attendance at our Public Schools throughout the Province is of a most serious character, and demands immediate and stringent legislation for its removal." (Carried).

The following is a summary of the paper prepared by Mr. Fotheringham on the important question of School Attendance. Doctor Ryerson speaks of the 38,535 who entered no School in 1871, as "an ominous and humiliating item" in our School Statistics, he neither uses too strong language, nor does he exaggerate the figures. To show the probable return from our School expenditure, I have made several comparative estimates of work done in Cities, Towns, and Villages on the one hand, and in Counties on the other, and do not find the one much more satisfactory than the other; but as it may be urged that Private Schools and Academies in Cities, etcetera, may make the percentage of attendance or non-attendance on instruction which I may bring forward less reliable, I shall confine myself to statistics of Counties for the present; and, I fear, we shall find items "ominous and humiliating" beyond what most. have dreamt of. The School population of Ontario, (from five to sixteen), in the Counties in 1871, was 392,559; we may, as ascertained by facts and calculations, add one-fourth of this number to itself to get the population from five to twenty-one. This will give us 490,700 in the Counties. The number, of all ages, that entered School in 1871 was 358,895. This leaves 131,804, or 27 per cent., of the School population that did not enter any Public School at all! Again, nearly 40,000 attended less than twenty days in the year; and over 73,000 attended under fifty days. All the education these 133,000 children could get in twenty or even fifty days amounts to nothing. We may, therefore, add over 22 per cent. more to the number deriving no benefit from the educational opportunities provided by the Public Schools. Altogether, therefore, nearly 50 per cent. of our young people are not being educated at the Public Schools. But in addition, over 95,000 in the Counties attended under one hundred days, and 76,000 attended under one hundred and fifty days. We may, therefore, set down 171,000, or 34 per cent. more, as being only imperfectly educated, if regular attendance can be the test. 53,639 attended from one hundred and fifty to two hundred days, and 18,608 attended over two hundred days. If these represent regular attenders and successful Students, we have nearly 15 per cent. of the School population taking full advantage of the provision needful for popular instruction. To summarize, we have over 244,000 young people reaping little, or no, advantage from our Public Schools; we have over 171,000 taking only partial advantage; whilst only 72,247 are attending full, or nearly full, time; 50 per cent. getting little or no education; over 34 per cent. being imperfectly instructed; and 15 per cent., or 72,000 being educated at an annual cost of $1,383,340. What have we to say for "this Canada of ours" now? "Whither are we drifting?" Have we not been playing "School" like children, only on a gigantic scale? Have we not been working blindfold? Self-blinded? We have borrowed and purchased on all hands. It seems a matter of fact that our Free Schools have brought with them more irregularity and indifference than were apparent under the Rate-bill System. That does not imply that Free Schools are a failure. It only proves that the necessary concomitants were not provided when the Free School System was introduced. Now, we think the figures given above answer in the affirmative the question: Our Educational System has failed, and terribly failed. Take, if you will, any ten young men or women, at random, who have taken a regular and ordinary Course at a Public School, and how many of them will you find intelligent, fluent and correct in reading, speaking, and writing? Not more than one. Hardly that. Not only do children attend irregularly, but the instruction given has been mostly unattractive, vague, inaccurate and valueless as a training, or foundation. The causes of this "ominous and humiliating" state of matters I conceive to be, the indifference of Parents, the frequent change of Teachers, the unattractive and uncomfortable condition of School Houses, the employment of cheap Teachers, and great distances from School, as well as lack of Text Books, Maps, and Apparatus. To remedy the great evil, irregular attendance, our Legislature should enact a more stringent Law of Compulsory Attendance, with provision for the appointment of a Truant Officer in every Municipality, whose duty it would be to report all

Parents who do not send all children from seven to ten years old for six months in the year to School, and all from ten to fifteen for ten months. School Houses should be made as comfortable and cheerful as homes. Filth, disorder, rudeness, should not be associated with the idea of the day-home of the children. They should have the means of social and intellectual enjoyment provided as religiously as the birch has been in the past. It is a shame, a disgrace, the way in which children are huddled, tortured and smothered in most of our Schools even yet,-dirt on the Floors, dirt on the Doors and Walls, dust on the desks, dust on the Sills, on the Maps, the Windows,—Outhouses exposed often, and often unfit to use, Play-ground unsuitable, often muddy, uneven, exposed,—no Shade Trees, no Play-shed,-nothing but dreary, tiresome days, theirs at School. And why should not the first question be, "How shall we secure a good Teacher for the longest time?" A good Teacher is worth his weight every year in silver, if not in gold. A good Salary and a good home would make it easy, as a general thing, to get and keep such a man. Education should not be a peradventure. A definite end, the thorough and universal education of the rising generation, with the necessary means, should be made sure, so far as these are at the disposal of the Country. The number from Counties, Cities, Towns and Villages who entered all Colleges, High Schools, and Private Schools in 1871, was 16,000, or about three per cent. of the County population, so that if we suppose two-thirds of these to be County Pupils, and two thirds of those to attend regularly, we have still under seventeen per cent. likely to be thoroughly grounded in Education. The conclusion, however startling and however unlooked for, must, therefore, be faced:-We are expending all, or nearly all, our energies on less than half of our population, and the rest are growing up in ignorance, and preparing a harvest of crime and shame for our Country.*

