training were apparent at next visit, in the orderly method of conducting the business, the Assistant's skill in examining upon the passage read, the extent of attainment in Etymology and English Grammar, and in the evidence generally of diligence and judgment in the use of the knowledge acquired in Edinburgh. The Report concludes, "The result of this visit is very satisfactory, and affords abundant evidence of the propriety of the means used by the Trustees to enforce an improvement of the English tuition. The Teacher and Assistant are both sensible of the great benefit which the former obtained, and which the school is now deriving, from his visit to Edinburgh. The reserved dividend should now be remitted."

for 1842, it

In 18-, a new Teacher was found at who had attended the Normal School in Edinburgh for some time, and the Report bears, "That the fruits of his experience there are manifest in the admirable training of the young children." In the report of the school of was remarked, that the Teacher "visited Edinburgh in 1839 and 1840, and entered himself as a pupil at the Sessional School for a fortnight. He is sensible of benefit from it, and certainly his school gives strong evidence of much faithful and judicious work."

In like manner, the Assistant-teacher at having attended the Normal School in Edinburgh, as recommended, the Report of 1843 bears, that "this school is in a promising and satisfactory condition, having more appearance of accurate

methods adopted and persevered in, than perhaps any other yet seen on this route."

Shorter visits even than those mentioned above, will generally, where the visitors bring unprejudiced minds, serve at least the purpose of satisfying them, that such improvements as are usually recommended are practicable; and the establishment of that conviction is a great point gained.

The advantages enjoyed by a Teacher who has had favourable opportunities of being trained, and of imbibing the spirit of his office, appears in every department, even the most common of his work. "A strong evidence of Mr. 's heart being in his work, is his perfect knowledge of every thing about the details of the school. He gave me at once all the numbers engaged on the different branches-for which it is in general necessary to wait till most tedious computations are gone

over."

CHAPTER XVIII.

CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOLS WITH RESPECT TO QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION.

GENERAL EXAMPLES-PRESBYTERIAL REPORTS.

THE preceding chapters contain every thing which it appears material to remark regarding the method of teaching the different branches.

It has already been observed, that a general improvement, since the date of the former Report, is discernible throughout the schools; and there are, indeed, few of them which have not been carried forward, in some degree, by the spirit of increasing intelligence which has recently prevailed on the subject of Education. It would of course be difficult to define, with absolute precision, the exact measure of excellence which every school has attained; but the Clerk has carefully examined the whole reports of his visitation of schools from the beginning, and the following

is the result of as accurate an estimate as circumstances permit to be made with respect to the entire number of Schoolmasters embraced by the Bequest, and in office in the year 1843.

The foregoing view, while it leaves room to desire an increase in the number of the two higher orders, may be considered so far satisfactory, when compared with the classification, made in last Report, of 134 schools seen in 1833 and 1834. At

that period, improved methods were found in full operation in Partially in Not at all in

7

48

79

134

A considerable number of Extracts from the Clerk's Notes had been prepared with a view to their insertion here as "General Examples," illustrative of the progress and condition of the schools. The size to which the Report has already swelled, however, and the number of examples already presented-although these also form but a limited and abbreviated portion of those originally designed for illustrations of the various heads-forbid the introduction of the whole additional examples selected accordingly, such only are now given as the observations at page 99 have rendered it indispensable to insert, or as relate to points not illustrated by previous citations. Some of the points particularised at page 99 are not indeed illustrated by the following extracts; but it is sufficient for the exemplification of these points to refer to the other quotations already adduced.

(110.)

"This School is now pervaded by what cannot be well brought out on the separate subjects-viz. a general spirit of order and intelligence, which is a strong evidence that the presiding mind is properly qualified to control and direct; that the Teacher is, in fact, a good disciplinarian, not according to the vulgar use of that term, which means a good thrasher, but in the true sense of knowing both what to teach and how to dispose the pupil's mind to acquire it.