furniture and equipment, but there remains much to be done in regard Dr. BEATIT. to the improvement of buildings and the providing of necessary maps, desks, &c., and, except in a few cases, scarcely any attempt has been School made to make the schools attractive and comfortable, beyond the pro- tion-

vision of the bare necessaries of school life.

The school floors are now more generally washed periodically than was formerly the case, and a wash-stand and basin have been provided in a fair number of schools. The personal tidiness and cleanliness of the children vary a good deal in different schools, but more attention might be given with advantage to this matter in many cases. There are still 6 schools in this section without out-offices. In one of these cases it is proposed to build them immediately. I am pleased to remark a growing carefulness on the teachers' part in regard to ventilation of the school-room. On my suggestion an attempt was made in some schools to introduce a more sanitary method of cleaning slates, but I am sorry to say the attempt ended in failure, and I see little hope of improvement in this respect, except in substituting paper for slates as far as possible. "The schools are usually comfortably heated in the winter time, although I have found it necessary several times to remark upon delays in lighting fires, and on failures to light fires early enough in the morning. Unfortunately the expense of heating often falls largely un the teacher.

"School libraries are almost unknown in this section.

Some playgrounds, not having been prepared for their purpose in any way, are very muddy in wet weather. There are 21 schools in this section without playgrounds, and at 19 other schools the playgrounds are so small as to be practically useless for play. In these cases the pupils usually play on the public road. Several schools in Ballymena have had separate morning and afternoon attendances for some time, and since the introduction of the new rule on the subject some schools in Glenarm and elsewhere have allowed pupils home for half an hour, thus diminishing the need for playgrounds.

"In 37 schools in the section the average attendance was under 30 in the year 1904. In 42 the average attendance was between 50 and 95 and 5 (all in the town of Ballymena) had an average attendance over 95. The remaining 57 schools had an average attendance between 30 and 50. The existence of about 20 of the 37 schools under 30 may, reasonably, I think, be considered necessary owing to remoteness of situation, denominational differences or other unavoidable causes, but the numbers of the remainder might be reduced with advantage to education by rearrangement. Two small schools were struck off in this section a short time ago, but were subsequently restored. The Poor Law Guardians of Ballycastle were, I think, well advised in closing their workhouse school and sending the pupils to neighbouring National schools. Owing to the refusal of the Commissioners to recognise the Waveney School in Ballymena, and its consequent closing, the numbers in the Ballymena Model Schools and in the Ballymoney-street Boys' School have risen considerably."

accommoda

continued.

In the majority of the schools of my own section the accom- Furniture and modation is sufficient, in some cases excessive; but in a fair equipment. number it is insufficient, and in a larger number insufficient at certain seasons. The furniture and equipment, defective as they generally are, show signs of improvement. New desks are being provided, sheeted or planed; maps have been replaced in many cases; globes and charts provided; although in very many cases the music charts are still insufficient for the full course in singing. The equipment of schools with science apparatus proceeds slowly; in some cases, where teachers have gone through a course of science training (which is, no doubt, in itself a useful experience in general educational methods), no application is made for apparatus, nor in

Dr. BEATTY.

Unnecessary schools.

deed would there be suitable storage accommodation if it were provided. There is little apparatus for manual work now in use; and the number of schools fully equipped with drill apparatus is small. Blackboards are certainly, as a rule, insufficient. The provision of a new house is a rare occurrence in this section; but in detail the houses are being improved, and are kept with more neatness and in better repair. Turf stores and porches have been frequently added. The yards have been more generously gravelled, and a door mat is now found in nearly all the schools. The room, therefore, can be kept clean with much more ease; and for the children's use a basin is now often provided. The out-offices still frequently adjoin the school walls, and windows often open right over them a state of things which must produce unhealthiness, if not disease. In a good many cases schools are built close to (or even in) graveyards; and usually on a lower level than the graveyard. This can of course be easily accounted for. The church was naturally built on a conspicuous eminence, and the graveyard on the lower slope. The schoolhouse came later, and had to be content with the still lower ground. The school-rooms are gradually being brightened by pictures and photographs; but the cult of flowers has advanced little so far as the grounds are concerned; although a few flower pots are now found in most schools. In some cases, however, taste is shown; and the grounds of the Fair Hill schools at Magherafelt are an admirable example of what can be done in this way. The absence of flower beds in other cases is assigned to unsuitability of soil, want of sunlight, liability to be robbed, &c. Cleanliness of school-room as compared with some years ago is improved; but is not at present improving, in my experience. The out-offices now rarely call for adverse comment in this respect; but in regard to the school-room, furniture and floors, one must be content with a low standard. There are still a large number of schools where discretion must be exercised as to depositing a hat or overcoat, and where the fall to the floor of an official document cannot be seen without misgiving. Ventilation is often imperfect; windows are rarely quite suitable in position or conveniently opened. My own experience is in favour of pulley windows, as opposed to quadrant apparatus; the latter does not give the same freshness of air in hot weather, is often out of order, and, when open at the sides, discharges draughts in unexpected and undesirable directions. The opening of such windows (I have found by recent experience) requires some dexterity and much patience; and the closing the addition of main force. Heating is generally sufficient; it is provided usually by teacher and pupils. School libraries are very few indeed; this is eminently a matter for managers to initiate, and they show little or no interest in it.

