Pupil-teachers have decreased by exactly one-half. The majority of schools in this district fall below an attendance of 90, which requires the employment of an apprentice. I believe the disuse of pupil-teachers to be the main cause of decline in many schools which have hitherto been most efficient.'

'Mr. Warburton also urged the necessity of taking some steps to remedy the evil resulting from the practical abolition of pupil-teachers in schools containing between 50 and 90 children. He might make a short extract from the evidence of Mr. Tufnell, a gentleman of great ability, who had spent his whole life in promoting education. In his examination before Sir J. Pakington's Committee that gentleman said,

"There is one part of the Revised Code which is doing an injury to the country, which it is impossible to lament too seriously. I allude to the discouragement which is thrown upon the engagement of pupilteachers. The whole pupil-teacher system is now in danger of being upset, and with it that of the training schools; and if you upset those two things you bring back education to the state in which it was twentyfive years ago, and all the labour which has been undergone, and the four millions of money which have been expended on that office during the last quarter of a century, will be rendered useless.'"

The remedy proposed consists in the form of additional pecuniary aid, which is intended to meet the case of small schools; to add to the number of pupil-teachers; and to encourage attention to subjects beyond those specified in the several Standards.

The regulations and conditions appear to be as follow:

(1) All schools fulfilling the required educational conditions to be entitled to payment at the rate of 4s." per pass" (instead of 2s. 8d.) on any number of passes not exceeding 120; the present rate of 2s. 8d. per pass to continue in force in respect of all passes exceeding 120.

The educational conditions are,

(a) That there should be one pupil-teacher for every 40 scholars above 25, instead of above 50, as at present.

(6) That the number of passes obtained should bear a minimum proportion to the number of scholars above six year's of age in average attend

ance.

(c) That a certain proportion of the whole number of passes should be in Standards IV., V., and VI.

(d) That a certain proportion of the scholars should pass a satisfactory examination in at least one subject beyond the elementary ones specified

in the Standards.

(2) That a scholar, after having passed in the highest Standard, may bring a further grant to his school, for one year only, if he pass a satisfactory examination in any higher subject beyond the elementary subjects specified in the several Standards.

(3) There is another provision, intended as a further encouragement to the employment of additional pupil-teachers, according to which grants will be made to the managers of all schools fulfilling the conditions of the Minute in respect of pupil-teachers (but not otherwise) of £10 for every male pupil-teacher passing into a training college in the first class, and £5 for every male pupil-teacher in the second class; and further, a grant of £8 for those placed in the first division, and £5 for those in the second

division at the examination after the first year's residence in a training

college.

This provision is limited to male pupil-teachers, and is not at present to apply to Scotland.

It would be premature to offer any extended comments upon a Minute, the details of which are not yet presented in a fully authorized form. There is an apparent incongruity between the statement of the VicePresident, as reported, that this Minute would not cancel a single article of the Revised Code, but would be entirely supplementary to it, and his expectation that it would constitute a remedy for the deficiencies described by him. We await the adoption and printing of the Minute before discussing its probable effects in operation.

SCIENCE EXAMINATIONS. NEW MINUTE.

At South Kensington, 12th February, 1867.

By the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on Education.

Present, His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, Lord

President.

The Right Honourable H. Lowry Corry, M.P., Vice

President.

My Lords consider the subject of examinations for certificates as teachers of science.

They determine that for the future all candidates who obtain a first or a second class in the May examinations shall be deemed qualified to earn payments on results according to the rules of the Science Directory, and that the special examinations in November for teachers' certificates be dispensed with.

REVISED CODE FOR 1867.

THE modifications in the Revised Code for 1867 are comparatively few. The Minute of June 11th, 1866, relating to the annual grant to training colleges, is incorporated.

The following regulations refer to "United Schools," and are now transferred from the Notice to Managers to the Code :

*1381. The resident teachers (Article 135 d) must bring with them (Article 138) their school registers, their log-books (Article 140), and the examination schedules, duly filled up and signed, of their several schools.

*1382. Children under six years of age, who are qualified by attendance for the grant under Article 40, b, 2, must be entered in the schedules, but they need not appear in person at this examination, but will be inspected at their several schools (Article 140).

Children (of whatever age) who have not attended often enough (200 times) to be entered in the schedules, need not appear at this examination, but will be inspected at their several schools (Article 140).

SUPPLEMENTARY RULES.-TO RULE 10 the following addition has been

The occupation of all parents who do not support themselves by their own manual labour must be entered in column VI.

A well-marked line may be drawn under all entries in column VI. which are thought to be fairly within the meaning of Article 4.

A separate list of the names against which these underlined entries are made, with a brief statement of the reasons which have induced the managers to underline them, must be filed with the examination schedule, and handed to the inspector on the day of his visit.

In determining whether the line may be drawn under the several entries or not, cases of doubt may be resolved according to the answers to one or more of the following inquiries:

*

*

*

*

Several verbal changes are introduced, confined to making clearer the meaning of existing regulations.

PORTRAIT OF JOSEPH LANCASTER.

WE understand that a portrait of Joseph Lancaster has just been published, taken by Messrs. Mayall, of Regent Street, from a medallion in the possession of a member of his family. It is 11 inches by 13, and is handsomely framed, with a fac-simile of his autograph attached. For the information of those who may wish to possess themselves of this memorial of the founder of the Lancasterian system, we have been requested to state that a copy of the portrait will be forwarded on receipt of a postoffice order for 21s. on the General Post Office, payable and addressed to Mr. Frederick Pickton, care of Mr. R. Saunders, British and Foreign School Society, Borough Road, London.

