imperfectly; and the instances are not frequent of a tendency to violate that principle. In several schools, on the other hand, there is a laudable desire to ascend in the scale of instruction at a rate commensurate with the advancing years and capacities of the pupils. Specimens of such tuition are given in the chapter relating to Bible Teaching, and more of the same character might be added.* At the school of, in 1838, a class was found in Universal History, taught with much intelligence, under the immediate influence of the minister. Astronomy is taught at, and composition at various schools,—the school libraries, which have been introduced into several parishes, being made subservient to this object, by requiring the pupils to make a written abstract of what they read, or to correspond with one another regarding it. At the pupils are required to write narratives from memory, after hearing them read. * The attention of the Teachers may advantageously be called to Mr. Sharon Turner's Sacred History of the Creation, a work replete with information in every department of knowledge connected with the structure and natural history of the world, and the physical and moral condition of man, and which presents a realisation, to a considerable extent, of what is elsewhere referred to as a desideratum, viz. an exhibition of the phenomena of nature, the discoveries of science, and the stores of literature in connection with natural and revealed religion. This work could not fail to furnish interesting materials for instruction of a higher grade to the more advanced pupils ; and it were perhaps a good service to the cause of education, to compress its substance into a Text Book, available by its size and price for general use in schools. The useful exercise of writing to dictation is practised in some schools, and, in others, the conversion of poetry into prose. Music has been introduced, with pleasing success, at Fraserburgh, and is also practised in Alves, Cruden, Duffus, Gamrie, Old Machar, St. Fergus, Tough, and perhaps other schools which have not been noted. The Returns, it will be observed, (Appendix A.) exhibit an increase in the number of pupils learning Mathematics; but it will be kept in view, that it is chiefly the practical branches of Trigonometry and Mensuration which are cultivated, and that comparatively few study the pure Mathematics. There is also a marked increase in the study of French. In Greek alone is there a decrease, and it does not appear from what cause this has arisen. CHAPTER METHOD OF TEACHING.-MUTUAL INSTRUCTION. Discordant Opinions as to Monitorial System-Rev. E. Feild's Objections-Dr. Diesterweg's Opinion-Examination of Opposing Views -Influence of years important in a Teacher-Monitors may be employed, not in place of Schoolmaster, but as subsidiary to himHis influence still to pervade the School-Results-1. External Arrangements advantageously committed to Pupils-2. Mutual questioning by Contemporaneous Pupils should be limited to things precise and certain-3. Higher Exercises to be intrusted only to Monitors of sufficient age and experience-4. Teacher himself still actively to superintend-Examples. THE opinions promulgated of late years upon the subject of Mutual Instruction, or the Monitorial System, are of a contradictory complexion ; and it may be useful to consider for a moment the conflicting views. The Rev. Edward Feild, Inspector of Nationa] Schools, in his "Report on the State of Parochial Education in the Diocese of Worcester,' "* writes as follows: * Printed in the 30th Report of the National Society. 1841. "With respect to the Monitorial System in gross, whether on the Lancastrian or Bell's plan, I must honestly confess its defects have become more apparent and painful to me from more extended observation. The necessity which seems laid upon us, in the present day, of instructing in schools all the children of our charge, has, I suppose, reconciled people to the only system which can enable us to accomplish this end. Such general instruction it is impossible, with the few competent teachers, and otherwise scanty means, which we possess, to communicate in any other way than by using the children themselves as instruments and helps in teaching. Education, however, it positively and clearly is not. Nay, in many respects, it is, so to speak, the very reverse. It reverses the order of nature, which supposes and requires that the youthful mind should be furnished by minds already furnished, and that the teacher should speak with authority -an authority not merely of a questionable superiority in knowledge, but derived also from age, experience, and station-that authority which God allows and gives. There are doubtless some redeeming points in the Monitorial System. The chief cause and excuse of its introduction, I have already said, is its economy-that, by the assistance of his monitors, who are themselves scholars, one master may perform the work of ten or twenty, and, as far as the mere communication of information is concerned, the economy may be just and real. A great deal may be effected at very small cost. The cost is reduced to a minimum. The monitor himself, also, is to a certain extent improved and advanced in habits of order, regularity, and government, which are, no doubt, of considerable benefit to him, though there is danger, on the other side-yet perhaps not much danger under a tolerably efficient superintendentof his becoming arrogant and selfish. What more may be said in favour or excuse of this system, is, that children can perform the mere drudgery of mechanical instruction, and bring their fellows on to a certain extent of knowledge, and fitted for the superior lessons, intellectual or moral, of the master or clergyman. But what if, in any case, -as it is and must be in many of the populous towns-what if, even in the Sunday school, (as I witnessed with pain in one town, though I am happy to say in only one,) this Monitorial System, in its most unmitigated form, should be the only method of instruction? The amount of instruction will, of course, be very small and incomplete, but a worse evil than the want of sufficient instruction will be the want of any education. "These remarks, I hope, will be taken and applied, only as they are made, in reference to large schools on the purely Monitorial plan; schools, for example, of 100 boys and upwards, with only one master, and all his monitors and teachers taken from the classes, and themselves scholars in turn. The evils spoken of are mitigated either by a diminution of the number of scholars, the average age remaining the same, or by the addition of |