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The strictest neatness and propriety in dress is required. Ringlets, flowers, veils, flounces, and ornaments are forbidden. High dresses with neat collars

are to be worn.

No pupil is to go into the kitchen but those on duty in the dining-room, and gallery monitors; if anything is wanted by the rest, it is to be procured through them.

No person is to take a light up stairs but the pupil who lights the gas. A strict adherance to the rules of the house is required of every one as the only means of ensuring comfort and regularity.

The instruction is given by the superintendent and her sisters, as follows:

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Vocal music, by Mr. Young, who attends three times a-week for the purpose. There is no instruction in drawing.

The Rev. E. J. Randolf, who takes a great interest in the institution, attends as frequently as possible to give religious instruction, but he resides four miles from the city, and is therefore unable to perform this duty in a regular way. It seems very important that the services of some clergyman resident in the city should be secured for this purpose. The instruction which the students have received in the art of teaching has been very imperfect. There is no practising school attached to the institution; their professional skill is therefore low.

This want it is proposed to supply, when I should hope that a properly-qualified schoolmistress will be appointed, competent to instruct the students in all practical branches of their prosession, after the newest and most approved methods.

The industrial employments are, Sweeping the rooms, making the beds, making and mending clothes.

There is no laundry attached to the institution. The young women are not exercised in washing or ironing. My opinion is, that some additions in the industrial occupations might be made with profit.

The arrangements in the house appear to be generally good. The kitchen is too small. The bed-rooms are well supplied with all requisites. Some of the students have single rooms. In other cases two or more sleep in a room.

The water is carried up stairs in cans. There is no fire-escape, an instrument which, in my opinion, should be attached to all such institutions: but in this especially requisite, where, from the narrowness and length of the passages, considerable difficulty of escape would be experienced in case of a fire.

The dietary which is subjoined appears to be good.

I also add a list of the books used in the institution, (see page 703.)

Sunday.-Cold meat, rice-pudding.
Monday.-Broth and pudding.

Tuesday.-Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
Wednesday.-Roast mutton.

Thursday.-Roast beef or hash.

Friday.-Cold meat and potatoes.

Saturday.-Boiled beef and suet-puddings.

For breakfast, tea and bread and butter. The same for tea.

Bread for supper, and for those who wish to take food before going to church in the morning.

With reference to the attainments of the students, I quote the expressions of those of Her Majesty's Inspectors who have examined and reported upon the papers on the following subjects:

Geography. With the exception of M. Ewebank, the papers on geography are mere school-girl exercises. There are few original methods of putting the subject, and the details are scanty and thin. No maps have been drawn. The subject seems to be taught too much by rote without sufficient comprehensiveness. Only one of the papers is absurd, though many are imperfect, and few good.

The Arithmetic is taught on old systems, and the principles do not appear to be explained, as none of the candidates have succeeded in developing them. The higher branches, too, are neglected, only three candidates having attempted the fourth section, and one of these has made a complete failure. Many of the candidates are exceedingly imperfect indeed, and one (A. Tyas) has failed dreadfully, having been a year in the school. This may be from nervousness. (Signed) M. MITCHELL.

Scripture History.-In returning to you the papers of the 22 candidates from this institution upon Scripture History, I beg to state, (according to your request,) the general impression which I have formed of them. I am not able to record a very favourable opinion, as the great majority of the candidates have shown but little information upon the subject given to them in the paper. The selection of the easiest questions has been, in most instances, made, and they have been most sparingly answered. I have only been able to mark one paper "good," and one fair," whilst the great number are either very

moderate" or imperfect.

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English History.The papers, on the whole, are very creditable; some of them show considerable knowledge for young women, and some skill in composition. In several cases the spelling is inaccurate.

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Natural History.-These papers are generally fair, showing not much technical knowledge, but some observations in the writers. All but one seem not to be unmindful nor ignorant of the wild flowers of their country. (Signed) FREDERICK WATKINS.

Church History.-Is very defective. Composition bad.

It is probable that, generally speaking, the instruction of these pupils has been much neglected before they were admitted to the training school, that their time subsequently has been principally occupied in mastering the rudiments of learning, and that they have not been able to digest the Church History in which from books (or orally) they have received instruction. H. W. BELLAIRS.

