I agree very well with Mr. Smyth's remarks on organization. Dr. I have found very considerable advantage arising from (a) the SKEFFINGTON. grouping of classes into divisions in most subjects, (b) the Organizaabolition of very small classes of one, or two, or three pupils, TION. though there are still too many cases where such appear. Even in reading and arithmetic economy and efficiency are gained by grouping the classes; of course, in the large town (chiefly Convent) schools, not grouping, but often division, of classes is necessary, they are so large.

The time tables, however, are still drawn up too much on Time Table the class system, which arises in great part, I think, from the ruling out and heading of the official time table for classes; teachers think they must fill it in according to the headings.

The aid of a monitor would be very useful in many schools Monitors. which have only one teacher. The unpaid monitor cannot often teach reading well, especially reading on tablets to infants; they usually teach word by word, or fail to group the words properly.

The reduction of the average to 50 for an assistant should help a number of schools, as it will likely stimulate teachers and managers to improve the attendance, so as to qualify under the rule. On the subject of organization Mr. Smyth writes:

"Most of the schools in my section are of the small type, with only a single teacher for all the different standards. In such schools I do not know any better system of organisation than the Bipartite system, with the time table so constructed that while the teacher is engaged actively teaching one division of the school, the other is engaged at some lesson in the desks that only requires general supervision. These schools with single teachers are by far the most numerous in Ireland, and they require, I think, more professional skill, energy, preparation, and forethought for their successful conduct than any other type of school. The system of grouping several standards together is now availed of largely, but, strange to say, some teachers seem to prefer minute sub-divisions and small classes. I think that the grouping system is admirable in such subjects as geography, history, singing, drawing, drill, object lessons, but it is not so suitable in cases of reading and arithmetic. The reduction of the average attendance to fifty for an assistant should do a good deal, both to improve certain schools, and to make the work of the principal teachers of these schools less irksome and onerous."

Monitors are now mainly met with in the large Convent TRAINING schools, of which there are many in this circuit. The candi- OF MONITORS. dates are generally well selected, as many girls (chiefly) remain for years in the highest classes, if there is the smallest chance of a monitorship; and these are the brightest and best girls in the school; so that there is no want of candidates at this door of the educational edifice; they are clearly not frightened by the doleful accounts we daily hear of the miserable pittance paid to teachers (especially females) on their becoming principals or even assistants. They cheerfully wait, and earnestly contend for the coveted monitorships; and they teach and study with zeal and energy, and generally acquit themselves creditably at their examinations. I am glad to say those in my section got on very well at their final examination. The wonder, indeed, is that they are so eager, for many of them do not get on as regular teachers after all; not because they are unfit, and not but they would gladly serve, but, unfortunately, there

Dr.

are not vacancies for them all. There are several causes for SKEPPINGTON. this premature cutting off of so many promising young persons

Criticism
Lessons.

after passing creditably the probationary stage of the protession they have chosen, and for which they have sacrinced so many of their best years. These causes are interesting and farreaching, and not to be dealt with cursorily at the end of such a lengthened report, as this has undesignedly become. On some future occasion 1 may return to this subject at length, as it is of great importance to the future of the teaching profession; while it must trench so much on debatable ground that it needs great consideration, being interwoven with the constitution of the staff of teachers in many highly important schools, and with questions closely concerning the distribution of public funds for educational purposes.

This matter leads also to the problem of the supply of candidates for the Training colleges. 1 might also, did time and space permit, go on to speak largely on the teaching and training of the King's scholars in Training colleges, of which 1 have seen a good deal in the past and other years.

The system of criticism lessons for monitors has as yet been fully carried out in but few schools, though attempted to some degree in a good many, and, so far, with good effect, in however modest a manner. In one school, however, it has been highly developed, even beyond the scheme proposed; for in this case, one monitor gives the lesson, the other monitors watch, listen, take notes, and write out their criticisms, after which the head teacher criticises these notes, and the whole lesson. This has a very great effect, for, as Adam Smith has said, with his usual keen and far-reaching observation, "We judge of our own faults and defects by observing them in others"; and similarly with good points, we imitate them. So the monitors watching and noting the points, good and bad, of the teaching, and having their opinions confirmed or corrected by the principal teacher, find themselves impelled to imitate the good points, and avoid the errors of the monitor who gives the lesson. It is, of course, high-class work, higher, perhaps, and better than is done in the Training colleges, as the large numbers in training do not probably permit of such attention to a few individuals. Not every teacher is capable of doing it fully, but all or most can do a good deal, and the schools will have the benefit. It will also, in future, be more and more important to secure such highly trained monitors for the service by opening up to them certainly, and without cost to them, places in the Trainig colleges, paid and maintained out of the public funds.

