RADNOR.

In this county there are only two schools at present included in my official list; but of one of these, at Knighton, I am happy to be able to report in favourable terms. It is daily superintended by the parochial clergyman.

The other, at Presteign, is an old foundation school, but I hardly know enough of its condition to be able to give a fair opinion upon its merits.

TRAINING SCHOOL, CARMARTHEN.

Part of my duties as Inspector involved a visitation of the Training School at Carmarthen, and an examination of its students as candidates for Exhibitions. This took place early in the month of April, and lasted for one week. At that time I found the college, though in its infancy, yet in full work, and tending to produce results which cannot but be of serious importance to the intellectual well-being of the whole principality. A Special Report has been already submitted to you on this subject; but I may here briefly state the fact, that out of 30 students then in residence, two-thirds came forward as candidates on the recommendation of the Principal and Professors, and that 12 out of these were deemed worthy to receive Exhibitions. These young men acquitted themselves well in the usual subjects proposed for examination; and, as I understand from the Principal of that institution, have since continued to labour at their studies with the most praiseworthy assiduity.

It is indeed a noble institution, which reflects great credit on the liberality of its royal and noble founders and benefactors, and is constituted on a scale sufficient to train masters for the whole principality.

Their Lordships of the Committee of Council on Education were pleased to grant a sum of 2007. for the remuneration of the Exhibitioners, and several other exhibitions have been founded in it from various sources; so that considerable aid is now given to young men who may be able to qualify themselves for attaining these advantages.

The college is indebted for its success to the learning, judgment, and assiduity of the Principal and Professors, as much

as to any other cause. These gentlemen devote themselves

entirely to the service of the students. They are constantly present and working with them; and, owing to the admirable arrangements made by the committee of superintendence and the Rev. William Reed, Principal of the Institution, the young men feel themselves, as it were, constituted into one large and well-regulated family. The lessons of good order, of comfort, of cleanliness, of domestic and agricultural management, which they here learn, will assuredly not be thrown away upon them

when they embark on more active scenes of life as parochial schoolmasters. One of the main objects of collegiate institutions, that of elevating the moral and social character of the students, seems to be here fully attained; and it may be anticipated that the students, on going into the remoter villages of Wales, will be the means of diffusing ideas of civilization and improvement, and will become examples to the parents as well as to the children of their respective parishes.

I annex a brief Report on this Training School (in compiling which I have been kindly aided by the Principal), together with tables of the General Rules and Regulations of admission and payment.

NATIONAL SOCIETY'S ORGANIZING MASTERS.

It would be an ungracious omission on my part, and one which I could not willingly be guilty of, were I to let pass this opportunity of expressing my sense of the eminent services rendered to the cause of education throughout this district by the organizing masters of the National Society, Mr. Tearle and Mr. Ingram. With the former of these gentlemen I have had the honour of being in close and frequent co-operation, and I have derived considerable aid from his friendly intervention and advice. I have not the honour of being personally acquainted with the latter; but I have found traces of his good work in numerous schools that I have visited, and have had reason to admire many of the improvements effected on his suggestions. Mr. Tearle has now quitted this sphere of duty, and is a student at Cambridge, with a view of entering into holy orders. I do not know how the National Society will be able to fill up the blank which his absence must necessarily create. I consider the employment of organizing masters one of the most judicious methods in which the funds of the Society have been hitherto expended; and I would, with great deference to that body, venture to throw out the following idea, suggested to me by one of the most judicious promoters of education within the principality. Although the Training School at Carmarthen is under the superintendence of a Principal and two Professors, it would be highly desirable to attach to it, as part of its staff, an organizing master for the southern counties, or, perhaps, one for each diocese. Such an officer should have his rooms, commons, and head quarters in the building, and should have the greatest part of his time occupied in making his organizing circuits amongst the country schools; but at other periods he might remain advantageously at the Training School itself, and instruct the students in those minutiae of teaching which his knowledge of the country, and of the circumstances of the inhabitants, would commonly suggest. In fact, the establishment seems hardly complete withcut the presence of such an officer.

Again, it would be for the good of many schoolmasters at the present moment (for this want must exist until the training system shall have supplied a sufficient number of regularly educated men for all the country schools), if a few advanced studsent could be attached to the Institution, in such a manner that they might be sent out, as occasion should require, to supply, ad interim, the places of masters, who might be deficient. in knowledge, and who might be glad of an opportunity to go, for a certain period, to the Training School, in order to study and to be examined.

GENERAL EXAMINATIONS OF MASTERS AND MISTRESSES FOR CERTIFICATES OF MERIT.

