the summer of 1899-to prevent his arranging for all violent exercise being taken before the sun had attained its power or during the late afternoon and evening. In the winter he always can and often does so arrange that a considerable part of the day's lessons are done after sundown, from 4 or 4.30 to 6 or 6.30, and also again in the evening. In the day school such arrangements are generally impossible, and this from two causes. Day schools are for obvious reasons generally situated in the vicinity of large towns, and owing to the consequent high value of land are often compelled to go considerable distances to their playingfields. In North London, at all events, it is no unusual thing for schools to journey five or seven miles to their cricket fields; and, in addition, some are only able to lease them for particular times and certain days. Unsatisfactory as this state of affairs is there is unfortunately no remedy, for owing to all the land in such neighbourhoods being let on building lease and worth thousands of pounds per acre, no day school can buy sufficient ground for playing-fields without incurring a capital expenditure that must involve the ruin of the school as a paying concern. Hence it follows that their games, whatever the weather, must take place always at the prearranged time. The second cause

that hinders flexibility of the time-table is the fact that the convenience of the parents of day boys has to be studied in the matter of the time of meals taken at home. Probably parents will, in the first case, make new arrangements to suit the school time-table willingly enough; but change and uncertainty upset their domestic organisation and are to them intolerable. No doubt this difficulty varies in detail in different localities, but in one form or another it is continually present to hamper headmasters and to restrain them from making arrangements, which, if possible, they would adopt. It operates to prevent them on whole school days from using in summer the cooler parts of the day for cricket, and in winter from doing ordinary school between 4 and 6 p.m., and using the early afternoon hours for football, a practice that is very general in boarding schools.

LENGTH OF SCHOOL PERIODS.

In

Another important factor to be considered in estimating the value of each time-table is the length of each school period. Among those who have replied to the question on this point in the present inquiry, opinion as to the proper length of time that a lesson should last varies between one hour and threequarters of an hour, the latter view greatly predominating. a few cases it is urged that one and a-half hours is not too long, provided the work is varied by taking during that period different parts of the same subject, and taking them in different ways. For example, in a Latin period the master may take grammar questions for a quarter of an hour, the boys standing up in forin; then he may take composition for half an hour, the boys sitting

down; and the balance of the time may be devoted to translation of some Latin author. To those who have made experiment of the shortest period, this contention does not carry weight. It is certainly to be regretted that the three-quarter hour periods are not the universal rule. Approximately, however, 61 per cent. of the schools prefer three-quarter hour periods, 19 per cent. prefer one hour periods, 20 per cent. so qualify their opinions that classification is impossible. Even in the first two cases it must not be supposed that the decision for the shorter periods is always absolute. On the contrary, it must merely be taken as indicative of a preference. There are many schools that qualify their return to some extent by suggesting, for example, an hour or an hour and a-half for mathematics, one hour for Latin translation, or one hour and a-half for Latin verses. Some prefer a longer period for the senior boys; others suggest that shorter periods are desirable if a form is not subdivided into two divisions. In a few cases half an hour is the period generally preferred.

Indications exist that the feeling in favour of short periods is rapidly growing, and one is tempted to think that not a few of the headmasters who declare their allegiance to the longer periods must have serious doubts of the wisdom of so doing, from the very vehemence of their protestations to the contrary.

LENGTH OF SCHOOL PERIODS WITHOUT A BREAK FOR PLAY.

But however satisfactory it may be that an overwhelming proportion of preparatory schools have adopted the short period, this satisfaction is seriously modified by a consideration of the subjoined table.

Table showing the maximum time spent in class-rooms without a break for play :*

In 1.23 per cent. of schools that made return 3 hours.

9.87

322TIT

21

13

11

1

1.23

55 minutes.

It is medically, psychologically and experimentally certain that it is impossible for boys to continue working even approxi

*It should be observed that short "breaks" of two or three minutes are usually made between the lessons, even though this may not be shown on the time-tables, and though the time is not long enough for a game or necessarily spent in fresh air.

