6. Their Lordships, considering the increased number of pupil-teachers who will be available as candidates in December 1858,* and thenceforward, reserve to themselves discretion to confine the examination in December 1858+ to the class of candidates at present admissible, should their Lordships in the meantime judge it to be advisable to do so; but in any such event notice will be given before December 1857-+

HINTS TO TEACHERS.

A RECENT circular, addressed by Mr. Jelinger Symons to the masters of Workhouse Schools in his district, though mainly intended to explain to them some recent regulations affecting their position, contains some incidental remarks which well deserve the attention of teachers generally, and which we therefore extract :

"Reading.-Bad reading may be easily corrected by making the child repeat after you aloud what he has read badly, and without looking at the book himself; this should be done until he can correctly imitate your own pronunciation, stops, emphasis, and expression.

"Spelling is a part of reading; but is best tested by writing from dictation on slates, which might beneficially be practised by a larger number of children than heretofore.

"Arithmetic.-Strive to teach what is most useful first. Postpone teaching simple multiplication and simple division until they can work both simple and compound addition and subtraction sums. They will need the power of adding money very much oftener than that of multiplying or dividing. Do not write down sums for them; let them do it from your dictation, so as to practise them in numeration. They should be also early taught the most useful tables. Above all, practise them in simple mental arithmetic, such as the price of different quantities of the shop-goods they are likely to use, rates and amounts of wages, and the like. This tends to create future habits of economy, and to prevent the recurrence of pauperism, which I beg of you to bear in mind as the great object of your work.

"Industrial Knowledge.-This is highly important. It should comprise all knowledge useful to everyday working life. It should bear especially on the trades, occupations, and kind of employment prevalent in the Union. Both boys and girls should learn the repective duties of domestic and farm servants in each kind of service; the uses of metals, of different kinds of timber; the qualities, prices, and uses of the chief articles of clothing; the various rates of wages in different employments; the reasons of the variation; the different employments in different parts of the country; emigration, its means and prospects, and the peculiarities of each colony; savings' banks, and interest on deposits; simple sanitary rules as to ventilation, drainage, personal cleanliness, and temperance; lastly, whatever knowledge will afford to a labouring man the best insight into his own position, dangers, and opportunities. Much of this may be done in the course of the reading-lesson of the day.

Geography.-Begin with home. Make the children thoroughly acquainted with the chief features and towns of their own county, and then proceed further; taking especial pains to interest and inform them about the great industrial characteristics of each district, and afterwards of the British colonies and foreign countries.

"How to impart Knowledge.-Remember that you have to inform minds, and not merely to charge memories; you must therefore give the children information in the simplest language, using short words, such as they use, and in such a way as to interest them in what you teach. I advise you never to omit close questioning on what you have taught a class, to see if they all understand it. The best method of doing this is to make each child silently hold his hand out who thinks he can answer; then point to the youngest, or least likely to be right, to answer you. If the others think the answer right, teach them to drop their hands; if not, to keep them up; in which case, take their answers successively till the question is well and fully answered. This has been found to be the quietest and most effectual way of testing a whole class, and of avoiding the delusion caused by a number of children echoing a correct answer, which is really given by one or two only of the most forward scholars. I strongly recommend you to adopt this plan systematically. Do not attempt any high flights; but aim at grounding the great body of the children in homely practical knowledge and acquirements, thus diffusing instruction generally among all. Take great pains to give each class a fair share of your own personal attention. I judge of the teacher greatly by the justice done to the lower classes, and I object strongly to their being instructed chiefly by other children.

"Moral Training. This should pervade the whole of your work. Recollect that this may be the only opportunity that these poor children may have of acquiring habits of truthfulness, cleanliness, modesty, obedience, diligence, and industry. Every hour in the day will give you occasions of inculcating these virtues, both by practice, precept, and your own example. Pray do not incur the heavy responsibility of neglecting this.

"Watch the children during their play, and make them observe common things when they walk out with which they should do more frequently. These are capital opportunities for moral training.

you,

* In Scotland, June, 1859.

+ In Scotland, June 1859.

In Scotland, June 1858.

"Let no punishment be given whilst in anger; let two hours always elapse, as the law requires, before corporal punishment is administered to boys, and resort to it only as a last resource, and in the master's presence. I need not dwell on the vast power which gentleness will give you over the hearts and temper of the children, and how warmly they will respond to kindness in their present hapless condition."