High School Section.-The following is a summary of the proceedings of the High School section of the Convention, which consists of High School Masters: -A Resolution was offered recommending the omission of History as a test for admission of Pupils to High Schools, but, on an intimation having been received from the Education Office, that this amendment to the Examination scheme had already been entertained, and probably approved of by the Central Examiners, the Resolution was withdrawn. The Mr. J. H. Hunter moved, High School Regulations were considered and discussed.

and Mr. Wm. Houston seconded, "That it is the unanimous opinion of this Section that the 22nd Regulation, which relates to the re-examination of Pupils for Admission to High Schools and Collegiate Institutes, should be withdrawn." (Carried). Mr. Tamblyn moved, seconded by Mr. J. B. Dixon, that they recommend that all Boards of Examiners for the admission of Pupils into the High Schools and Collegiate Institutes, accept the Papers of the Council of Public Instruction for the examination in October next, which was carried. Mr. D. C. Sullivan moved, Mr. J. H. Hunter seconded, that the High School Examination Papers ought to be transmitted to the Chairmen of the several High School Boards, as the proper presiding Officers of the Boards of High School Examiners, and that all duties assigned in these Regulations to the Inspectors as presiding Officers should devolve on the Chairman of the High School Board. (Carried). Mr. G. C. McGregor moved, and Mr. J. H. Hunter seconded, that Section Nine of the Regulations, which refers to the consent of Parents, should be omitted as unnecessary. (Carried). Mr. McGregor moved, seconded by Mr. J. Scott, that Section 13 be amended so as to read, "That four Examinations for the admission of Pupils into High Schools be held, and that the said Examinations be held two weeks after the commencement of each Term." (Carried). Mr. T. Turnbull moved, and Mr. H. Strong seconded, "That Section 19 of the Regulations be amended as follows:-The attendance of Candidates at a High School or Collegiate Institute will not be credited in making the Apportionment to such School, or Institute, unless their admission be favourably reported on by the High School Inspectors, as being agreeable to the Regulations; but the Head

*This strong bill of indictment against the practical working of our School System was drawn up by one o our most experienced Inspectors of Schools. It was too true: but by degrees, the operation of the improved School Laws of 1871 had the effect of greatly lessening the evils complained of.

Master of the High School shall have the power to admit Pupils provisionally until the first Entrance Examination thereafter." (Carried).

High School Bill.-Mr. McGregor moved, seconded by Mr. J. Scott, "That the Section of the High School Bill which provides for the transfer of the powers of the High School Boards to Municipal Corporations, ought to be expunged." (Carried).

It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Hunter, seconded by Mr. McGregor, "That in all intended changes in the Regulations of the Council, at least six months' public notice be given of said changes." Mr. Scott moved, and Mr. Crozier seconded, "That in the opinion of this Section the High School Bill should provide for each High School a District based on a minimum assessment capable of maintaining it in a state of efficiency." (Carried). Messrs. McMurchy, Hunter and Oliver were chosen to form a Committee to present to the Council of Public Instruction and to the Government the views of the Association, as expressed in the Resolutions passed. The Association closed their Session by singing "God save the Queen."-Globe and Mail Reports.

Township Boards.-At the recent Meeting of the Middlesex Teachers' Association the following Resolution was passed: -"Resolved, that, from the unsatisfactory manner in which local Boards of School Trustees advance the cause of Education, the Teachers of the East Riding of Middlesex would recommend the formation of Township Boards in place of the local School Sections, the same having proved beneficial to the Townships which have already adopted such Boards."

BEST METHOD OF TEACHING GEOGRAPHY AND ARITHMETIC.