The cases of weak, untrained teachers long in charge of schools is one urgently calling for action, to secure at least a year's training to every teacher capable of taking advantage of it, quite irrespective of the comparative marks of extern candidates, who may have never taught an hour. Some of these teachers have no other way of hoping to improve, and I commend this class of teachers also to consideration, as well as that of the old teachers, dealt with by Mr. Smyth. I give here Mr. Smyth's remarks on the training of monitors :

"There are forty-four monitors in this section, and I believe they Dr. are generally being carefully trained. The larger proportion of them SKBFFINGTON. are monitresses in the large Convent schools. The time tables of the various schools in which they are employed make provision for their instruction both in and out of school hours. I held a full examination of all these young people last year, and in general I found that they were being well and carefully trained. I was disappointed, however, in finding that the marks of several of them, especially of the monitresses, were so low at their final examinations.

"The Circular of January, 1904, requiring Criticism Lessons to be give weekly, will, I am confident, have a good effect in making both teachers and monitors pay more attention to the technique of the art of teaching. It will also have the further effect of giving the monitors skill and experience in the management of fairly large classes. During the course of the year I have been able to visit most of the schools during the hour set apart for these Criticism Lessons, and have usually found them carried on with very fair success. Only in a few cases have I found the teachers' criticisms of much value, but things will improve in time in this regard, I have no doubt.

BRANCHES.

The chief extra branch in this circuit is, of course, Irish, EXTRA which has been extensively taken up, and nowhere more Irish. zealously than in the non-Irish speaking, but perhaps most English, County of Wexford, where organisers (Irish speakers) from Ballyvourney, and other well-known native-speaking localities, have been appointed by the county and local branches of the Gaelic League to revive the native language, music, and dancing, &c. These organisers are promised a minimum salary of, say, £60 a year; and this is made up partly by fees from evening class for adults, but chiefly by the payments made by the National Board for teaching the pupils of fourth, fifth, and sixth standards, and monitors a course of three years in Irish-reading, writing, speaking, and grammar; one lesson a week of an hour's duration (or two of half-an-hour each in the week) being the minimum, and this before or after regular school hours, the annual fee being 5s. or 10s. for each regular pupil who shows fair or good knowledge of the course. Of course a great deal more teaching than this is given, both outside of school hours, and even within school hours.

As Mr. Smyth points out, it is here specially difficult, where the parents can give no help, and the pupils have no home practice.

In most of the County Waterford some home help is available, but in Wexford, Kilkenny, and Carlow there is little or none, though several of the ordinary teachers, who have come from Irish-speaking districts, have, of course, a very fair knowledge of the language, and several have acquired some facility by study and practice with native speakers. Still, it is a difficult matter; and though at times wonderful smartness is shown in picking up phrases and in doing the O'Growney Books or those of Norma Borthwick, not many stay to get well through the second year's course, and few attempt the third year's course, though I had recently a considerable class, very well prepared, in the third vear's course, even in Co. Wexford; and most intelligent they were, and eager to show their knowledge and skill; but they were an exceptional group, being chiefly monitors, well advanced generally. It is strange that I have

Dr.

EXTRA
BRANCHES.

been told by teachers in fairly Irish-speaking localities that SKEPPINGTON the pupils, to put it mildly, "did not like the Irish lessons," whereas in some purely English-speaking parts of Wexford some teachers, on the contrary, say the children are most eager for it. It is doubtful if the present mode of payment is the best, but I shall not discuss this matter at present.

Mathematics.

EVENING
SCHOOLS.

The organisers are now working on the new systems, as the Gouin and others, which, indeed, are the old or mother-tongue method; and while this is slow, it should be sure; the amount gained should be sound, even if the extent of it is not great; but, of course, unless followed by a good deal of reading, it is to be feared it will not be very lasting; however, this can only be decided by experience; and even if not very fully lasting, the training, the study, the effort, are all educational, and tend to a keener taste for Irish History, Music, &c., &c. It is certain that if it is to remain it must be kept up by considerable practice in conversation, recitation, or reading and writing.

