dred and seventy. There are no parallel desks in the schoolroom, the shape and size of which is but ill adapted to the number of childreu in daily attendance. There is also a great deficiency in the supply of books and apparatus. I cannot report favorably of the attainments of the scholars, nor of the skill of the master as a teacher. The result of the examination was unsatisfactory. It is to be regretted, and especially so, when the short time which the students remain in the institution is taken into consideration, that they have not the advan, tage of witnessing, in the model school, the judicious methods and able teaching of a thoroughly competent master. The funds of the Training school are so limited that the Committee are precluded from making any adequate remuneration for the services of those gentlemen whose duty it is to superintend the studies of the pupils, and to train them for their profession. The salaries are by no means in proportion to the labour and time which have been bestowed upon the students. I regret to say that the institution has not met with that support to which it is entitled from the laity of the counties for whose benefit it has been established. I have now before me a list of subscriptions in the counties of Durham and Northumberland towards the Training school. There are 156 subscribers; and of this number 73 are clergymen, 83 laymen. The subscriptions amount to 4191. 3s.; of this sum 3051. 5s. 6d. are contributed by the clergy, and 1137.7s. 6d. by the laity. If the interest which the latter take in education be measured by the amount of the subscriptions to the Training school, that interest cannot be said to be very great. The laity do not seem to be sufficiently impressed with the conviction that it is their interest, no less than their duty, to assist in making this institution thoroughly efficient, by enabling the managers to send forth a body of earnest and well-trained men, through whose instrumentality, under the superintendence of the clergy in their respective parishes, at least, some portion of the rising generation of these counties may be brought up in the knowledge of their duty towards God and towards man. In conclusion, I beg leave to express my thanks to the very Reverend the Dean of Durham, and to the gentlemen who are connected with the institution, for their courtesy to myself, and for the readiness with which they afforded me all the information that I required. I wish also to bear testimony to the interest which they take in the welfare of the institution, and the anxiety they evinced for its increased efficiency. I have the honor to be, &c., To the Right Honorable the Lords of the J. J. BLANDFORD. Report by Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools, the Rev. E. DOUGLAS TINLING, on the Diocesan Training School, at Salisbury, for the training of Schoolmistresses. MY LORDS, November, 1849. In accordance with your Lordships' directions, conveyed to me in a letter dated 16 December 1848, I commenced my inspection of the Diocesan Training Institution at Salisbury on the 15th of January last. 23 candidates presented themselves, of whom 18 were resident in the institution; five had already been appointed to schools, but returned to take part in the examination. One of the resident students was obliged to withdraw during the first day in consequence of indisposition. The ages of the student candidates varied from 17 to 21 years. The length of time during which they had been under training is shown as follows. The number of pupils in the institution, including the 18 candidates, amounted to 33, who were under the charge of one schoolmistress, and one assistant teacher, aided by a master for arith metic and music. The Rev. Precentor Hamilton, who takes a most deep interest in the institution, kindly attends every Sunday, and very frequently on the Friday, to give instruction upon religious subjects. The pupils are divided into three classes 1. Those who are shortly about to undertake the charge of schools, and to whom is allowed the opportunity of teaching day by day in the National school, for three months previous to their leaving the institution. [The mistress of the National school was herself one of the successful candidates for a certificate of merit, having been herself trained at this institution.] 2. The more advanced of the younger students. 3. The pupils recently admitted, and any others who, from their early education having been neglected, had made little intellectual progress. The household arrangements continue as they were last year when reported on by the Rev. F. C. Cook. With regard to the premises in which the institution is held, a change is to be made almost immediately; and an excellent and very suitable building, known by the name of the King's House, situated in the Cathedral-close, has been procured. The elevation of this building is most prepossessing in appearance, and well adapted for the purpose; the principal room for tuition, and the dining-hall, are magnificent rooms, each containing between 900 and 1000 square feet. Of the dormitories I am unable to speak with any certainty, as the plans were not permanently settled upon when I was in Salisbury in May last. The Lord Bishop of the