At the monthly Meeting of the South Hastings Teachers' Association, held in Belleville, in March, Doctor Sangster, late Head Master of the Normal School, said that perhaps no subject was so mistaught as Geography, because Pupils were taught words and not things, and therein lay one of the most common errors of Teachers. One fault was in allowing them to learn by rote from Text Books, and another was that they were introduced to Maps before they understood Map notation, and then when the Map is introduced it is taught and nothing else. Don't begin to teach a Map, (he said), until the Pupils are prepared for it. They should be thoroughly prepared by a proper course of training, such as examining the Physical Features of the Country near the School. Cuitivate the observation of the Pupils, have them notice the difference in the length of the day and night at different times of the year, and the different seasons, where the Sun rises and where it sets; teach them the Cardinal points. They should not be taught from the Maps before eight or nine years of age. Teachers should always try to lead them from the known to the unknown. Thus you have the idea of a brook in the child's mind, lead them to think of larger streams; you have given him the idea of a Plain, teach him to think of boundless Plains covered with tall grass, and you have placed in his mind the idea of Prairies, and the Pond multiplied by thousands becomes a Lake. After thoroughly drilling in this manner, proceed to teach them the definitions in as practical a form as possible. The most successful Class he ever taught was one that he allowed to form the Continents, Islands, etcetera, in a Field, adjoining the old Model School, which was temporarily flooded with water. A very good plan was to have a quantity of sand and having spread it smoothly over a portion of the shed floor, to the depth of half an inch, let them trace out the form of the Continents, etcetera, removing the sand to represent bodies of water, piling it up to indicate Mountains,-topping the higher of these with Salt, or Flour, to represent Snow, and neatly labelling each locality with its proper name. Such Map drawing as this, even if roughly done is infinitely more valuable, as a means of teaching, than that projected on paper with scale and compass and pencil. The sympathy of numbers and the charm of seeing the Physical Features of a Continent grow under their moulding hands give to the exercise an impressiveness it could not otherwise possess. Take a Black-board, lay it on the floor, and with the Class around you draw a Plan of the School Room, have the children locate the different things in it, such as where 15a-xxv

the Teacher's Desk is, and the Stove; then place it on the Wall, or set it up with the north side uppermost, the bottom south, etcetera. In another place draw on the same size a plan of the School Yard, also a plan of the School Section, and the Township, and thus they get the idea of a scale of miles fixed on their minds. Then teach them Map notation, they are then ready for the Maps. The best plan is to begin with our own County first and then those next to us. It will take probably two years before they are ready for the Maps. While learning Map notation and the definitions, etcetera, a series of familiar lessons may be given on the principal Countries, Cities, etcetera, without reference to Maps or any attempt at exact location. Thus Arabia, Brazil, Egypt, India, London, Paris, New York, the Nile, the Arctic regions, etcetera, may be pictured out in words aided, if possible, by pictorial illustrations, so that when the child subsequently meets with these and other names they are to him something more than mere words. After having gone over the Map of North America, take the Map of the World, and then the other Continents, after which return to the Map of our own Country, and after having taught it very minutely, take up the Map of the United States, as that after our own, is physically the most important to us. One great difficulty that the Teacher meets with, is to make the Pupils understand various lines drawn upon the Map and their uses. The best plan is to take a Black Globe, and placing a chalk mark on it, ask the Pupils to describe its position. They at once perceive that they can only say it is on the Globe. If our two opposite points be taken for the Poles, they can say it is nearer one, or the other, when the Globe is spun round on its Poles, and the Equator described, they can say it is north, or south, of the Equator. The first and other Meridians and the Parallels of Latitude are then drawn and the Pupils have been led to see their necessity in order to localize places, clearly understand their importance and uses. Teach them that these lines are only imaginary, and are not upon the Earth. Teach Physical, before Political, Geography; the Teacher should thoroughly understand the Map before he commences to teach it, so as to be able to point without more than merely glancing at it. He should endeavour to have his eyes fixed upon the Class so that they can do nothing unless he is conscious of it. Be very careful to drill them carefully and thoroughly upon what they have been over, repeat and review constantly. Take imaginary trips through the Country, or to distant part of the World, and have the Pupil name the places he would have to pass on his journey. Take occasionally the commercial column of a seaport Newspaper, and drill upon that; have them tell what the Vessels would bring from another Country, and what they carry in return. Thus the Teacher who is really alive to his work, may make Geography the romance of the School Room. In regard to Arithmetic, Doctor Sangster said that Arithmetic was one of the most important subjects we have to teach, and is very frequently mistaught. Teachers are frequently very short-sighted in this matter, as their reputation as a good, or bad, Teacher follows them, and from selfpreservation, if nothing else, they should try to teach Arithmetic well. They should ask the Inspector to visit and examine their Pupils and classify them, when they enter a new School. Very many Schools are superficially taught, and only to show well at an examination. He said he frequently found those who said that they have been through the Arithmetic two or three times, but who could not write down numbers with any degree of accuracy. He thought Scholars should never go through the Arithmetic but once, being thoroughly drilled on what they had gone over. If he had a Class to teach. five hours he would give three to review, and two to actual progress. Teachers should try and remember their own difficulties when they were learning these same Rules and perhaps they would have more patience with the little ones. Teach the advanced Classes to work for themselves. For small children Arithmetic should be divested of all technicalities, and never ask too much theory from them, as children frequently understand things which they cannot explain. The first thing is to teach them to count; for this purpose the Teachers should be provided with a Numeral Frame; have them count Pebbles or the panes of glass in the windows; next write down the numbers on the Black-board as far as one hundred, then have them read and afterwards copy

