writing, to Mr. Blackman, of Williton; 10s. for best knowledge of arithmetic, to Mr. Greenfield, of Old Cleeve; 10s. for best knowledge of the Church Catechism, to Mr. Aldred, of Brushford; 17. for best plain needlework (to which was added 5s. by one of the examining committee), to Mrs. Holman; 17. for plain needlework, to Miss Greenfield, of Old Cleeve; 10s. for second best ditto, to Miss Fisher, of Winsford; ditto ditto, to Miss Hikin, of Stogumber (the needlework was generally so good that the committee adjudged two first and two second prizes); 17. for best knitting, to Mrs. Blackmore, of Kingsbrompton; 10s. for second best ditto, to Mrs. Holman; 10s. for best cutting-out, to Mrs. Holman; 5s. for second best ditto, to Miss Hikin; 10s. for best darning, to Miss Hikin; 5s. for second best ditto, to Mrs. Holman; 10s. for best patchwork, to Mrs. May, of Luxborough; 5s. for second best ditto, to Mrs. Fry, of Wiveliscombe. The committee who examined the work were Mrs. Abraham, Mrs. Luttrell, and Mrs. Wetherel. The proceedings concluded by the Rev. A. Tate, of Kingsbrompton, giving a lecture on " Infantschools," in which he (1) considered the benefit of such schools, and (2) the best system of managing them. DEVON AND EXETER.-It is the practice of this Association annually, in the early part of August, to take an excursion for social enjoyment; and on this occasion, on Wednesday the 4th ult., the members and their friends proceeded to Luscombe, near Dawlish, where, amid dining on the greensward, archery, quoits, football, dancing, &c., no one could fail to enjoy himself. In the evening, after partaking of a delightful tea, those who were able and felt disposed joined in a little glee-singing; and at length, having sung the National Anthem, and given three cheers for Squire Hoare for his kindness in allowing the Society the use of his grounds, the party returned to Dawlish, and thence_back_to Exeter. The party numbered forty, of whom twenty-three were teachers. On Saturday the 14th ult., Mr. Austin, of the Central School, Exeter, gave a lesson to a class of boys on "The potato." The heads of the lesson were (1) its history, (2) its cultivation, (3) its uses; and being made to include, among many other useful points, the derivation of the name, the potato disease, the soil and locality in the neighbourhood of Exeter best fitted for its growth, the diseases which have disappeared in England since its introduction, either wholly or in part owing to its use, the best method of cooking it, and the different substances sometimes adulterated with it,-the whole proved very interesting and instructive; and the boys, having been offered a trifle for the best reproduction of the lesson in writing, departed as well pleased as if they had spent the afternoon in sight-seeing or play. TESTIMONIALS.-To Mr. S. PIPER, on leaving Bussage School, Gloucestershire, a Commentary on the Gospels, in Four Volumes, by the Rev. R. G. Swayne; also the Christian Year, by a Lady; and, from Mrs. Armstrong, a Volume of Tracts on the Prayer-Book, written by the late Bishop. To Mrs. TOOKE, a Papier-mâché Inkstand, from the Children of the Upton-cum-Chalvey School. To Mr. PHILIP R. WHITE, of St. Paul's School, Derby, on the occasion of his Marriage (August 5th), a Church-Service, from the Clergyman; a Set of Papier-mâché Trays, from the Mistress; and a Half-dozen Silver Spoons (with Initials), from the Teachers and Children of the School. To MISS POPE, by the Trustees of St. Clement Danes Charity School, a copy of Webster's Dictionary; also from the Girls, a Gold Watch-key and Locket. To the Rev. P. MARSHALL, M.A., a Tea and Coffee Service, in Electro-plated Silver, by the Schools and Congregation of the District of St. Philip's, Hulme, Manchester, on the occasion of his preferment to the Incumbency of St. John Baptist. APPOINTMENTS.-MISS POPE, from St. Clement Danes School, to the Royal Patriotic Asylum. Mr. J. B. WHITEHEAD, from Hornsea, to the National School, Hessle. JOSEPH ASTBURY, from Northop, Flint, to the National Schools, Delamere, Northwich, Cheshire. MARRIAGES.-August 10th, 1858, Mr. J. C. MEREDITH, National Schools, Newnham, Gloucestershire, to Miss E. A. COLE, late Head-Mistress, Girls' National School, Attercliffe, Sheffield. On the 19th August, at the Parish Church, Hornsea, by the Rev. W. L. Palmes, assisted by the Rev. C. B. Robinson, Mr. J. B. WHITEHEAD, Master of the National School, Hessle, to ELIZA, Fourth Daughter of Mr. WILLIAM HENDERSON, Grocer, Hornsea. OBITUARY.-On the 12th July, at the Schoolhouse, St. Botolph, Aldgate, Mr. JoHN BARTLETT, in his 45th year. July 17th, at St. Michael's, Pimlico, MISS FANNY IMPEY, of Consumption, aged 24. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. We cannot undertake to notice rejected communications. MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.