As but one watch is at school at a time, there are but twelve classes at study. They are taught according to the standards laid down in the regulations of the new school code (1879). There are by these regulations six standards of proficiency, beginning with No. 1, which is of the most elementary character, requiring but the slightest knowledge of reading and writing, notation and numeration, and rising in standard VI to a considerable proficiency in reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and history. The three classes of the general school at Greenwich take as their standards III, IV, and V; the second part of the nautical school rises to the sixth, and the first part to the sixth with a greater general proficiency. I give these standards in full. They are those which apply to all the elementary schools of England under the board of education, schools such as we know under the name of public schools; this name applying in England only to schools of the Eton and Rugby class. These standards are adhered to until the subject geography is treated. The course is then as follows: In geography.-Elementary geography is taught. A map is appointed each half year for the whole school, which must be thoroughly learned. In history.-A portion is appointed each half year for the whole school (both general and nautical) by the inspector of training schools. The remaining subjects taught, English literature, mathematics, French, bookkeeping, navigation, and drawing, are reserved for the nautical school. It must be borne in mind that all these boys, with the exception of those of the nautical school and those who fail to reach the standard of size, are expected to go on board the naval training ships for a year, before finally going afloat. In the training ships they take of course the highest rank, as they have already acquired as much as and more than a boy who enters the training service from civil life gets during his whole year's schooling on board. The nautical school is divided into two divisions, the first consisting of fifty boys, the second of seventy. The latter are in two watches, and work on half time, as does the general school; the former attend school both morning and afternoon. The whole of the nautical school is under the charge of two masters and four pupil teachers. The appointments to this school are made by selection, the boys of highest standing being chosen; but no boy is eligible after he has passed the age of fourteen and a half years. Those of the second part, who fail to pass into the first, take their places in the training ships as boys for general service. From seven to ten of the first division are selected as pupil teachers, to finally become naval schoolmasters; the remainder become ship's writers and ship's stewards' boys. Those who are selected for the two last positions undergo a careful training in naval bookkeeping. The samples of accounts which I saw kept by them were admirably done. The benefit of having a large class of such men in the service need not be dwelt upon. The only difficulty, or rather drawback, that I see connected with it is that the education of the nautical school is such that the boy is trained for much better work than that to which he would be put in the service, so that he would naturally desire to seek a better position in civil life. This objection does not hold, however, so much in England, where the chances of advancement are few, as it would with ourselves, where the ability and education possessed by any one are not handicapped by regard for the previous condition of the person. The following is the examination which the nautical school divisions are required to pass: S. Ex. 52-5 In addition to this, all boys, whether of the general or nautical school, are taught singing, lessons being given as shown in the routine by a master to a class at a time. I give, with the exception of those of the second class, copies of some of the examination papers set at the midsummer examination of this year, which will give a more succinct idea of what is required than a rehear sal of subjects. ALGEBRA-NAUTICAL SCHOOL. -- 1. Find the sum of 4r3-5ax2+6a2x-5a3, 3x3+4ax2 + 2a3x + 6a3, — 17x3+ 19ax, - 15a2x+8a3, 13ax2 - 27 a2x + 18a3, 12x3 + 3a2x — 20a3. 2. Required the excess of 5a2+4ab -3ac + be above 3a2 + 3ab +3bc2c2. 3. Multiply 1-2x + 3x2 — 4x3 +5x1+6x2+7x6—8x7 by 1+ 2x + x2. 4. Divide a + a3b2 + a2b3 + b3 by a2 — ab+b2. 5. When a = 5, b= 0, c = 1, d= 2, find the numerical value of (a — 2b+3c)3 − (b −2c +3d)2+(c— 2d)2. 6. Extract the square root of 9—24x-68x2 + 112x3+ 196x1. 7. Find the greatest common measure of 2x5. - 6x3+6x2 + 3x. 8. Express in its simplest form the quantity: - 4x1 + 8x3 — 12x2 + 6x, and 3x3 — 3x1 x + y y 2x + y3 — x3y 10. Find the value of x and y from the simultaneous equation: ax + by c2, and 11. Divide 21 into two parts, such that ten times one may exceed nine times the other by 1. 12. Solve the equation: √4+√1 — x2 = x — - 2. 7 x2-73' 14. A person bought a number of pieces of cloth for £33 158., which he sold again at £2 88. a piece, and gained as much by the transaction as one piece cost him; find the number of pieces. TRIGONOMETRY AND NAVIGATION-NAUTICAL SCHOOL. 1. In the triangle A B C, given B=90°, C=40° 46', a=384, find the other parts. 2. A ship sails north 100 miles, then east 50 miles; find the distance made good. 3. A light-house, whose height is 93 feet above the level of the sea, is observed from a ship to have an elevation of 2° 58'; what is the distance of the ship from the lighthouse? |