them down. He believed that if all our Text Books were in one great pile, and holocaust made of them, it would be a good thing for the young of our Country. By aid of the Numeral Frame teach them to add by twos, so that they can count as far as one hundred in this manner. They should be thoroughly drilled in these things as they proceed. Repetition without cessation should be the Teacher's motto. Never allow them to resort to counting on their fingers or the notches in their slate frames, or by marks. After learning to count by twos, then take three, four, five, etcetera, as high as nine. As they proceed, give them questions on the Black-board to be added up without spelling them over. In teaching Subtraction teach them to count backward from 100, by ones, twos, threes, etcetera. He then proceeded to give very simple methods of explaining to the Pupils the process of carrying in Addition, and borrowing in Subtraction. As soon as they can add and subtract, give practical questions involving both Rules; one great fault with Teachers is that they do not give enough practical questions. If they have been drilled well upon the Addition Table they will have no difficulty in learning the Multiplication Table. Be very sure they are well posted in all the Arithmetical Tables. Many Teachers find great difficulties in teaching Long Division; the best way is to teach them to do the same sum by both Long and Short Divisions, showing the child that in Long Division we put down what we do mentally in Short Division. In teaching Tables of Weights and Measures each School should be furnished with a set of Weights, Balances and Measures. For long Measure have the child count the number of inches in a foot; measure a Yard for the child, also a Perch and Furlong; for Avoirdupois, let his see that one ounce will balance sixteen drams, and one pound sixteen ounces; for Square Measure use cardboard and mark off a square foot, then divide it into square inches and let them count them, they thus learn the numbers of Square Inches in a Square Foot; also mark a Square Yard and Square Perch, show them where the one-quarter of a yard comes from in the 301 Square Yards that go to make up the Perch. For Dry Measure, use sand, and let them fill a Pint Measure and pour it in a Quart Measure, by this method the child becomes practically acquainted with the different Weights and Measures in use. which is the only true method of teaching them. Insist upon all the work being done neatly, as frequently mistakes are made by the careless manner in which the work is put down. Fractions come next, and he would recommend that the Teacher take an Apple, or something that can be easily divided into parts, and, by cutting in two equal parts show them that two halves equal a whole, and then by dividing again that four quarters make two halves, or one whole; in this manner they can with very little trouble be made to understand that these parts may be added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. Of course they should be thoroughly drilled in the Mental Arithmetic in all the Rules as they proceed In answer to Mr. Irwin, he said he would have as few Arithmetic Classes as possible, and that he would rather have three than five in a School. Professor Macoun asked which Classes should the best Teacher teach, the smaller, or more advanced, Classes. The Doctor, in reply, said he would say the smallest Classes, by all means.

The most important branch of all is Reading; he doubted the propriety of introducing new Studies, and he would rather have seen the numbers lessened than made greater. The child who knows how to read intelligently can acquire the other Studies of himself. Very few understand how to teach reading intelligently to beginners. Intelligence in reading is the great desideration. There are five different methods of taching reading, the Alphabetic, Phonic, Phonetic, Look and Say, and Rational methods. The Alphabetic method was in vogue in the time of our Grandmothers. This system is wrong, because the names of the letters of a word do not give you the sound of that word. Children learn words as a whole, and not in parts. The Phonic system is an improvement on the old method, and is employed in Germany, where all the letters are sounded. The Look and Say method teaches, first, the Alphabet, then Words, and lastly Spelling. It, however, makes the mistake of not giving any method of finding out new words. The Rational method takes the Tablets, or better still, prints the