LOCAL RATING OF SCHOOLS.

UNTIL very lately, school buildings and other charitable institutions have not been considered liable to be rated to the poor's and other local rates. By a recent decision of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords in a case affecting the "Mersey Docks," all such institutions are regarded as liable to these charges, and have now almost universally been assessed and charged accordingly. The judgment is based upon the Act of 43rd Elizabeth, cap. 2, and a subsequent appeal against such a charge has been ineffectual. The grievance has become so real and serious, a committee has been formed in London for the purpose of securing for educational and charitable institutions the continuance of that exemption from rating which they have hitherto enjoyed. Under the auspices of this committee, a public meeting was held at Willis's Rooms on Tuesday, March 19th, under the presidency of the Earl of Shaftesbury. The meeting was of a representative character, and was entirely unanimous in the condemnation of this new impost, and in the resolve to adopt united and persevering action to obtain the object proposed. The Earl of Harrowby proposed the first resolution, which was to the following effect :

"That it is most impolitic and unjust to impair the usefulness of the hospitals and dispensaries of England, by subjecting them, for the first time, to the payment of poor and local rates, when the relief they administer to the sick and destitute poor materially lessens the burden of parochial rates."

It was seconded and supported by the Treasurers of St. Bartholomew's and St. George's Hospitals, as the representative of charitable institutions, whose benefits were so largely felt by the poorer classes.

Dr. Manning moved the second resolution, which was seconded by the Hon. Grantham Yorke, of Birmingham; and supported by the Treasurer of Guy's Hospital; Mr. Tite, M.P.; Mr. Barclay, M.P.; and others. It was

"That the recent decision of courts of law on the Act of 43rd Elizabeth, cap. 2, rendering schools and charitable institutions generally liable to the payment of rates, is contrary to the spirit of the Act itself, and of recent legislation, and tends greatly to discourage educational effort, and to the consequent increase of improvidence and pauperism."

A third resolution, which pointed to specific action, ran thus :

"That such steps be taken as may be deemed desirable, and that a deputation do wait on the Prime Minister to ascertain the views of the Government on the subject."

The meeting was a highly influential one, and the several speakers adduced facts illustrative of the irritating, unjust, and anomalous character of such a charge on benevolent effort, much of which was made at great selfsacrifice. It was stated that high legal authorities were averse to the decision, and it was clearly shown that such rating of charitable institutions was contrary to the spirit of the Act of Elizabeth on which it was founded. There is no doubt that the subject will now be taken up, and a united effort made to restore that exemption from local rates which school buildings and charitable institutions have so long and so reasonably enjoyed. As a first step, a large deputation will wait upon Lord Derby; and, should further action be necessary, no effort will be spared until the object is attained.

CHRISTMAS EXAMINATION FOR CERTIFICATES.

THE following are the questions on the several subjects indicated, given by the Government, at the recent Examination for Certificates at the Borough Road and at Stockwell, in common with all other Training Colleges :

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT.

MALE CANDIDATES, FIRST YEAR.

Three hours allowed for this paper.

You are not permitted to answer more than one question in each section. No questions are specially indicated to Acting Teachers in this paper. They are advised to select those questions which appeal most directly to their actual experience.

Write the first line of your first answer as a specimen of copy-setting in large text hand, and the first line of your second answer as a specimen of copy-setting in small hand.

SECTION I.

1. What is the object of simultaneous reading? What defects is it meant to remedy? And what evil consequences will result from continuing it too long?

2. Give a summary description of the faults to be watched for in a reading class. State how each must be corrected.

3. What devices should be used to keep up the attention of children in reading in an advanced class?

SECTION II.

1. What is the object of transcription? "If not carefully watched, this exercise is almost useless." Why?

2. What methods can you employ to correct the spelling of a boy in a high class ?

3. State the arguments for and against the use of spelling-books. Is similarity of sound a good guide for spelling? On what other principle are spelling lessons sometimes constructed?

SECTION III.

1. Enumerate the qualities of useful and neat handwriting. How is each of them to be secured?

2. What is the best method of improving the handwriting of advanced pupils ?

3. What use would you make of the black-board for teaching writing? Would you use it for all classes? or for which classes? and why?

SECTION IV.

1. What is the best way to prepare children to pass Standard I. in Arithmetic?

2. Explain how you would deal with a class in which the children are very uncertain in writing correctly numbers which are dictated.

3. A class in which the children can multiply by one figure has to receive a first lesson in multiplying by two figures; state how you would proceed. Take an example of your own choice.

SECTION V.

1. What exercises in mental arithmetic would you give to your highest class (suppose them all to have passed in Standard IV.) ?

2. How would you teach a child to draw a map? What map would you begin with? Give diagrams to explain your method.

SECTION VI.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of simultaneous answering when you are examining a class? How will you secure the first and avoid the latter.

SECTION VII.

N.B. If you are proceeding to a Second year's residence, state the fact and

omit this section.

What are the registers required to make accurate returns to the Committee of Council in inspected schools? Give a specimen page of each.

How do you find the average attendance for the year?

GEOGRAPHY.

MALE CANDIDATES, FIRST YEAR.

Three hours allowed for this Paper.

You are not permitted to answer more than one question in each section. Acting teachers may, but need not, confine themselves to the questions marked with an asterisk*.

SECTION I.

Draw a map of the two Americas; or,

Italy; or, *Ireland.

N. B.-Places must not be indicated by letters or figures referring to a list of names at the side, but the names themselves must be inserted in the map.