NORTHERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLMASTERS.

The members of this associatian held their annual meeting in the National School, Coundon, Bishop Auckland, on Friday, the 29th of October. Mr. Reel, of the Barrington School, read an interesting paper on "The Best Method of Teaching Elementary Arithmetic," in which many valuable suggestions were thrown out as to the most effective mode of teaching that important subject.

EAST KENT CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOLMASTERS' AND

SCHOOLMISTRESSES' ASSOCIATION.

The usual monthly meeting of the Association was held at St. George's School, Ramsgate, on Saturday, November 6th. Mr. George Stoney occupied the

chair.

The usual preliminary business having been despatched, the chairman opened the discussion on "Teaching Singing in Schools" by a few remarks on the uses of vocal music in schools, as a means of relaxation and discipline. The attention of the meeting was then directed to the various systems of teaching singing from notes. Martin's system was highly approved; and the members were, generally, in favour of teaching from the old notation, in preference to that of the "Tonic Sol-Fa" system.

A new member was admitted. The next monthly meeting was fixed to be held at Broadstairs on the 4th of December, when the subject of discussion will be "Teaching Analysis of Sentences." The meeting closed with prayer.

CHRISTMAS EXAMINATION, 1858.

Committee of Council on Education, Council Office,
Downing-street, London, S. W.,

16th November, 1858. Sir,-According to the last clause in the circular from this Office of the 30th ult., relative to the examination of female candidates for Queen's Scholarships, I am directed to enclose three copies of the printed form wherein the Report of the Superintendent is to be made.

I am to request that this form may be carefully compared with Minutes 1857-8, pp. 41-2.

No greater amount of time than four hours in the whole should be devoted to the exercise in needlework, which should be performed under such superintendence as will prevent one candidate from assisting another.

Their Lordships are desirous to leave this part of the examination for admission as far as possible to the authorities of each College.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

To the Rev. the Chaplain, Training School.

R. R. W. LINGEN.

ASSOCIATED BODY OF CHURCH SCHOOLMASTERS IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

at

On Friday, the 12th of November, a deputation from the Associated body of Church Schoolmasters had an interview with the Right Hon.'C. B. Adderley, the Privy Council office, for the purpose of presenting a memorial. The deputation consisted of Mr. James, Sheffield, President of the Body; Mr. Hay

Kennington, Treasurer; Mr. Ullathorne, Bristol, Secretary; and Mr. Hare, Ravenstone, late Secretary; and the memorial was as follows:

"To the Right Honourable the Lord President, the Vice-President, and Lords of her Majesty's most Honourable Committee of Council on Education.

"The memorial of the Associated Body of Church Schoolmasters in England and Wales

"Humbly sheweth

"That your memorialists are fully sensible of, and duly appreciate the great boon conferred upon teachers generally, and on the community at large by your Jordships' excellent minutes, and assure your lordships of their most hearty wish and readiness at all times to assist, as much as possible, in carrying out your lordships' plans and wishes, as conveyed in the minutes passed from time to time by your lordships in Council. But finding in the practical working of your lordships' plans, certain regulations which are prejudicial to the interests of teachers and pupil teachers, and as a consequence to the full development of the real objects sought by your lordships' minutes, your memorialists most humbly beg to draw your lordships' attention

"First, to the minute dated 15th June, 1855, which withholds a portion of a teacher's augmentation and gratuities for parts of a year, if such teacher quits the charge of his school before the expiration of the school year. Your memorialists are prepared to show that this minute acts most unfairly on those teachers who have faithfully discharged their duty in their schools and to their pupil teachers, or on the other hand, most injuriously affects the interest of the pupil teachers to a very great extent: they therefore humbly pray that your lordships will in future grant to teachers changing their situations, all sums due as augmentation and gratuities for fractional portions of the year. Besides which they humbly submit that the payment for the instruction and training of pupil teachers, inadequate as it really is to the time and labour necessary to be devoted thereto, should be recognised by your lordships as a remuneration for services faithfully rendered.

"That secondly, your memorialists would also venture most respectfully to solicit your lordships' kind consideration of the minute regulating the payment of male pupil teachers; for while your lordships' minutes recognise difference of payment between male and female teachers in the augmentation grants, as also in the annual amounts awarded to Queen's Scholars, yet there still exists the anomaly of equal payments to male and female teachers during the period of their apprenticeships. The small stipend offered to male pupil teachers, and the possibility of its being withheld, have a tendency to debar many promising youths from undertaking that office, especially as in manufacturing and commercial districts many other kinds of employment, affording in some instances more than twice the emoluments of pupil teachers, are easily obtained, and this, coupled with the fact that in those situations they generally receive their money weekly, induces them to prefer such employment, and leaves us no alternative but to present for the important office of pupil teacher candidates of inferior qualifications, while even of these it is found extremely difficult to secure an adequate supply. Your memorialists, therefore, humbly yet earnestly petition your lordships to increase the stipends of male pupil teachers, and to adopt some such regulations for their quarterly payment as are acted upon in the case of the allowances made to Queen's Scholars, feeling assured that such a step would be attended with the best results to the schools throughout the country, in still more efficiently advancing the great work of Education, for which your lordships' minutes have already done so much.

Signed on behalf of the Associated Body of Church Schoolmasters in England and Wales, in conformity with a resolution unanimously passed at their last Conference, held in the Council Hall, Sheffield, by your lordships' most humble and obedient servants,

HENRY JAMES, Central Schools, Sheffield, Prosident of the Body.