The other extra branch of any importance is Mathematics, which is making some progress since the separation of algebra from geometry. Several schools have made a beginning, and I expect a good many will take up those valuable branches, so necessary to all progress in higher work of art or science.

A few schools presented a few pupils in French, chiefly the Model schools, and with very fair success.

I give here the observations of Mr. Smyth under these heads:

"Irish is taught in about thirty schools in this section, Mathematics in about ten, and French in one or two. In the case of Irish, it is taught in ten or twelve schools by an extern teacher from the Gaelic League, in other cases by the teachers of the respective schools. Some of the teachers who had not a certificate have dropped it since the regulation that a certificate was required came into force. I cannot say whether it is likely to do much good or not, the district being altogether English-speaking; Irish can only be acquired as a foreign language.

"I have visited nearly all the schools in which Mathematics and French are being taught whilst the work was going on, and I have usually found fair or good progress. I have suggested that as much as possible of the work should be done on paper, and that the exercises should be regularly dated and I have also required that the amount of work done from month to month in the extra subject should appear in the Progress Book.

"In spite of this I find an examination at the end of the course very useful in order to ensure that the work is thorough and the whole course covered. In several cases I have found the extra subject rolls not marked up to date when I called."

"There were eleven Evening schools in my section last year, but these have decreased to six this year. There are several reasons for this decline in numbers. In the first place the novelty of many of the night schools is wearing away. As in other things, a great many pupils commence with the best intentions, but have not sufficient perseverance of character to stick at the thing long enough to effect a permanent improvement. A second cause is that day school pupils are not this year permitted to be counted also as night scholars, and many small struggling schools could not make an average of ten without them. This is the most potent cause of diminution in this district. Nearly all the night schools commenced at the beginning of this session, but a week or two sufficed to show the teachers that it was hopeless to expect an average of ten

!

for the session, and one after another they closed. Another reason for Dr. the decline in the number of schools this year is that there are more SKEFFINGTON, restrictions on the schools than formerly, two advanced subjects have Evening to be taught to ensure a full fee, and rolls have to be marked earlier schools. than last year. With regard to the marking of the rolls, I visited a number of the schools incidentally, timing myself to arrive a short time after the rolls should have been completed, and I seldom found them completed in time. I cannot say that I have met with many good night schools. The idea seems to be too prevalent that the end and aim of them is to add a few pounds each year to the teachers' income. I do not say for a moment that he doesn't deserve all he gets, and gives good value for it too, but what I miss is an air of thoughtfulness as to how to benefit, in the best manner, the pupils who come to him, usually eager and anxious to learn, and more preparation for work, so that the pupils may get the maximum value for the time they spend with him. In a few of the really useful and well-conducted Night schools I have met, the regular attendance of the pupils for the entire session was most marked, whereas in most schools the attendance falls away after the first month, and gradually dwindles to the end of the session. In one case, this year, the teacher closed at the end of fortyfive nights, as he computed that he would make as much out of the forty-five nights, with his fairly large attendance, as he would out of seventy nights with a constantly decreasing attendance.

For, in a
He makes

"I think that some form of Progress Record is quite essential in a night school, much more so indeed than in a day school. night school there is no programme to guide the teacher. his own programme, and without a Progress Record it is impossible to know what has been done during the session.

"The regulation that debarred day school pupils from being also reckoned as night school pupils was a good one. One could never, in the case of such pupils, say whether they had learnt anything at all at the night school, and as they were generally the most forward pupils in the schools it was a difficult matter, when they were mixed with the bona fide night school pupils, to determine what progress the latter had been making. As a rule I do not believe that illiterates profit very much from night schools. Usually they do not number more than one or two, and the teacher cannot spare the time to give them very much attention. The session is also too short for them to improve very preceptibly unless they are unusually talented and anxious to learn. From having visited the night schools, incidentally as well as for the final report. I am thoroughly convinced that an incidental visit, early in the session, is of much use to the schools.

I have not much to add to the very full and important remarks made by Mr. Smyth, as above quoted, as he has visited. most of the evening schools.

We have all found a great falling off in the number of evening schools. In the west section only two have been operative, only three in the east, and in the north only six; a great contrast with the previous year's numbers, and especially as some teachers added considerably to their incomes by this means. It is, of course, severe and troublesome to teachers after a hard day's work, especially in dark, wet weather, and not having proper lighting and heating provided. Besides, teachers find the school-rooms and premises suffer much from any evening meetings in schools, and so the day-school work becomes considerably upset.