conditions which practically exclude schools of no inconsiderable merit.” To the same effect Mr. Tregarthen reports :- "The good effects of your lordship's new minute are beginning to be plainly seen. Not only has it stimulated managers to increase their school staff, with a view to the additional grant, and in this way operated most beneficially on the schools, in increasing the body of pupil-teachers, but, in offering a fresh inducement for teaching an extra subject, it has also counteracted, to some. extent, the very natural tendency on the part of teachers preparing the children for a well-known examination, to lapse into a mechanical way of teaching, and of thinking that they had done all that could be occasionally required of them, when they instructed their children how to satisfy the demands of the various standards." Mr. Bowstead reports that the working classes in his district, embracing a portion of South Wales, exhibit a great anxiety to obtain unsectarian schools for their children. Nine-tenths of the Welsh people, being Nonconformists, will not allow their children to attend Church schools, and struggle, at whatever cost, to establish unsectarian schools of their own. Thus schools are unnecessarily multiplied even in small agricultural towns and villages, and many inconveniences ensue. Two, sometimes three inspectors visit the same remote locality. The inhabitants, from their earliest infancy, are divided into different if not hostile sects. A school rate for maintaining Church schools would be resisted by the great body of the people; and, on the other hand, if the proposed rate were for the support of British or neutral schools, it would incur the unmitigated hostility of the chief landlords, most of whom are Church "It is, probably, the consideration of difficulties of this kind that has recently given rise, in my district, to a marked change of feeling on the subject of purely secular schools. This subject has been repeatedly brought under my notice within the last two years, and that, too, in many instances by persons of known religious earnestness, who cannot for a moment be suspected of any feeling akin to indifference as to the religious bringing up of children. Men of this class have become more alive than heretofore to the mischief caused by divisions in the matter of elementary education, and experience has taught them how impracticable it is to heal these divisions so long as the elementary schoolmaster is regarded as a professed teacher of religion. The majority, indeed, of the Nonconformists are quite satisfied with the British and Foreign School system of undenominational Bible teaching, but the system has found no favour with the clergy of the Established Church, and it is still less suited to the Roman Catholic part of the population. Looking, then, at the difficulties caused, first as between Church and Dissent, and secondly as between Protestants and Catholics, by giving direct religious instruction in elementary schools, and by considering also the importance of establishing some general system of schools, to be supported by a public fund, to which all could conscientiously contribute, many eminent educationalists in my district have arrived at the conclusion that the work of the elementary schoolmaster should be limited to reading, writing, arithmetic, and other purely secular elements of knowledge. In the event of such a change being made, they would still consider it quite as important as it is now, to have in the schoolmaster' a man of religious character, and one who would be likely to impress a religious tone upon his pupils, but they would relieve him altogether from the direct inculcation of religious lessons. They believe there would be many advantages in having religion taught apart from the ordinary classwork of a busy and somewhat noisy day school, with all its humours and distractions, and that the organization of the various religious bodies throughout the country is, in these days, quite strong enough to enable them to find the means of communicating religious knowledge, and giving a satisfactory religious training to the children connected with their several congregations; and they are, moreover, persuaded that the activity and intelligence of the several parties leave no room to doubt that the duty would be effectually discharged. "I believe that the working classes in this country have a sincere and growing desire to see their children instructed in all the ordinary elements of secular knowledge, and that they are also anxious to have them brought up in those religious tenets to which they themselves are attached; but they have ceased to regard these two objects as inseparably connected, or as objects that must necessarily be secured through one and the same agency. They would be willing, on the contrary, to see the secular instruction of their children given in schools common to all, and supported, or at least aided, by some common public fund, whilst their religious training was provided for by those organizations of the various denominations which extend over every part of the country, and in connection with the various congregations to which they themselves belong. Under such a system secular instruction might be rendered accessible to all, while religious opinion would be left free and unfettered; and these are two objects which, in my district at least, the people have very much at heart." Dr. Morell thinks that greater encouragements should be offered to skilful and successful teachers, and we shall be delighted to learn that his recommendations are adopted. "A question," says he, " has been mooted in various parts of the country, how far it might be desirable to give some additional encouragement to those teachers who can produce more than ordinary results. Under the old code the payment by results was not recognised in any way, and each school after inspection received the full