With the results of these examinations, four in number within my district, their Lordships have already been acquainted, and have acted upon them. I wish merely to point out here one or two circumstances connected with them.

The number of candidates among the masters of Welsh schools, who came into the examination-rooms at Swansea and Welshpool, was 17 and 25 respectively; and of these 17 obtained certificates of merit, viz. :

The total number of certificates of merit granted for England and Wales at these examinations was 123, so that the proportion of masters of Welsh schools obtaining certificates to those of English schools was as 17 to 123: or more than 1 to 6; whereas the proportion of the population of Wales to that of England is about 1 to 16.

Again, on the well-intended representations of several clergymen in Wales, their Lordships of the Committee of Council on Education had been pleased to allow of papers in the Welsh language being substituted for others of the usual course given to candidates. On coming, however, into the examination rooms, and on being informed by me of this kind regulation made in their favour, the masters expressed, in suitable language, their gratitude for the kindness intended, but at the same time declared their hope that they should not have to avail themselves of it. Now, I need only appeal to their examination papers, which have been already laid before their Lordships, for a proof of these masters having taken in their full proportion of all the papers proposed, exclusively of those in the Welsh language, and of their having acquitted themselves therein with considerable credit.

My own impression is, that, at the next general examination,

no relaxation in favour of the masters of Welsh schools should be proposed; for I am confident of their being able to submit to the full test applied to masters from other parts of the empire.

Another circumstance which struck me was, that not only these masters attacked the Welsh examination papers with spirit and success, but that they also answered the papers referring to the grammar and construction of the English language, in a manner that told much in their favour. My impression of the possibility of a people becoming bilingual has been greatly strengthened by the results of these examinations; and I trust that next year the pleasing anticipations I have already formed will not be disappointed by the candidates, who will then come forward.

The number of mistresses, who went into the general examinations in my district, was very small, owing, I believe, to the circumstance of their being obliged to present themselves for examination in the schools where they were trained, for the sake of fulfilling certain pecuniary stipulations, entered into with the societies, by whom these schools, are supported. The result of the Michaelmas examinations has not been made known to me at the time of compiling this Report; but I hope that it will prove to be, in proportion, as favourable to Wales as was that of the masters' examinations.

It is a hope entertained, by many of the warmest promoters of education in Wales, that measures will be adopted for instituting a Training School for mistresses, somewhere within the twelve counties; and I should conceive the town of Aberystwyth to be well calculated, by its social circumstances and central position, for such a purpose.

PUPIL TEACHERS.

And

I cannot terminate my Report in a way more agreeable to my own feelings, than by stating the very great pleasure which has been afforded to me from the examination of pupil-teachers and candidates in various schools of my district. It constitutes one of the most pleasing portion of an Inspector's duties, and at the same time one of the most responsible, thus to be brought into contact with the most promising of the whole youth of the lower orders of the country of both sexes. when the amount of sound religious feeling and knowledge, which these young people evince, is taken into consideration, coupled with their secular knowledge, beyond what might have been expected, and backed by the good conduct which their testimonials declare, it is impossible not to indulge in lofty expectations of the future destiny of one's country. I cannot but consider many of the young people, with whom I have thus become acquainted, as intended, under God's good providence, to become both a blessing and an honour to their native land; and the fact of so many young men and women now training, upon

a sound system of religious and secular education, for the office of parochial teachers, warrants the hope that parochial schools will, within a few years, be established on proper principles, and suitably maintained, in every village throughout Wales.

The acquirements of the pupil-teachers, and the candidates for that office, have not appeared to me more remarkable than the tone of their character and demeanour,-nuch more elevated than could be supposed by any one not practically acquainted with them. Were no other end attained, by the regulations of their Lordships, than the thus picking out and rewarding the best conducted of the children in any school, the country would have ample reason to be grateful: but, as it is, they are stimulated to mutual improvement; they are secured the means of good education; and they are placed in the way of becoming the pioneers of religion and knowledge for future generations.

Forty-seven schools in these eight counties have availed themselves of the advantages held out by the pupil-teacher system, and I expect, in my circuit next year, to find this number much increased. I look upon it as one of the most effective means for encouraging the promotion of sound knowledge and religious instruction that have yet been brought into operation; and I trust that the Legislature of the country will not be induced to limit too narrowly the public aid necessary for developing and carrying it into full effect.

I have the honor to be, Sir, &c.,

To the Secretary of the
Committee of Council on Education.

H. LONGUEVILLE JONES.

APPENDIX.

TABLE showing the NUMBER of SCHOOLS under INSPECTION, in each COUNTY included in the Report for 1849, with the Numbers of those in which Pupil Teachers have been Examined, and those in which there are Masters or Mistresses with Augmentations of Salary.