Classification of the Children of the School-continued. APPENDIX B. I. Reports on Bailieborough. 2322 19 51 20 13 42 15 16 55 55 20 BOYS' SCHOOL.-Reading.-It is our pleasing duty to report, that the style of reading throughout the classes is rapidly becoming more fluent and intelligent, and that very rarely an instance is found of that monotony of reading so characteristic of the "hedge school" of other years, and which till lately has been here the prevailing defect:- -on the contrary, their reading was easy and natural, and the modulations of the voice suited to the subject of the lesson. Spelling, &c.-The Spelling-book Superseded may be said to be in the hands of every child at the school, for even to those who are unable to read it, most of Part I is taught orally by the Pupil-Teachers, and to those sufficiently advanced, besides Parts II and III, &c., the theory of spelling, as contained in the "Practical Rules," and their exceptions, is made perfectly familiar, by the Pupil-Teachers requiring the children, after the "reading lesson," to point out exemplifications, exceptions, and violations of the different rules occurring in the lesson first read. The Third and Fourth Classes write from dictation, on alternate days, during the time set apart for writing, thus deriving from the theory so acquired, all its real value, complete familiarity with the practical application. Spelling, then, we have found well and carefully taught. Grammar.-The three junior classes were able to distinguish correctly the parts of speech, and the two senior classes to apply to them the Rules of Syntax. Geography.-The answering on Local and Descriptive Geography was very satisfactory throughout; Mathematical Geography tolerable; but we anticipate much improvement in this respect, as a Terrestrial Globe has been procured, and the advanced boys are already familiar with a few of the easier problems. VOL. I. E APPENDIX B. Reports on The female school-room (out of which the desks had been removed, and a temporary gallery constructed at one end, where the class under examination sat), was set apart for the public examination of the pupils of both schools; and in addition to the handsome maps and natural history charts, &c., already most appropriately ornamenting its walls, it was tastefully decorated with wreaths of laurel, variegated holly, &c., interspersed with some rare flowers from Lady Young's conservatory. On tables in the girls' class-room were exhibited specimens of needlework and the copy-books of the children were arranged along the seats of the gallery, from which they were readily examined by the visitors. It being only five months since we carefully examined the several classes in these schools, a General Report of which, giving the analyses of the answering, as well as a minute account of the arrangements, rules, and regulations by which the establishment is managed in its several departments, was forwarded in May last, and published in Vol. I. of the Seventeenth Report of the Commissioners of National Education, we deem it only necessary at present. to advert to the general details. The following table will show the classification of the children at present on the rolls of the school : Classification of the Children of the School-continued. Writing on Slates, on Paper, from Dictation, Singing, BRANCHES FOR FEMALES. Sewing, Knitting, Boys. Girls. APPENDIX B. I. Reports on Bailieborough. BOYS' SCHOOL-Reading.-It is our pleasing duty to report, that the style of reading throughout the classes is rapidly becoming more fluent and intelligent, and that very rarely an instance is found of that monotony of reading so characteristic of the "hedge school" of other years, and which till lately has been here the prevailing defect:- -on the contrary, their reading was easy and natural, and the modulations of the voice suited to the subject of the lesson. Spelling, &c.-The Spelling-book Superseded may be said to be in the hands of every child at the school, for even to those who are unable to read it, most of Part I is taught orally by the Pupil-Teachers, and to those sufficiently advanced, besides Parts II and III, &c., the theory of spelling, as contained in the "Practical Rules," and their exceptions, is made perfectly familiar, by the Pupil-Teachers requiring the children, after the "reading lesson," to point out exemplifications, exceptions, and violations of the different rules occurring in the lesson first read. The Third and Fourth Classes write from dictation, on alternate days, during the time set apart for writing, thus deriving from the theory so acquired, all its real value, complete familiarity with the practical application. Spelling, then, we have found well and carefully taught. Grammar.-The three junior classes were able to distinguish correctly the parts of speech, and the two senior classes to apply to them the Rules of Syntax. Geography.-The answering on Local and Descriptive Geography was very satisfactory throughout; Mathematical Geography tolerable; but we anticipate much improvement in this respect, as a Terrestrial Globe has been procured, and the advanced boys are already familiar with a few of the easier problems. VOL. I. E APPENDIX B. I. Reports on Schools. Bailieborough. Arithmetic, &c.