BRITISH SCHOOL, LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

THE annual examination of this institution took place on the afternoon of Thursday, the 14th instant, the Rev. J. E. Dovey presiding. Among the visitors present were the Rev. S. T. Hawtrey, of Eton College, the Rev. Francis Cunningham, vicar of Lowestoft, the Rev. Henry More, and other ministers and gentlemen, all of whom appeared to take the liveliest interest in the proceedings. The subjects embraced were "Laws-civilised and barbarous ;" " English Grammar, in its various relations;" "The physical and political Geography of Europe;" "Scripture History;" and "Mental Arithmetic." The attention paid, and the answers given to the various searching questions propounded under each of the branches mentioned, elicited the commendations of all present, and could not but have afforded the Committee the greatest satisfaction. The school has been in existence upwards of thirteen years, during nearly eleven of which the present master-Mr. Hinde-has been connected with it, and it must be a source of no little gratification to all interested in its successful operation that there has been an almost constant accession to its numbers and advantages, and that from many of the "old scholars "-some of whom, through its instrumentality, are occupying important situations-the most grateful acknowledgments of its usefulness are being received.

SOCIETY'S DEPOSITORY, BOROUGH ROAD.

The Depository is open daily from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. (ON SATURDAYS FROM 9 TILL 3,) and is constantly supplied with the Publications of the Society, and other Articles suitable for Schools and Domestic Instruction.

The following Articles have either been added to the Stock, or altered in price, since our last number was issued :—

Retail

Price.

New or altered Price.

£ s. d.

N.B.-All remittances should be enclosed to Mr. SAMUEL BRADFORD, Accountant, as above, and Post Office Orders made payable to him, at the Borough Post Office, London.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The monthly meetings of this Association continue to be held at the Girls' School Room, Harp Alley, Farringdon Street, on the second Saturday in every month, and are open to all teachers, whether male or female. The subscription is one shilling per quarter, payable at the monthly meetings, which are held in January, April, July, and October. The following is a plan of the agenda for the next six months:

Oct. 11.-Lesson, "Iron," Mr. Hardy; Essay, "Nature and Extent of a Teacher's Responsibilities," Mr. Bithell.

Nov. 8th.-Tea 'Meeting at the Radnor Street School, St. Luke's, City Road. Subject for Discussion, "Home Lessons," opened by Mr. Woods. Several pieces will be sung during the evening, and teachers are invited to bring their Tonic Sol-fa Reporters. Tea at five o'clock.

Dec. 13.-Lesson, "Leaves," Mr. Goodchild; Essay, "Hugh Miller's 'School and Schoolmasters,'' Mr. Bird.

Jan. 10th, 1857.-Lesson, "Starch," Mr. Munns; Essay, "Reason and Instinct," Mr. Brown. Feb. 14th.-Lesson, "Soda," Mr. Boffey; Essay, "Cultivation of the Reflective Powers of Children," Mr. Baines.

March 14th.-Lesson, "Soap," Mr. Gover; Essay, "The Philosophy of Education," Mr. Langton. Mr. Brown's Chemical Class will re-commence on the first Monday in October, at the School Room, Radnor Street, City Road.

Mr. Langton's Latin Class will meet at two o'clock before each monthly meeting.

A Class will be formed for the study of Mental Philosophy, on Saturday mornings, at the Radnor Street School.

The Object Lesson will commence at three, and the Essay at four o'clock.

Each teacher is expected not to occupy more than half an hour. There will be half an hour devoted to Discussion upon the Lessons, at the end of the Object Lesson, and half an hour at the end of the Essay.

Teachers desirous of becoming Members may obtain particulars from the Honorary Secretary, Mr. T. Gover, Mitre School, Limehouse.

Remittances from Auxiliary Societies and Corresponding Committees, &c., from June 1st, 1856,

Subscriptions and Donations will be thankfully received by Messrs. HANBURYS and Co., Bankers to the Society, 60, Lombard-street; and at the Society's House, Borough-road.

Printed by JACOB UNWIN, of No. 8, Grove Place, in the Parish of St. John, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, at his Printing Office, 31, Bucklersbury, in the Parish of St. Stephen, Walbrook, in the City of London; and Published by THE SOCIETY, at the Depository, Borough Road.-WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1856.

THE

EDUCATIONAL RECORD.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

NORMAL COLLEGE.