(Signed)

English Language.-These papers are exceedingly meagre; and exhibit, generally speaking, only such an acquaintance with the subject as would be

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Books used in the YORK and RIPON DIOCESAN FEMALE TRAINING and MIDDLE SCHOOL.

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VOL. II.

3 B

obtained from a very brief and popular compendium. For the sake of marking some slight difference in the quality of the papers, I am obliged to use the words "moderate" and " imperfect," but the latter term would be more strictly applicable to almost all of them. The spelling is generally correct; the penmanship of one-half the candidates decidedly neat, and of the other half indifferent. (Signed) W. H. BROOKFIELD.

English Grammar.-The spelling and penmanship of these papers are creditable; and so is the practical application of grammar rules as exhibited in the construction of the answers. But the amount of acquaintance with the technical rules themselves seems very scanty.

(Signed)

W. H. BROOKFIELD.

Vocal Music.-To estimate the real value of the marks, it should be observed that the examination-paper consists of questions involving a knowledge, not only of musical notation, time, scales, &c., but also some knowledge of harmony; the capacity of reading and writing figured bass, and the primary elements of counterpoint. To obtain the denomination of "excellent," therefore, would require a considerable amount of scientific knowledge. To obtain the mark "good," would require at least the knowledge of the figured bass notation, while the other terms would indicate different degrees of acquaintance with the grammar of music, down to the very slenderest amount possible.

Out of ten papers returned from York and Ripon [female training school] three are imperfect and seven failures.

*

The papers from Salisbury and York [female], especially the latter, exhibit a very decided deficiency on the whole subject of music, so much as to warrant the suppositson that it can hardly have been made as yet in any way a subject of instruction at all, at least to those candidates who undertook to work the papers.

It may be proper, in fine, to remark, that the capacity of answering questions correctly on the science of music is by no means a measure of the capacity which the candidates may possess of applying it practically to the real purposes of education. Although the scientific study of music must greatly increase the power any one may possess of making music profitable for educational purposes; yet it is only just to many excellent masters and mistresses, who may not be prepared to exhibit any knowledge of its technology, to say that they can and do often possess very considerable power of infusing the spirit of harmony into the youthful mind, and drawing important benefits from it, which the most perfect technical knowledge alone would never be able to secure. (Signed) J. D. MORELL.

Geography and Arithmetic.—I have the honour to forward the examinationpapers of the mistresses of the normal schools at York and Ripon, Salisbury, Whitelands, and Warrington; and subjoined an opinion on the merits of the candidates in each establishment. The teaching at Whitelands seem to be far superior to either of the other establishments, and that of Warrington, especially in arithmetic, to be very inferior.

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There are fewer examples of absurd answers to these papers than to others I have looked over, which shows that training, if it does not teach positively anything very good, at least teaches negatively, restraining from nonsense. (Signed) M. MITCHELL.

School Management. Of these papers those written at York and Ripon

are a total failure.

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Biographical Memoirs.-The spelling is imperfect and the composition very defective in many of these papers. The candidates have had some instruction in this subject; many have read Isaac Walton's Lives, and know something of Hannah More.

(Signed)

F. C. COOK.

Domestic Economy.-The papers from York and Ripon are generally imperfect. There is no evidence that any care has been taken to instruct the pupils in the details or general principles of domestic economy. The few papers which deserve a higher mark than moderate appear to be the productions of persons who have used their common sense and faculties of observation out of the establishment. (Signed) F. C. COOK.

Notes of Lesson.-These papers show that the teachers have taken pains with this subject. The arrangement is methodical in many of the papers, but the facts are not sufficiently brought out. Some papers are very diffuse, and many evasive.

The examination of these papers in general has much strengthened my conviction, that far more pains should be taken in our training institutions to explain the principles, and teach the art of methodical instruction. I have no doubt that the Inspectors, to whom these papers will probably be returned, will have occasion to remark this manifest deficiency in their Report.

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The moral training appears to be carefully attended to. In this respect very great credit is due to the Superintendent. I have the honor to be, &c.,

To the Right Honorable the Lords of the
Committee of Council on Education.

H. W. BELLAIRS.

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