aside the word of God, on which all good government rested, seemed to him most improper. During the last ten years he had taken the names of about 10,000 children, and he did not believe that in five cases the parents had ever objected to the reading of the Bible in the school. Mr. D. Smith, of Staley bridge, said that if the Bill were to pass as it stood, the school board, which had power to determine what kind of religious teaching should be given, might be Congregationalists one year, Roman Catholics the next year, and Wesleyans another year; and as they changed, the religious instruction would have to change. This part of the discussion was closed by the adoption of the following resolution : : "That no creed, catechism, or tenet peculiar to any sect be taught in schools under the management of school boards or receiving grants from the local rates; that in all other schools receiving Government aid the religious dogmatic teaching should be at a distinct time, either before or after ordinary school business; and that provision be made that attendance at such religious teaching shall not be compulsory, and that there shall be no disability for non-attendance." The question of voluntary versus compulsory attendance at school was next considered. The following resolution was adopted : "That the provisions of the Bill as introduced by Government meet with our entire approval as regards the payment of the fees by the scholars." It was also resolved that school boards be established in all districts, such boards in districts not included in boroughs to be elected by the ratepayers generally, voting by ballot. Messrs. G. Smith, D. Smith, G. Selden, and J. Scotson were appointed a committee to prepare a petition embodying the above resolutions, and forward the same to the House of Commons. Subscriptions and Donations will be thankfully received by Messrs. BARNETT, HOARES, HANBURYS, and LLOYD, Bankers to the Society, 60, Lombard Street; and at the Society's House, Borough Road, S.E. J. AND W. RIDER, PRINTERS, 14, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE, LONDON, E.C. Held at the Borough Road College, by the Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council, May, 1870. P. M., Pure Mathematics; I. C., Inorganic Chemistry; P. G., Physical Geography; Th. M., Theoretical Mechanics. A1, Advanced Paper, First Class; A 2, Second Class; E 1, Elementary Paper, First Class; E2, Second Class. The former subject of Elementary Mathematics, somewhat extended, now forms Stages I., II., and III. of Pure Mathematics. Stage I. embraces Arithmetic, the ordinary processes of Algebra and Geometry, equivalent to the First Book of Euclid. Stage II., in addition to the subjects of Stage I., comprises Quadratic Equations, Plane Trigonometry, and Geometry, equivalent to the Second and Third Books of Euclid, Stage III., in addition to the subjects of Stage I. and Il., includes Algebra, as treated in such a book as Wood's "Algebra and Spherical Trigonometry." NOTE.-Several of the Senior Students had already in 1869 passed in Elementary Mathematics in Stages equivalent to Stages I. and II. of Pure Mathematics; so that of the present Second Year Students, 14 (marked thus, **) are certificated as competent to teach both Stages I. and II., and 20 (marked thus, *) to teach Stage I. only. Also 13 Certificates of Competency to teach were obtained by this Class in Inorganic Chemistry, 37 in Physical Geography, and 1 in Theore ical Mechanics. These Certificates are indicated by A 1 or A 2. 29 Prizes have been obtained in Inorganic Chemistry, 17 in Pure Mathematics, 7 in Physical Geography, and 11 in Theoretical Mechanics. THE EDUCATIONAL RECORD. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY. SIXTY-FIFTH GENERAL MEETING. THE Annual Meeting of the Subscribers and Friends of the Society held on Monday, May 9th, was preceded, as usual, by a Public Examination of the Boys' Model School, Borough Road, commencing at 10 o'clock a.m. The chair was occupied by W. Ball, Esq., until the arrival of the Right Hon. the Earl Russell, K.G., the President of the Society. On the platform and among the audience were Messrs. J. W. Pease, M.P., Edward Baines, M.P., Vernon Harcourt, M.P., E. J. Sartoris, M.P., George Dixon, M.P., and C. Buxton, M.P.; Sir Walter Stirling, Bart.; Revs. T. Binney, Donald Fraser, M.A. (Presbyterian), Canon Cromwell (of St. Mark's Training College, Chelsea), T. Brockway (of South Africa), J. Wilks, B.A., De Kewer Williams, J. Swann Withington (Secretary of the Education Committee of the United Methodist Free Church), and W. Urwick; Dr. J. H. Gladstone, Mr. W. Brewin, and numerous other friends. The walls of the large schoolroom, which was decorated with evergreens and flowers, were covered with effective specimens of shaded drawing by the pupils. The subjects for examination included reading, English grammar, physical and political geography, English history, the exhibition of specimens of handwriting and drawing, Holy Scripture, and mental arithmetic. Mr. Lawrence, master of Dr. Brock's school at Bloomsbury, questioned the boys in geography, and the rapidity with which they set right any pretended blunder made by the examiner as he passed over England, up the Mediterranean, through several European countries, and finally into America, showed that they were thoroughly familiar with the relative positions of the places named. They answered no less promptly the questions asked by Mr. Barber, master of the Tabernacle Schools, Notting Hill, on the chronology of important events in English history, and gave some account of the leading actors in those events. During the progress of the examination the boys sang together with precision and sweetness some sacred and secular pieces printed in the Tonic Sol-fa Notation, which they are taught to read at sight. When the children who had not been taking part in the examination appeared to become fidgety a short manual exercise relieved the cramped muscles, and good order was at once restored. Mr. Langton, M.A., the head-master, then examined a class in Scripture. Lord Russell chose the sixth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, contained in a selection of Scripture lessons with which every boy in the class was furnished. When each lad had read aloud a text the examiner questioned the class on the application of the precepts contained in the lesson to their future conduct in life, inviting them to cite other texts which bore reference to their duties towards God and their fellow-creatures, as well as to the reciprocal obligations of masters and servants. A short address from the noble Earl concluded the proceedings. The meeting was then adjourned to the Girls' Schoolroom, under the Presidency of Earl Russell. The gentlemen named above were present, as well as Lord Lyveden, the Revs. W. Tozer, and P. J. Turquand and W. Wilkins, Esq. Letters of regret at not being able to be present were reported to have been received from the Duke of Argyll, the Duke of Devonshire, Earl De Grey, Lord Sandon, Sir George Grey, Bart., M.P., the Right Hon. H. A. Bruce, M.P., A. J. Mundella, Esq., M.P., H. Fawcett, Esq., M.P., Osborne Morgan, Esq., M.P., the Revs. Dean Alford, Canon Kingsley, Canon Girdlestone, Dr. Macfarlane, E. Abbott, and several other friends of the Society. The Report, an abstract of which was read by Mr. Alfred Bourne, the secretary, referred to the principles of the Society, as uniting reverence for Scripture truth with respect for the conscientious convictions of all, and cited numerous testimonies to the value of the moral and religious as well as intellectual instruction given in British schools. The following summary of work done was presented : Training Department.-At the Training Colleges the students in residence up to Christmas were 186; left at Christmas, 92; admitted, 111. Increase, 19, the buildings at the Borough Road and Stockwell being quite full. Presented for the certificate examination, 186; of whom 85 passed in the first class, and 73 in the second. Schools. At the Borough Road, Stockwell, and Corby schools the total number on the books was 1,395; total attendance, 1,189; average cost per scholar for the year, £1 5s. 93d. |