THE Annual Examination for Certificates commenced on Monday, tae 8th of December, at the Borough Road, and was conducted by John D. Morell and Joseph Bowstead, Esqrs., H. M. Inspectors.

One hundred and sixteen Students, in residence at the Training College, presented themselves as Candidates, of whom, fifty-nine were male, and fifty-seven female students.

Forty-five Masters and thirteen Mistresses of British Schools, in different parts of the country, also came up at the same time for examination.

The Examination for Queen's Scholarships took place on the following Tuesday, Dec. 16th. Seventy-one young men and forty-four young women appeared as Candidates, of whom the greater part had completed their apprenticeship as pupil-teachers, but some were admitted under the recent Minute, which throws open the competition to those who have not been apprenticed.

We shall give the results of these examinations in our next.

AGENCY AND INSPECTION.

Mr. Wilks has extended his labours to thirty-four towns and localities, in addition to his engagements in Manchester and its neighbourhood.

Mr. Phillips's summary extends over four months, during which time he has visited fifty-six places in North Wales for educational purposes, especially in the advocacy of the new Normal College for Wales.

The rural districts of South Wales have had much of Mr. Roberts's attention. Thirty-four towns and villages have been visited by him. Mr. Baxter has visited several schools in London, and also in seventy towns and villages in the southern and eastern counties chiefly.

HIGH WYCOMBE.-A pleasing incident has recently occurred in the British School at this place, which we mention here, in the hope that it may stimulate to similar efforts elsewhere. In consequence of extensive alterations and repairs, rendered necessary by the constant growth and increasing efficiency of the school, the funds had become embarrassed with a "balance due to the Treasurer." Some of the Old Scholars" still resident in the town, learning the state of the case, formed themselves into a Committee, for the purpose of effecting the removal of the debt. Having contributed to this result from their own resources, they applied to parties in the neighbourhood for help, and on all hands received the encouragement they sought. Having accomplished their purpose, they addressed a letter to the School Committee announcing the result, from which we extract the following

:

"We sent a deputation to Sir G. H. Dashwood, Bart., M.P., for the purpose of soliciting aid. They were most cordially received, and the result was a donation of £10. We applied to M. T. Smith, Esq., M.P., and also received from that gentleman £10. We are delighted to find that, with the assistance of some gentlemen of your Committee and other friends of the school, our wishes have been gratified, and we have now the pleasure of acquainting you that, instead of the school being indebted to the Treasurer £42, there is now in his hands £3 7s. 6d.

"Our efforts have been amply repaid by the fact that our school-the school in which we received our instruction-is not burthened with a debt, and we trust that God's blessing may attend your labours and the labours of the master, that thereby this Institution may send forth many who will add to cultivated minds and ripened intellects the yet nobler qualities of the philanthropist and the Christian. The time, we believe, is silently, yet surely approaching, when capacity and merit, not birth or rank, will be the criterion of success, and when men in the highest positions in life will not be ashamed to confess that they received their education in British Schools. As old scholars, we cannot allow this opportunity to pass without expressing to you our thankfulness that the services of Mr. Drewett, as master of this school, are still preserved to you. Most of us have learned, amid the stern duties and responsibilities of manhood, the value of the instruction we received when boys; and under the grace of God we trace much of our present position, our daily comfort and enjoyments, and our future hopes, to the salutary discipline, the grave rebuke, the word of kindly encouragement, the anxious solicitude of the master, and the happy system of instruction under which he conducted our education. It is also our prayer that as God, in the order of His providence, removes one and another who have acted as members of the Committee of this School, and whose hearts have been imbued with all that philanthropic feeling so much to be desired, you, and all future Committees may be the constant recipients of His favour."

Not less gratifying is the following little circumstance, related by the mistress of a small country school:

:

"One girl who, when at school, was very poor, came into possession of a little property on attaining the age of 21 years. She gave a sovereign to the funds of her dear school, as a small token of her gratitude.'

As an encouragement to the young teachers who are now entering upon their important work, we insert the following extract from a letter lately received by Mr. Saunders, from a teacher who left the Institution a year ago :

"What induces me to write to you now is this: Christmas is approaching, and I know this is the time when you commence your evening remarks on the position, duties, &c., of a teacher. I feel very much indebted to you for one remark which you were continually bringing before us during my residence in College; it was as