-Letters are continually addressed to the Editor of this Paper asking for information on the minutes and practice of the Committee of Council. To all such inquiries the only reliable answer is to be obtained from an official source. Many of the points raised may be determined by reference to the Church Education Directory; and for others which are more doubtful, it is strongly recommended that application be made either to her Majesty's Inspector of Schools for the district, or to the Council Office. In many cases it may be desirable that such inquiries should be made through the school-managers. "W.S-s." To enter more at large on the subject, in the way you propose, would occupy space which is already too limited for positive school-subjects. "Lex." We believe, after many inquiries on the subject, that all teachers' houses are liable to rates and taxes. Any exemptions are mere matters of favour or custom. London: Printed by Levey, Robson, and Franklyn, Great New Street and Fetter Lane, E.C. No. CXLIII. OCTOBER. 1858. Since the last announcement, the grants voted by the National Society to the following schools have been paid by the Treasurer, the several school-buildings having been certified as duly completed: At the beginning of the last quarter of the year, it is desired to remind the great body of the Society's Local Treasurers that their remittances will be anxiously looked for during the next few weeks; they are earnestly requested to forward the same to Mr. Henry Stretton, 67 Lincoln's Inn Fields, if possible, by the 30th of November, or, at latest, before Christmas. Blank remittance-forms, or other papers, will be sent to any Local Treasurer on his applying, by letter, to the National Society's Office, Sanctuary, Westminster. During the past month several sermons have been preached on behalf of the Society in Carlisle diocese, VOL. XII. L by the Revs. J. Brunskill, H. Stretton, G. H. Ainger, Principal of St. Bee's College, and other clerical advocates of the Society, and additions have been made to the List of the Society's Local Treasurers in the diocese. Sermons have also been preached at St. Mary Aldermanbury, London, by Revs. J. Hill and J. J. W. Harris; at Streatham, by Revs. R. Chaffer and J. R. Nicholl; at St. Maryle-Strand, Holy Trinity, Twickenham, and Sidcup, by Rev. Richard Chaffer. The Rev. J. R. Woodford will advocate the Society's cause, on Sunday October 17th, at Yeovil and Sherborne. NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS. The following Donations and new Annual Subscriptions have been contributed since the last announcement, and are hereby thankfully acknowledged. The List is made up to the 15th September. Collection at Shopland, Essex £3 9 0 St. Matthew, Friday Street, Coll. at 5 5 5 Tregynon, Church collections at Mallwyd, ditto Hawarden, ditto Hope, ditto Pontblyddyn District Church, Mold, 25 3 10 0 Llandrillo yn Rhos, ditto 0 DIOCESE OF LINCOLN. The following Collections have been received since the last announcement: 0 10 6 0 5 0 Tolley, J. Esq. Droitwich 1 0 0 0 10 0 0 1 3 2 11 11 0 10 6 α. 0 10 Diocesan Proceedings. DIOCESE OF LINCOLN. Harvest Meeting of Teachers at Southwell, Notts. Training College, Battersea, September 16th, 1858. REV. SIR,-The third annual harvest-meeting of teachers was opened on Monday August 2d, and, under the direction and control of the Rev. J. M. Wilkins, rector of Southwell, rural dean and diocesan inspector for the deanery of Southwell, was continued throughout the following fortnight. The members, forty-six in number,—viz. twenty-three masters, thirteen mistresses, and ten students and pupil-teachers,—were from seventeen schools in Nottinghamshire and thirteen in Lincolnshire. The subjoined time-table was constructed for the regulation of our course of study: A.M. 7.30 to 8.25. 10 10 10.45 10.45 11.15. Arithmetic. . Vocal Music. Discussions on school-management. A glance at this time-table will show that provision is made by it for a daily period of seven hours' disciplined study; and it is justly due to the zeal, industry, and energy of the teachers to notice that several additional hours of each day were voluntarily spent in preparing written exercises for examination on various subjects of school-work, as paraphrasing, drawing up notes of lessons, solving problems in arithmetic, &c. Regarding the subjects here appointed for study, it will be seen that they are nearly identical with those in which a large degree of excellence on the part of the teacher is required by the Committee of Council on Education, and by all schoolmanagers, as a necessary qualification for the office of schoolmaster; also, with a view of bringing before the meeting, which consisted for the most part of untrained teachers the methods pursued in the large training colleges for teaching these subjects, those branches of them were chosen which will form the basis of the Government examination to be held in December, and upon which the students in training are now engaged The extent to which we were able to pursue them is very nearly indicated in the following remarks: Holy Scripture,-St. Luke's Gospel being chosen, an introduction was given briefly noticing the style, scope, object, and peculiarities of this evangelist, together with such particulars of his personal history as can be collected from the books of the New Testament. A series of lectures was given illustrative and explanatory of the text of the first four chapters, and substantially the whole of this text was committed to memory. Church Catechism.