diocese, and those interested in the welfare of the institution, are most desirous that it should be placed upon an efficient system, and that the internal arrangements should be adequate to the wants of the establishment. The architect, Mr. Wyatt, was required to draw plans for 60 females, including all necessary offices, which plans have been submitted to your Lordships. I am able to report most favourably of the general tone and demeanour of the young persons under training in this institution. During the whole of my stay at Salisbury, I was much struck with the quiet, respectful, reverential manner of the students. I saw them frequently, not only in their school-room, but in the cathedral, and during their walks; they seemed to me fully alive to the importance of the office for which they were preparing themselves, and, as a body, to be impressed with a deeply religious, prayerful feeling. From what I gathered, I have reason to believe that the religious training which these young persons receive from their excellent and zealous governess, Mrs. Duncan, is thoroughly practical, and carried out by them into daily life. The amount of general instruction given in the institution, and the standard at present attained by the students, are neither of them equal to that which is ultimately aimed at and expected; but there is much allowance to be made, considering the short and uncertain time during which the young persons remain under training, and the very limited attainments of many of the students when admitted, who in many instances are not more advanced than some of our superior candidates for the office of pupil-teacher, and, in the elementary working of their subjects, are not nearly so well grounded. "As soon as the pupil-teachers become the principal candidates for admission," the Salisbury Board look forward (vide Tenth Report of Salisbury Board,) to a higher standard of attainments being effected. The reading of the candidates for certificate was good, both in prose and verse; they appear to enter into the idea of the author whose work they are reading, and much pains has been taken in teaching them to commit to memory certain portions of standard poetry, and to explain its meaning; this doubtless has been a great help to their understanding what they read, and to their reading with proper emphasis and expression. The subjects upon which the candidates for certificates were examined were the following, viz. :— Scripture history. Liturgy and Church Catechism. Geography. English grammar. Domestic economy. School management. History of the English language. [The examination papers of the different training institutions being overlooked by the whole body of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, each taking one or more subjects under his especial examination, I shall briefly give, in general terms, the opinions expressed by the various examiners on the different subjects worked by the candidates, as they stand in the above list.] The replies upon Scripture history might have been given with greater accuracy, and the various incidents recorded in more minute detail. The candidates showed an ease and power of expression in the composition. The Church history does not appear to be a subject in which the candidates have received much regular instruction; whilst the papers upon the Liturgy show that they have been made conversant with the subject, though their replies are imperfectly given. The arithmetic is fairly taught upon the old system. The geography papers have been mostly sensible, though wanting in comprehensiveness. The English grammar papers exhibit a remarkable evenness the candidates, on a moderate level of attainment and intelligence. among The papers upon Natural history are good; though they would be much improved by greater conciseness, and more regard to the meaning of the questions proposed. The general character of the English history is fair; and the ideas are well expressed. One or two of the candidates show a very creditable knowledge of the subject. Domestic economy does not appear to have been sufficiently brought before the candidates. Much improvement might be made, if papers upon this subject were more frequently given to young persons under training. Upon school management some practical knowledge of teaching, fair abilities, and good common sense are shown. In biographical memoirs the narrative is well written, and generally shows good sense; the characters selected are generally those from the elementary books on English history, showing evidently that there has not been access to many books upon the subject. VOL. II. 3 c The papers upon music exhibit a deficiency of knowledge of the subject. The replies to questions upon the English language did not show much extent of information or research. The spelling, penmanship, general neatness, and correctness of expression throughout the various papers, were highly satisfactory. The following is a list of the candidates. 1. Alexander, Anne. 13. Kingston, Fanny. 14. Kibble, Ellen. Of these nine were successful, and were classified in the following order. Elizabeth Fricker. I append to this Report a time-table of the work done in the institution, varying in the summer and winter half year. |