With regard to the multiplication of unnecessary schools Mr. MacMahon writes:

"There are in my section several cases where the number of schools is

there are nine schools, none of which are farther than two miles from the Dr. BEATTY village. Of these four are under E.C. management and five under Unnecessary Presbyterian. Within two miles of Portglenone there are six schools, schools. four of which are under Presbyterian and two under R. C. management. In a circle of two miles radius round the village of Dervock there are five schools, of which three are under Presbyterian management and the remaining two are divided between Epicopalian and Roman Catholic managers. In a small district surrounding Moneydig School, which is about three miles from Garvagh, there are six schools, of which two are under Episcopalian management, and the remaining four are under Presbyterian management. In the town of Ballymoney and its immediate neighbourhood there are eleven schools, including three Model Schools, three R. C. schools, one E. C. school, and the others small schools under Presbyterian management. There can be no doubt but that these centres would be better served educationally if one or two substantial, well-equipped, and well-staffed schools took the place of these groups of schools, which, with the exception of three in Bushmills, one in Dervock, and four in Ballymoney, are one-roomed buildings, and whose averages are not sufficient for the services of an assistant."

"In almost every part of this section the schools are too numerous, and therefore too small to serve the purposes of education to the best advantage by allowing the division of the school work among a proper staff of teachers. The most notable instances of this phenomenon, where it does not depend on religious differences, are in the district of Connor and Kells, in Ballymena, in the district of Parade and Correen, near the village of Clough, about Kilraughts, in Glenariff, about Mosside, and in Ballycastle.

The division into separate boys' and girls' schools under both Roman Catholic and Protestant management is responsible for the existence of some of the small schools. But most of them are small mixed country schools, in the continued existence of which an important factor is, that many of these schools are under small local committees of parents of pupils and others, sometimes not officially recognised. These committees are mostly the successors of those who built the schools, and they are anxious to retain their own schools. They often really appoint the teacher as the manager; often the local Presbyterian minister is unwilling to act in opposition to their wishes. The committees will usually put the school premises into very fair order when compelled by fear of losing the school, but under other circumstances are unwilling to incur much expense. In a good many groups of small schools in the section it is difficult to decide which schools ought to be struck off and which retained, as none of the present schools is in a very good position for a central school."

The unnecessary multiplication of small schools offers in Small Schools. this country one of the most formidable obstacles to progress. The expense of up-keep of the buildings is greatly increased; what is spent on the patching of two or three buildings would keep one in good repair; and it is worth pointing out that a small attendance often co-exists with a large building, and therefore an expensive up-keep. For instance, there are in various schools of this section 640 square feet for an average of 21; 720 for an average of 34; 650 for 20; 870 for 26. The expense in regard to apparatus and furniture is also much. greater in proportion. The costliness of staffing such schools is not compensated by any stimulus to the teaching body; for in such schools the teacher can rarely look forward at any time to obtaining more than a bare subsistence. The absence. of numbers and the smallness of the classes damp the energies

Dr. BEATTY.