-The children of the several classes were able to solve sums on their slates with tolerable readiness and accuracy, and knew the various arithmetical tables satisfactorily, but were decidedly deficient in Mental Arithmetic, to which the attention of the Master has been called. Writing. Though considerable improvement has been latterly manifest in this important branch, yet it is our painful duty to state that the copy-books of the boys are far from being satisfactory, having been, with two or three exceptions, hastily written, void of style or finish, and executed without any uniformity of plan. We cannot overlook calling special attention to this radical defect, which we hope to find speedily remedied, as good writing must form an important element in the education of the children in this town, which consists of a rising mercantile population, the houses being almost exclusively one series of shops. Other Branches.-The Third and Fourth Classes have made some proficiency in the Easy Lessons on Money Matters, Reasoning, Book-keeping, Mensuration, Euclid, and Algebra. Natural History, in an elementary form, is taught to all the classes by means of the Natural History charts hung round the walls of the school, and Patterson's Sheets of Zoological Illustrations. Vocal Music is taught to a select class of boys and girls on the system of Hullah, and for so far with gratifying results. - Agriculture. The four Agricultural Pupils, and four PupilTeachers boarding in the establishment, receive each morning from the Agricultural Teacher, either in the form of lecture or examination, special instruction in the science and practice of Agriculture, in addition, attendance for half-an-hour daily in the literary school-room, where instruction is again given either in the form of lecture or from the Agricultural Class Book to the Third and Fourth Classes attending the school, out of which the Industrial Class is selected. Considering the rank, size, and ages of the pupils receiving this instruction, the progress has been very gratifying. The Industrial Class also continues to give satisfaction. We feel no doubt that with a little additional energy and perseverance, the classes in the Boys' school can be wrought up to a high degree of efficiency in the several branches still unsatisfactory. It is, moreover, to be recollected, that the principal Teacher's duties are multifarious and onerous, extending over nine hours daily in the business of teaching either the ordinary pupils of the schools or the Pupil-Teachers and Agricultural Pupils, besides the superintendence, at other times, of many domestic arrangements affecting the well-being of the institution; and we cannot close our notice of the Male School without expressing our satisfaction with the punctuality APPENDIX B. and regularity of the Head Master, by which he has gained I. Reports on for himself the approbation of the clergy and the parents of District Model the children. Schools. GIRLS' SCHOOL-Reading, &c.-The reading, even in the Bailieborough. junior classes, is marked with distinctness, ease, fluency, and almost expression; and in the Fourth Class every girl received in reading our highest mark for excellence. Their perfect familiarity with the uses and objects of the several "stops" and other marks used in printed lessons, coupled with the care that has been taken to make them understand what they read, leaves little to be desired on this head. Spelling, &c.—As in the Boys' school, the Spelling-Book Superseded is used by all the girls. Besides the usual exercises of spelling orally, giving exemplifications of the theory of spelling, &c., on alternate days the Third and Fourth Classes write from dictation, and once a week the girls of the Fourth Class bring an original letter, addressed to the Local Inspector, and written on a certain subject previously given; the false orthography and solecisms in which are corrected by the Mistress, returned to the writer, and the letter afterwards transcribed by the children into a Letter-Book kept by each for the purpose. These attempts at original composition were submitted to the Countess of Bective, Lady Young, &c., &c., and a number of ladies who attended the public examination, and called forth their unmixed praise. Grammar. This subject is well and judiciously taught throughout all the classes, the highest of which were able to parse and analyse a passage of blank verse from Shakspeare, with the greatest readiness and apparent facility. Geography-Including even the very lowest class, all displayed a most surprising taste for, and accurate familiarity with Descriptive Geography, as was clearly manifested in the ready and correct answering on blank maps; and a very respectable amount of knowledge in Physical and Mathematical Geography has already been acquired by the senior class. Writing. On this subject we have not one fault to find. Every copy-book in the school was examined, and the cleanliness of the books, pains taken in the execution, and gradual progressive improvement gave us in each instance unqualified satisfaction. Arithmetic, &c.-The ordinary Arithmetical Tables, the Rules of Arithmetic, and the principles upon which they depend, are taught with especial care, and tolerable readiness has already been attained in the solution of exercises in slate-arithmetic. We regret that we cannot add the same with respect to Mental Arithmetic-but we feel well assured that the defect |