New Subscriptions. The following Contributions from Parochial Associations, and Collections after Sermons, together with payments from new Subscribers and Donors, have been remitted to the Society during the past month. The Committee thankfully acknowledge these contributions, and trust that further support may be obtained for the Society in other localities by an extension of parochial efforts. Most parishes afford some evidence of the operations of the Society, and therefore its claims might with good effect be advocated, and additional means placed at the disposal of the Committee to carry on the work in which the Society has long been successfully engaged. The List is made up to the 20th December. α. 1 0 0 DIOCESE OF RIPON. Cooper, D. A. Esq. Huddersfield Bradbury, J. Esq. ditto (increased to) a. Copley. a. 2 2 0 Edmundson, Rev. G. Postlethwaite, Rev. J. Coatham Gann, Amos, Esq. . Organising Schools. The following is a farewell address from Mr. Flint (lately one of the Society's Organising Masters, and now Assistant Inspector of Schools in the Diocese of Lichfield) to the several Masters and Mistresses whose schools he organised in Guernsey. It contains a variety of practical suggestions which may be found useful in other localities. December 1st, 1855. MY DEAR FELLOW-LABOURERS,-The season has again returned in which, in obedience to instructions received from the Rev. the Secretary of the National Society and the President of the States Committee of Education in Guernsey, I have usually paid my annual visit to the schools under your care. This visit has always been to me a source of great pleasure. We have known each other for a considerable time, and I believe have had in view one object and one end. In meeting you all I have never failed to remember, that I was renewing my friendship with a body of teachers charged with the Christian education of nearly two thousand children. You are now perhaps aware that my labours with and among you have ceased. To another will probably be committed the duty which I have discharged. Be assured that I shall always look back upon our intercourse with feelings of sincere pleasure. It has not been of an ordinary kind. Seconded and cemented by the States Committee, it has enabled us to establish many useful plans; in fact, to mature a system. It is probable, that in the main features of this system, as connected with the management of the schools, their periodical examination, their course of studies, the examination of the pupil-assistants, and their stipends, the States Committee will not make any material alteration unless circumstances seem to demand it. You will thus be able to work with that persistency and fixedness of purpose which are so essential to progress and ultimate success. As it is likely this will be the last opportunity I shall have of addressing you collectively, I venture to make here a few parting remarks on the work in which we are all engaged. I have less hesitation in doing this, as I had intended to bring them before your notice at our usual Christmas gatherings. I. Religious Teaching.-Those who are confined year after year to one school are not so likely to be conscious of the existence of defects as those persons are who are daily brought into contact with different schools. These defects seem to suggest two points for consideration: 1. The necessity of adapting religious instruction to the future requirements of our pupils; and 2. The great importance of a reverent, quiet, and deliberate manner in a teacher at all times, but especially in the school. As to the first point, we must remember that we have to teach principles and motives, as well as facts. We are perhaps too apt to be satisfied if our pupils show an extensive and accurate knowledge of the facts of Old and New Testament history. This kind of knowledge tells most in an examination. undespolne por omit the facts of Scrinture history. Now we must not for one momant They have been treasured up for us by the Holy Spirit equally with the other portions of the sacred writings. In your schools they cannot well be overlooked, as you teach a certain portion of Old Testament history every year, and with it the circumstances of one of the three years of our blessed Lord's ministry. At the same time, it must be confessed that there is a higher kind of religious instruction. It may be called the preceptive and moral elements in Bible-teaching. On these we ought to dwell with the greatest solicitude whenever they occur in the course of our Scriptural reading with children. As examples, I may mention our Lord's Parables, His Sermon on the Mount, His own perfect moral character, His various precepts, His heart-stirring discourses, as well as the numerous promises, warnings, and threatenings recorded in Holy Scripture. All these have a more immediate and practical bearing on the thoughts, words, and actions of children in after-life than many other portions. Explained in easy language, they may, under God's blessing, touch the heart. We must never forget that the great point in religious teaching is principles-principles which shall tend to the formation of character and the regulation of the Christian life; not merely a knowledge of the facts of Scripture, to ensure the successful passing of an examination.