APPENDIX E. SYNOPSIS OF PRINCIPAL CHANGES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SYSTEM IN JAMAICA 1867-97. 1867.-Introduction of the system. All schools aided (except industrial) were required to charge fees. Schools were awarded marks on examination up to a maximum of 84. Those with two-thirds of the possible maximum or over called first class, one-half to two-thirds second, and one-third to one-half third. This proportion required for each of the principal subjects, reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as in the aggregate. Age limits, four to seventeen. Grants : First class schools received 20l. and 6s. per unit of average. Second 15%, and 58. 107. and 48. Sewing 3s. per unit of average at sewing class. Industrial schools, in which three school hours a day were devoted to manual labour on a regular system, £10, £7 10s., or £5. 1870.-Building grants given for new schools. Government Training College opened and Mico College subsidised. 1873.-Industrial schools required to give only two school hours to manual labour. Grants to these schools as above, and in addition 3s., 2s. 6d. or 28. per unit of average. 1875.-Grants to industrial schools reduced. Grants to 1st class schools made 8s. per mark instead of the sum of £20. 1877. Grants given to pupil teachers of £4, £5 and £6 for the first, second and third year of service respectively, subject to their passing an examination by means of printed cards at the time the schools they were employed in were inspected. Grants to schoolmasters for instructing them out of school hours, £3 for one, £4 10s. for two, and £1 10s. for each additional pupil teacher. 1878.-Grants to industrial schools discontinued. 1879.-Grant of £15 given for each resident student in a voluntary training college on his passing an annual examination. 1881.-Teachers convicted of any offence against morality not permitted to take employment in Government aided schools. (Restoration possible after one year at least.) Only 144 days out of the 180 school days in the year required to be taken for calculating average attendance. (As many as 36 days, when attendance was exceptionally low owing to severe weather or other causes, could thus be omitted.) Advances on account of the annual grants expected to be earned at next inspection made quarterly. 1882. Pupil teachers first examined in centres at a fixed date with papers that had not been used before. Fifty-nine examined. First Government examination of training colleges in December with freshly set papers. Twenty-six candidates. Grant of £7 given for each non-resident student at a voluntary training college on his passing the annual examination. Teachers admitted to third year training college examination. Certificates granted on the passing of the third year examination, to teachers at once, and to training college students after two years' successful work as teachers, with an accompanying payment of £10 in each case. Grants made to holders of certificates of £15, £10 or £5 according to the class of schools examined under them during the year. 1887.-An additional grant of £20 per annum paid monthly for each resident student under training at a voluntary training college. An additional grant of 10s. to each school on annual grant list for keeping clock in proper order, and for appliances. Voluntary candidates first admitted to pupil teachers' examinations on payment of a nominal fee of 2s. 6d. 1892. Passing of Elementary and Secondary Education Laws and appointment of Board of Education. Age limits made five to fourteen, infant schools and departments, three to ten. Governor given power to introduce compulsion locally or generally by proclamation. Advances to schools paid monthly instead of quarterly. Abolition of fees, substitution of grant of 48. per unit of average to be paid out of a special tax on houses. New schools not to be aided before being declared necessary by the Board of Education. Small scholarships given to best scholars from elementary schools tenable at secondary schools. Provision made for establishment of secondary schools under general control of Board of Education in places which were without adequate provision for secondary education. Scholarships of £10 to £60 a year given on results of Cambridge Local and London Matriculation Examinations. 1893. First Revised Code came into force. The main provisions as to grants were as follows: :- Schools under 80 in average attendance for every mark 15s. and 1d. per unit of average over 20. The whole of this grant to be paid to the principal teacher in the absence of a special agreement to the contrary. Schools of 80 in average attendance and over, £1 per mark, and 4s. to 6s. per unit of average attendance over 80, for additional remuneration to the principal teacher. Appliances grant, 6d. per unit of average attendance. Schools over 60 and with infant department Schools over 80 and not entitled to pupil teacher Schools over 100 and entitled to only one pupil£15 for additional teacher Schools over 120 and entitled to two pupil teachers Drawing-18. or 28. per scholar satisfactorily taught. woman teacher. Agriculture-Grants not exceeding £10, according to circumstances and value of work done. The principal changes not affecting grants were (1) the increase of the marks given for the principal subjects of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, from 12 to 18 each, or from 36 to 54 in the aggregate; and the reduction of them for the secondary subjects from 48 to 30: (2) the addition of elementary geometrical drawing to the curriculum of the schools; (3) the requirement that as far as practicable every school should have three managers; (4) the opening of a register of teachers, admission to which, except in the case of successful teachers of some standing, was to be regulated by examination; (5) the provision for the regular investigation, with the assistance when possible of disinterested managers, of charges of immorality and misconduct not otherwise established to the satisfaction of the Department; (6) the extension of the pupil teachers' course by one year; (7) provision for the admission of teachers for one year to training colleges; and (8) the introduction of regulations as to minimum school staff and floor space. 1895. Second Revised Code approved and brought into force. The changes were of slight importance. The marks for the principal subjects were reduced to 45, and those for the secondary subjects raised to 39. Detailed regulations were made as to the grants for agricultural teaching, which ranged from £1 to £10. It was provided that where handicrafts were properly taught a grant not exceeding £10 might be given. The appropriation of the grant of 4s. to 6s. per unit of average over 80, to the further remuneration of the principal teacher was discontinued, and it was allowed to be used for the general purposes of the school. First publication of the educational bulletin for the information of managers and teachers. [1900.-A number of important Articles in the New Code which came into force on May 10, 1900, will be found in the Supplementary Notes at the end of this Report.] APPENDIX F.* STANDARDS OF CLASSIFICATION DOWN TO THE NEW CODE, 1900. SCHEDULE A. STANDARDS OF CLASSIFICATION. All schools on the Annual Grant List will be examined according to these Standards. The maximum marks attainable will only be given at inspection when the whole of the subjects mentioned in the syllabus are taken, and when the school as a whole has attained to the highest degree of proficiency that would be possible under any teaching. Every lower degree of efficiency will receive a proportionately smaller number of marks, which may be fractional. Children in higher standards (chief subjects) or divisions (secondary subjects) may be examined in any of the subjects for lower standards or divisions as well as in their own. I. CHIEF SUBJECTS. [All scholars are required to be placed in the same classes in reading and writing; and the marks for arithmetic will be lower in proportion as this is not the case in that subject also. The inspector must be satisfied that the principles of arithmetic are properly taught in the school.] * Appendix F, with Appendices G and H, are necessary to an understanding of the educational system described in Mr. Capper's foregoing report and reviewed by the Jamaica Education Commission, 1898, in the report summarised below. The Courses of Study and Standards of Classification laid down by the New Code of May, 1900, will be found at the end of Part II, of this Report, |