—By making tabular arrangements showing the relation of the different parts to each other, and thereby greatly increasing the facilities for the application of scriptural authorities, we were enabled to go through the whole Catechism, Liturgy. The chief parts of the Orders for the Morning and Evening Services were historically considered, and their teaching compared with scriptural authorities bearing on the same points. Reading. The especial results aimed at in this exercise were distinct enunciation, pure pronunciation, correct expression, and, above all, the cultivation of that power which enables the teacher not only to detect imperfections, but also to point out their nature, and to apply the proper corrections for their remedy. Simple grammatical analysis and parsing formed a part of these lessons. Dictation was resorted to as affording at one and the same time the means of practising penmanship, punctuation, parsing on paper, and paraphrasing. These exercises were examined, corrected, and returned to the writers. Arithmetic and Algebra.—The time spent on arithmetic was chiefly devoted to the investigation of the principles involved in the different operations, to the mode of teaching these principles, and to the working of miscellaneous examples. The algebra was of a most elementary kind, and confined to a small section of the class. Geography.-A few lectures were given on physical geography, with the design of pointing out the advantages of teaching the subject from very simple maps, containing no more than is sought to be conveyed in the lesson, and drawn on the blackboard by the master in presence of the class; in short, by making every line or mark drawn the representative of some fact taught. Vocal Music and Drill.—An importance due to the prominence they now hold in elementary education was given to these subjects in our brief course of study. All the exercises of “regular position drill” were practised, and so much of the principles of forming large bodies into companies of parade evolutions and of marching was taught as would, when carried into a schoolroom, enable the master by the quiet utterance of a few words of command to secure without noise or disorder any disposition of his scholars which the exigencies of his work might call for. The time assigned to vocal music was spent in practising psalmody and chanting, school-songs, glees, madrigals, and rounds. Discussions took place on the following interesting topics of school-teaching and school-management, viz. “How may reading and spelling be best taught without spending the great amount of time so generally required?" "What expedients have been found effective in producing regular and punctual attendance on the part of school-children?” “Can Church Sunday-schools be so organised as to make the connection of the scholars with the school and Church permanent?" &c. In pursuing these inquiries, every teacher stated the result of his or her own experience and observation under certain given heads. The evidence thus accumulated was discussed and weighed, and such an abstract of the whole made as was supposed fairly to represent the opinion of the meeting as to the most promising modes of accomplishing these ends. As much as two whole evenings was given to the consideration of some of these questions; and there is very good reason to believe that not a few schools will derive benefit, and many a teacher will find that a helping hand has been thereby applied to his burden. The work of two afternoons in each week was changed in favour of class-teaching. A class of children was found good enough to give up so large a portion of their holiday. The teachers were required to prepare and give a lesson, not exceeding ten minutes in length, on any subject they chose; but it was considered incomplete without a written sketch showing the arrangement of the matter. When the children were gone away, the lessons were tried by the test suggested by the Rev. F. Temple, in his report as one of her Majesty's Inspectors for 1856-7, and their excellencies or deficiencies pointed out. Two other deviations from the time-table were made, in order to avail ourselves of the kindness of J. B. Warwick, Esq., who is to be regarded as a large contributor to the success of this undertaking. Without attempting to form an estimate of his generous and well-directed interest in our doings, I am desirous of particularising his exertions for the Saturday-afternoon holiday,-which was spent in a picnic at Hazlewood Ferry, with cricket and other enlivening amusements; his able and well-illustrated lecture on the geological structure of the earth's crust; and his hospitable and intellectual entertainment, given to the whole body of teachers on one occasion at his house. On Sunday morning August 8th, an excellent sermon on behalf of the cause of education was preached by the Rev. W. F. J. Kaye, rector of Riseholme and preben |