* In teaching Scripture history it is well to bear this point in mind. Thus we may frequently classify under such moral heads as resignation, repentance, faith, obedience to God, contentment, obedience to parents, humility, &c., all the various examples of these we can find in Holy Scripture, as well as those of a contrary nature. The consequences to the individual of a strict conformity to the will of God, and of the opposite failing, ought in each case to be dwelt on. Permit me now to advert to another subject intimately connected with the wants of our children in after-life; I mean the precious nature of the memory in relation to sacred truth. The dim future is before us all, and we cannot say what is in store for us. There are few, very few of us, perchance, who will not at some period of our lives experience seasons of sickness or loneliness, of bodily agony or acute mental suffering, of sharp throbs of pain, of disappointments, losses, or bereavements. It is hard to have nothing garnered in the mind to fall back upon in such visitations. Those who have been confined many weary days to a bed of sickness, can bear testimony to the value of a psalm, a chapter, a hymn, or even a single text. The mind is drawn to it gently, and dwells on it, until, like the eye which often rests upon a picture of a great master, it discovers in it new beauties, new and surpassing excellencies. It follows, then, that children ought to store in their memories the most practical and soothing of the connected portions of Scripture. I may mention, as examples, the 23d, 51st, 103d, 121st, 130th, and 139th Psalms; the 14th and 15th chapters of St. John, the 13th and 15th of 1st Corinthians, &c. The most soothing and striking hymns also are valuable when treasured in the mind. I am of opinion that these things need not be learnt in the school. Children may learn them by heart at the fireside, and their parents can value such exercises, while many other subjects are beyond them. These things, so stored in the memory, should be written out from memory on slates in school by the pupils, and be corrected. This silent work of reproducing in writing whatever has been learnt by heart is very advantageous. It impresses the subject on children's minds, makes them self-recollected, tends to produce a quiet school, and sets the teacher at liberty to teach more in the junior classes. 2. A reverent, quiet, and deliberate manner is most important to us all when engaged with the young. Verbosity and harshness of voice and manner seldom have a good effect. They frequently subvert discipline. Children are strongly influenced by their teacher's manner. Their eyes follow him as he goes about the room, they read his face as they do a book, and narrowly watch the varying dispositions of his countenance. This delicacy of perception in them seems to be intuitive. They are wonderfully quick, too, in imitation. If their teacher is nervously restless, talkative, noisy, or flippant, they are almost sure to reflect him in their behaviour. As I have thus touched upon the subject of discipline, I may remark, that I know a school in which the pupils always speak in whispers, except when they read or answer questions; and they are only allowed to speak thus to each other at the change of lessons, for about two minutes at a time. During lessons they preserve a strict silence among themselves. I need not say that in such a school the teacher works without discomfort and distraction. Frequent pauses during the day for perfect silence have a soothing effect upon a school. I have always been of opinion that little can be done in a school in the way of instruction until good discipline has been established. "A place and time for every thing, and every thing according to its place and time," is an admirable rule in school-keeping; but it must not be broken through. II. The necessity of attending to reading, as the subject next in importance to reli * Twelve or fifteen verses are generally sufficient for a single Scriptural lesson. Bible-lessons ought not to be made mere reading-lessons; their object is religious instruction. Reading-lessons should be given from secular books. gious teaching, is a point which I beg to bring before your notice. Unless our pupils read with fluency, intelligence, and expression, they cannot enjoy books, neither can they carry on in after-life the educational process begun in the school. By reading each sentence ourselves aloud out of the secular book, then letting one of the pupils read it in his turn, and afterwards the whole class, in a subdued voice, we may, I think, do much to improve the bad style of reading which is now so common in our elementary schools. Every difficult word must, of course, be selected and explained. The pupils may be required to give another as much like it in meaning as possible. It is generally a good plan to let pupils con silently for a quarter