THE PREPARATORY SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

The Preparatory School curriculum, in all its main features, is the direct outcome of the Entrance Scholarship system at the Public Schools. It is true, of course, that only a very small percentage of boys obtains Scholarships, and that for the rank and file the way into a Public School must lie through the ordinary entrance examination. But between the two examinations there is only a difference of degree. The standard in the scholarship examination is much higher, but the subjects in both are practically the same-Latin, Greek, French, Mathematics, with possibly (but by no means necessarily) questions in History, Geography, and Divinity. Accordingly, all boys in the Preparatory Schools are passed through the same kind of training. If they can reach the scholarship standard, well and good; a few-perhaps 8 per cent, on a liberal estimate-secure election; the rest get as near to the standard as they can, since the form in which they are to start at the Public School will depend on their knowledge of Latin and Greek as shown in the entrance examination. The scholarship examination therefore includes that for entrance, as the greater includes the less, and its requirements are of decisive importance in shaping the work of the Preparatory School, for dull and for clever boys alike.

It is necessary to draw attention to this point at the outset, n order that it may be clearly understood how small is the ower of initiative that lies with the Preparatory Schoolmaster imself in shaping his curriculum. His function is to prepare oys for the Public Schools; and admission to these is dependent 1 certain definite conditions. There is a very general feeling nong Preparatory Schoolmasters that, in the light of modern owledge and modern experience, those conditions are in imtant respects unwise; but they are powerless of themselves to

r

them. Public opinion, meanwhile, as represented by the age parent, finds a ready test of efficiency in the scholarships hool is able to win. Nor is it surprising that parents should e scholarships for their sons. They are intrinsically valuable, to many people money is a serious consideration. But it is only the poor or the mercenary parent that is attracted by

Success in a public competition of this kind is gratifying ence of a boy's ability. For intellectual fathers and mothers,

there is a peculiar attractiveness in the system which ins at Eton and Winchester, of keeping the scholars together community of their own, where the intellect of the school is ussed, and interest in intellectual things is therefore likely to

de

I must be understood to refer here and in what follows to the Classical of Public Schools, in which the great majority of boys are trained. me important schools have no properly organised Modern side; some

equire German instead of Greek.

mately at their average standard of excellence through long continued hours of mental exertion. Experience shows that the best arrangement possible is to have periods of work seldom or never exceeding three-quarters of an hour, and at the end of each such period to allow a short interval of from five to ten minutes during which the boys are sent into the playground for play-not drill or organised games. This interval should be used to throw all class-room windows wide open, top and bottom, and so secure a thorough change of air in the class-room, a thing that cannot be done except in this way without exposing the boys to very dangerous draughts. Many headmasters explain that they allow two or three minutes at the end of each period for change of class, and even specify that they then allow the boys to talk. Such an arrangement in no way meets the necessity for which the interval for play is provided. The nerve tension which must result from the restraints of discipline and mental exertion can only be thoroughly relaxed by the fresh air and physical refreshment of independent play in the open. Still the fact that several headmasters who have not yet adopted the above system state in their notes that they think it ideal is a distinctly encouraging sign. One can only hope that they may soon be led to make trial of the system, being well assured that after a single term's experience of it nothing will induce them to revert to the old system.

PREPARATION.

Two very decided and opposite views are held in the profession on the subject of home-work or preparation. On the one part many masters state that with them there is no preparation by the boys without the assistance of the masters. On the other hand, it is strongly felt by others that it is desirable for the boys to gain experience in facing difficulties alone. These hold that in proportion as the quality of the instruction given in class improves, so there arises a tendency on the part of boys to consider it unreasonable for them to be expected to solve any but the very simplest problems. Directly the least difficulty arises they incline to think that it is the fault of the master, who has not sufficiently explained it to them. In this way they fail to acquire the power of working for themselves, and of attempting to grapple with a difficulty. Home-work is regarded by those who think thus as an invaluable antidote to this attitude of mind on the part of the boys, and they use it as the fifth step of a Herbartian five-step lesson. They regard it as of paramount importance that no help of any sort or kind should be given to the boys in their home-work. Of course they assume as an axiom that no lesson is set that has not been properly explained in class, or that is beyond the power of every boy to master, provided he has attended to the lesson and makes a reasonable effort.