grant, or none at all. Under the new code payment by results became the ostensible principle lying at the basis of all annual grants. This principle is, however, as yet only very partially carried out. It is true that every scholar who fails to reach a certain standard is struck out of the paying list altogether; but amongst those who do pass, there is still a great variation in the scale of merit. Some teachers carry their work of preparation through the school with such a uniform vigour and thoroughness, that the scholars not only pass the requisite examination, but pass it, so to say, and to spare. There is no question in their case whether the work presented is up to the proper mark or not, for nearly every scholar performs his allotted task with ease and certainty. In other schools, on the other hand, the scholars just float about the line which separates success from failure; and though a good proportion may appear eventually on the right side, yet they stand only just above the separating line, and only reach that position very likely by taking unwonted time and making unwonted effort. In both these cases the payments are pretty nearly precisely the same, while the results are very different, more different often than those which separate failure from success. To carry out the principle of payment by results there should be a higher scale of payment for good work than for moderate work. This could be accomplished either by lowering that scale for the one, or raising it for the other. Supposing, for example, where the work is unusually good, and the teacher professes some extra subject as well, the examination schedules were marked with some special sign, like this, to denote excellence in place of a cross. Then if one shilling additional were given to the first hundred of such passes in the fourth, fifth, and sixth standards, that would give a maximum bonus of £5 additional to the teacher. The pay would, it is true, not be much for the special work he performs, but the mere fact of receiving such a mark of approbation would be probably more to him than the pecuniary value, and the stimulus to show work of a superior stamp would undoubtedly become considerable throughout the country. Thus a great incentive to improvement would be gained at a comparatively small cost, and if one shilling were deducted when the work is done very moderately, the additions and deductions would, in all probability, about balance each other." CORRESPONDENCE. The British and Foreign School Society, while inviting correspondence, and anxious to make the Record a medium of communication between teachers, and a vehicle by which they may make their thoughts known, is in no way responsible for the sentiments expressed. SIR,-No doubt, amongst your numerous readers, there are many teachers who, like myself, have considerable space upon their schoolroom walls, which is not occupied with maps, picture or, reading cards, &c. This vacant space I have lately been endeavouring to put to a useful (as well as ornamental) purpose, by covering it (partially) with mottoes, maxims, proverbs, &c., which have a bearing upon any part of our school work. These are printed upon coloured paper in order to contrast with the walls, which are white, then mounted on frames, round which runs a suitable border, and the whole varnished. The work, with the exception of the printing, having been done by myself, the actual cost will not much exceed half a crown each. The mottoes I have at present selected are (1) Consider Quality before Quantity, which applies more especially to the teaching of writing. (2) People who Live in Glass Houses should never Throw Stones. This applies to boys who call each other names. In this locality there is a particular aptitude amongst the children for putting names upon one another; as "Tommy Look-up (this boy's eyes are always fixed on the ground), "Tiny" (this boy is small for his age), "Boxer" (this boy's father has a horse of that name). I might give instances in which boys have nicknames which have been in their families for several generations. (3) Satan finds some Mischief still for idle hands to do. This has reference more especially to pupil-teachers, who sometimes are not exactly determined in their own minds what they shall give the class to do, or who allow the class to remain without employment for a few minutes before the changes. (4) Around our timepiece, in a circular fashion, I have placed "Be about your Business," which applies to everybody. (5) Opposite the door at which the children enter I intend to place "Punctuality is the Soul of Business," to apply to any who may be given to dropping in a few minutes late. If any of your readers should happen to be working in the same direction, I shall be glad to be informed, through the medium of your valuable paper, of the mottoes they have found serviceable. I am, yours, &c., J. H. G. SIR,-I was very sorry to find, by the last Record, that so few teachers returned the circular you kindly sent respecting the superannuation for teachers question. Perhaps the reason was that many of them have insured their lives, like myself, both against death and old age. But the failure of the " Albert Office," in which, doubtless, many of them with me suffer, will, perhaps, rouse them, as well as those in other offices, to press the subject of the superannuation of teachers more unitedly and earnestly upon the attention of the Committee of Council. I am, Sir, yours, &c., HENRY HARRIS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY. LEGACIES, DONATIONS, AND AUXILIARY SUBSCRIPTIONS, CHALK, T., late of Kingston (duty free) COVENTRY, T., late of Tavistock Square (£500, less duty) DE NOAILLES, Countess, 19, Cornwall Terrace, Regent's Park (for Stockwell College) 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, 8.E. J. AND W. RIDER, PRINTERS, 14, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE, LONDON, E.C. |