of an hour the portion they will afterwards read with the teacher. You have probably found that junior classes learn faster by reading each sentence three or four times over before going on to another. It is a good plan to let them read it the first time, so as to individualise the words; that is to say, to allow each child in turn to say a single word. In conducting a school it should be our object to hear every class read once in the day. Next to writing, reading is the only thing of which parents can judge. If they ever inquire into what their children are doing at school, the usual question is, "Did your master hear you read to day?" They do not value the school if the reading is taken by others than the teacher. I have always been of opinion that schools require a periodical impetus in reading. Once a month, or perhaps more frequently, there may be what we may term a “reading-day." On this day some of the other subjects can be omitted to afford longer time for reading in each class. Generally speaking, grammar ought to be connected with secular reading in the higher classes. It is a more useful and intellectual study than geography, though not so showy and interesting. Without some knowledge of grammar children cannot very well understand the difference between "where" and ". were, ," "too" and "to," "the" and "thee," and the like; neither can they write correctly from memory nor express in writing what they know about persons, events, places, and objects. Writing from memory, and writing on prescribed subjects, should be done in all except infant-schools. III. The classification of pupils is very defective in some schools. It is frequently made according to size and age. The following appears to be the best method of classification 1. Those who learn the alphabet; 2. Those who read monosyllables; 3. Those who read monosyllables mixed with a few more difficult words; and 4. The best readers. The first and second classes may be re-classified for arithmetic; but in order that this may be done, their arithmetical lessons should come at the same time. As I have spoken of arithmetic, I may observe that the application of this subject to matters of daily business, and not ability to work mere abstract sums, is the object we should have in view in our arithmetical instruction. The National Society has published a small penny book of questions called Examples in Arithmetic, Part I., by the Rev. W. N. Griffin. There is a second part to the work, which is in a separate form, and commences with Reduction. IV. Time-tables are matters of necessity in school-work; but they should be drawn up according to certain principles. It will never do for us to put down subjects in any order. We must place the religious instruction, reading, and arithmetic so that we may take it ourselves as much as possible. Every class, too, must be kept constantly at work. The junior classes ought to come in for a share of reading and religious instruction from the teacher. I beg to give, as an appendix to this letter, a time-table for four classes, much like those you use at present. V. The respectful behaviour of children is a subject of great moment. It should ever be our object to check a harsh and uncouth bearing. Our pupils should be made to bow or curtsey to us on entering the school-room, and to stand whenever a visitor enters the room. On receiving or handing any article they should also bow or curtsey. We must form habits, if they do not come naturally. VI. By addressing each pupil by the Christian name, speaking to him or her privately, and at times watching them when at their play on the playground, so as to gain an insight into the disposition of each, we may do much to encourage individualities, instead of simply looking at our pupils in the aggregate. And now, I beg to thank you all for your past co-operation and friendly feeling. I believe I have said nothing which is out of place in a farewell letter, nothing which is not in strict accordance with the objects of the venerable Society through whose means I first became acquainted with you and your island. That our convictions of the importance of Christian education may be daily strengthened; and that often amid our daily toil we may be enabled to lift up our hearts unto Him whose eye is upon us, and from whom all grace and success do come, is my sincere wish.-I am, &c. JOHN FLINT. The following is the Time-table for Four Classes referred to in the preceding Letter by Mr. Flint: SUBJECTS FOR EXAMINATION AT DECEMBER 1856. In the September Number for 1854, pages 303-7, a letter was inserted from the Rev. Henry Moseley, together with a list of subjects for the examination in December 1855. The concluding portion of that letter, beginning— "The subjects of elementary education as it at present exists, and in which depth and soundness of knowledge is to be sought, are—” has just been re-issued from the Council Office. Appended to this are the lists of subjects for examination at December 1856. These are identical with those originally subjoined to Mr. Moseley's letter, with the following exceptions: |