"JOHN H. HAY, Kennington Oval School, London, Treasurer of the Body.

"JOHN ULLATHORNE, Brandon Hill Schools, Bristol, Secretary of the Body."

All the members of the deputation took part in a prolonged conversation which ensued; in the course of which

Mr. Adderley said, with regard to the first point, the object of the minute which prevented teachers from receiving fractional parts of a year's remuneration was to check the frequent change of schoolmasters, which had been found to be so injurious to the education of the country. He took it that the object of the rule was good; but agreed that some consideration might be due to those teachers who had remained for some years in the same schools, and thought that should such teachers desire to change their situations, exceptions might be made in their favour. As to the next point-the difference of payment to male and female pupil teachers-he admitted the labour of males to be generally more valuable than that of females, but in this case the difference might perhaps be arranged, so far as the public money was concerned by diminishing the payments of the females.

The deputation observed that although female pupil teachers were better paid in proportion than males, they were by no means too well paid, and that reducing their remuneration would not increase the supply of male candidates. They begged to refer Mr. Adderley's attention to the forcible remarks of the Rev. F Watkins, in his report of 1857-8, where he alludes to the memorial of the Associated Body, and expresses his hearty concurrence therewith.

In reply, Mr. Adderley said the deficiency of supply existed only in large and ich towns, not in villages, and if the difference of payment were to be made by augmentation of the male allowance, it should be borne by the managers of schools. There would be a great evil in preventing local exertions. And no doubt, when parents saw the respectable position in society attained and occu pied by schoolmasters, it would by-and-by render the office in greater request. It it was desirable to pay the stipends of pupil teachers by instalments, there was nothing in the regulations of the Committee of Council to prohibit local managers from doing so. If done by Government, however, the clerks would have to be multiplied by four, and the expenses would be so much increased that the annual sum voted by Parliament, already very large, would be found quite inadequate to meet them.

TESTIMONIALS.

On Thursday afternoon, the 28th ultimo, the pupil teachers and scholars of the Stockport British School presented three handsomely bound volumes, as a suitable testimonial, to Mr. Joseph Cain, on the completion of his apprenticeship.

To Mr. William Taylor, master of Darfield School, Barnsley, and late master of the Church, Free School, Melton Mowbray, by the members of the Leicestershire and Rutland Schoolmasters' Association, a valuable present, consisting of nine volumes of books and an eight keyed German flute, of the total value of £3 15s., in testimony of his services as Treasurer and Secretary for a period of five years.

TEACHERS' ASSOCIATIONS.

We have for some time past intended to address our Readers upon the subject of Schoolmasters' Associations. Our remarks, however, would have been so much in harmony with those that have been expressed in the following extract from the "Record of the British and Foreign School Society," that we cannot do better than present them. We will but add for our part the caution that in sending to us reports, our friends should strictly bear in mind to eliminate whatever is not of public interest :

"There is no class of men to whom it is of more importance to keep up the corporate feeling; and we are sure there is none in which a better use can be made by cach other of the suggestions and experience of the various members. Every teacher, however isolated he may he, and however contrasted his sphere of labour may be, can contribute something valuable in such meetings. There must ever be some speciality about each man's work which distinguishes it from all others, and gives him the power to offer serviceable hints to his fellowteachers. And if it be true that every teacher can contribute something, it is still more strikingly true that every teacher can learn something, and cannot fail to go back to his work better equipped to encounter its difficulties, after listening to the discussions and the counsels of other members of his profession, and comparing his own experience with theirs. We believe that it is the duty of every teacher who is within reach of a good Association of this kind to join it, and to aid in carrying out its objects. And in the few districts in which no such Associations exist, we hope soon to learn that new ones have been established, and that their members are numerous and active. It is not difficult to form an Association; a comfortable schoo'-room, in a central locality, may generally be secured without expense as a place of meeting. The incidental expenses, even in cases where tea is provided, are so small as to be covered by a merely nominal subscription; and whenever the business of the Association is wisely managed, and limited to matters within its legitimate sphere, experience proves that the numbers have a constant tendency to increase.

"There are two or three points which, if steadily kept in view, have a tendency to secure the stability of an Association, and may be safely commended to the attention of those teachers who have recently formed, or are intending to form, associations for mutual improvement. First-The meetings should not be too frequent. Many members necessarily live at a considerable distance from the place of assembly; while, to all teachers, the many other engagements, and the lawful claims of home and friends upon their leisure, will be found to prevent any very frequent attendance at the meetings of an Association. Practically one, or at most two meetings in the quarter are all on which it is fair to calculate on a full attendance, after the novelty and freshness of the little Society has worn off. Secondly--Too much should not be attempted by such an Association. It cannot, for instance, regulate the private studies of its members, nor relieve them from the responsibility of that patient, individual effort which is so necessary in order to keep them up to a high standard, both as to information and general intelligence. Nor, except in very rare cases, can it do much either by circulating specimens or apparatus among its members. But it can initiate discussion and stimulate thought on matters closely connected with the teacher's work. It can afford opportunities for giving and hearing model lessons, and for criticising them, as well as methods of teaching generally. If it does this, in addition to promoting a genial and friendly intercourse among the labourers in the same field, it serves its purpose, and may be regarded as thoroughly efficient. Thirdly -The topics chosen for essays and discussions should be strictly professional. They should have a direct practical bearing on the teacher's work. If miscellaneous literary subjects are introduced, however well they may be occasionally