of both teachers and pupils. The latter suffer from the want Small schools. of emulation and of systematic teaching; while the teacher is harassed by a multiplicity of disjointed duties; is hampered in the organisation by the competition of so many neighbouring schools, and can obtain little influence in the locality, owing to the slight importance of his school. From an educational point of view, probably the difficulty of properly organising the teaching is the greatest evil in this system of multiplied schools; and even the appointment of junior assistant mistresses will not always mend matters in this respect. In my section alone, there are forty-nine schools which do not command an average of thirty-five. Some slight progress is being made towards reducing the number of these little schools. Two of the smallest and most unnecessary have been struck off the rolls; to another the grants are continued only till the occurrence of a vacancy in the teachership. One pair of schools for boys and girls respectively has been amalgamated into a mixed school; another similar pair has been converted into senior and infant schools, and will probably be amalgamated on the occurrence of a vacancy. Another similar pair is under order for amalgamation on the occurrence of the next vacancy; and still another amalgamation has been practically decided on by the manager. In two of these cases, the amalgamation is facilitated by the fact that the teachers are husband and wife. If the wife loses by being reduced to the position of an assistant, the husband gains by eligibility (through the larger average attendance in the amalgamated school) for a higher grade of salary. Where no such relationship exists, the conversion for the time being of the schools into senior and infant schools preserves the status of the mistress. In another case, a wider scheme of amalgamation-of three schools into one-has been the subject of a lengthened interchange of correspondence, and has now reached a practicable shape, but further progress is barred for the time by the stoppage of building grants. In another case of three neighbouring schools, vacancies are not to be filled till official sanction has been obtained. It is gratifying to find that some of the managers are beginning to realise the advantages of a re-arrangement with a view to efficient teaching; although the majority seem to be still incapable of looking at the matter from an educational standpoint. In such changes no hardship need be inflicted on the teachers. Even in a rural district changes of teachers are so frequent that in the course of ten years an opportunity would arise for nearly every desirable amalgamation, if advantage be taken of vacancies in the staff at the proper moment. The simplest and most natural form of amalgamation would appear at first sight to be the union of two schools attended by little boys and girls in adjoining buildings. But this subject has lately passed so far beyond the limits of mere educational considerations that perhaps it will suffice to mention a single fact in connexion with it. There are at present sixteen pairs of schools of this kind in

nor the girls' will command the average for even a junior Dr. BEATTY. assistant mistress; and in addition, four of the boys' schools and one of the girls' will be in the same position. In other words, fifteen, or almost half of these schools, must still work on without aid of any kind.

In regard to the teachers Mr. MacMahon says:--

They

"The teachers as a body are working steadily and earnestly. are gradually becoming accustomed to the changes that have taken place recently in the system. They are keeping their progress records regularly, examining their pupils twice a year, and, I think, beginning to thoroughly realize the fact that they are no longer preparing pupils for examination, but training them in habits of neatness, correct thinking, and intelligent expression of their own ideas both orally and in writing. I find, however, that the general body of teachers do not make sufficient preparation for each day's work. Very few come to school in the morning with any written preparation for the day's work. Their labour is thus more severe on themselves and less beneficial to their pupils. The practice of correcting the written work of pupils outside school hours is very rare here. Few teachers seem to realise the value of careful correction and suitable written suggestions which would stimulate the pupils to increased effort or assist them in avoiding constantly-recurring errors. There are signs in this circuit that young teachers are not satisfied with the conditions of their service. They are anxious to obtain their diplomas with a view to obtaining a better position in schools in England or Scotland."

Mr. Heron writes on this subject :

"The teachers are generally well fitted for their office, and diligent in the discharge of their duties. They vary a good deal in knowledge, ability and skill. Quite a number of the teachers and monitors of this section have availed themselves of the opportunities of learning afforded by the Ballymena Technical School, and have received prizes and certificates. Some of their favourite subjects have been the different branches of drawing, elementary science, chemistry and French. It is notable that, as a rule, it is some of the best teachers who endeavour to improve themselves in this way, and some of them come long distances to the classes in Ballymena. A large number of the schools are situated in such remote places that it is quite impossible for the teachers to avail themselves of opportunities of improvement such as this.

"A good many teachers do not seem to recognise the value of the Notes for Teachers' issued by the Commissioners, or to study or put in practice as much as they might the suggestions contained therein."

My own experience quite bears out my colleagues' views as to the diligence and earnestness of the teachers as a rule. They have now recovered from the state of almost bewilderment into which the unaccustomed experience of a change of programme had thrown them. They are gaining self-reliance, and are beginning to realise that not a mechanical adherence to the letter, but an intelligent and honest interpretation of the spirit of the programme is asked of them. The books which one finds about a teacher's desk bear witness to a widening circle of study. In some of the subjects, however, such as singing, the best intentions are not as useful as a little help from a skilled adviser. In all subjects, and among nearly all the less aged teachers, there is a distinct desire to receive hints and put them into practice.

f

Teachers.