introduced as an experiment. It was afterwards carried out on a wider scale, so that individual examination ceased to form the basis of any payment for the ordinary standard work of the school. In the Report for 1897-98 further changes were foreshadowed, which have since been been carried into eflect. The main features of these changes were the fixing of a standard of attainment (that of the Merit Certificate) which might fairly be regarded as the satisfactory outcome of an Elementary School Course; the giving still greater freedom to Managers and Teachers in the determination of the steps by which that standard shall be attained, subject to such general provisions as shall secure sufficient breadth in the education given; and the defining of a normal curriculum for an Elementary School, in which provision is made for the teaching of Drawing, and also for such study of the common objects and natural features of the neighbourhood as may be preliminary to or concomitant with the more definite study of Elementary Science and Geography. A change in the method of inspection has also been developed, the main principle of which is that inspection should not regulate teaching but vice versa, though it will still be the business of the Inspector to animadvert on deficiencies in the curriculum and on grave faults in method.

The passing of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1901, rendered it desirable that a further step should be made in educational organization. Certain changes, which are all in the line of recent developments, were accordingly made in the Code of 1903. The nature of these changes may be briefly summarized as follows:-Under the condition of things which existed prior to this Act, the Merit Certificate was properly described as the Leaving Certificate of the Elementary School, and as there was no security for the further continuance at school of pupils who had obtained this Certificate, it was desirable that the standard of attainment in elementary subjects required for the Certificate should be fixed as high as was reasonably possible, and no provision was made for the systematic instruction of pupils beyond this stage, except in the case of those pupils who took up the study of secondary subjects. But under the new condition of things it was found that large numbers of pupils for whom instruction in secondary subjects is not suitable obtained the Merit Certificate a considerable time before they were entitled to leave school. The provision of suitable courses of instruction for such pupils thus became imperative. The steps which we proposed to take to that end were, in the first place, brought before the public for discussion and suggestion in Circular 374, and have since been definitely embodied in Article 21 of the Code (Supplementary Courses) and the relative Schedules V. and VI. Connected with this change, and arising directly out of it, was another of similar importance. It was desirable that the Merit Certificate should continue as before to mark the successful completion of the whole course of the Elementary School proper. For that purpose it was necessary that it should record not merely the pupil's attainments at the time of entering

on a Supplementary Course, but also the value of the work which he had done subsequently while in the Supplementary Course. It could, therefore, no longer be required as an indication of the pupil's fitness to enter upon such a course or to begin the studies proper to a secondary school or a higher grade school or department. For these purposes a standard of proficiency was indicated in Article 29 of the Code, which, while on the same lines as the former requirement of the Merit Certificate, takes account of the fact that the pupil's studies of elementary subjects will, in all these cases, be in some measure continued, and is, therefore, more elastic in character. It was also decided, after careful consideration, that the question of the pupil's fitness, according to this standard, to enter upon a higher course of studies, should no longer be determined by the results of a single examination, but by the whole character of his work during the preceding school course, and, particularly, during the six months preceding his possible transference, the Head Master of the school being charged with a special responsibility for observing, testing, and reporting to His Majesty's Inspector the attainments of the respective candidates. It is, of course, the duty of His Majesty's Inspector to ascertain that this responsibility is in all cases properly discharged.

One effect aimed at in these changes is an improvement in school organization, resulting from the transfer, at an earlier age, to secondary or higher-grade schools of those pupils who desire, and are fit, to enter upon the work of such schools; while, in the case of those who remain in the elementary schools, further instruction in elementary subjects can be given in such form as to have a greater practical value for the work of life. During the year ended 31st August, 1907, 54,715 candidates were approved by the Inspectors under Article 29 of the Code for enrolment in Supplementary Courses or Higher Grade Departments, and 9,802 were awarded a Merit Certificate under the Code.

One further consequence of the change in organization Higher already described has been a remarkable increase in the number Grade of Higher Grade Departments. These have increased from 36 Schools and Departments. in operation during the session 1902-3 to 163 at the beginning of the present session. Under the conditions created by the Act of 1901, such departments are no longer required to discharge the function of giving something of the nature of a specialized education to pupils who will leave school at a comparatively early age. That function, so far as it is necessary, is now fulfilled by the Supplementary Courses. The Higher Grade Departments are therefore free to continue a stage further the general education of that considerable body of pupils, who, under the new conditions, may be expected to remain at school till 15 or 16. Hence the courses-predominantly scientific or predominantly commercial-which formerly characterized these departments have disappeared and have been replaced by a course of general education in which the study of English and one or more languages will be balanced by a sufficient, but not excessive, discipline in Mathematics (including Arithmetic),

Number of
Teachers.

Science and Drawing-all specialization on commercial or technical lines being postponed until the pupils have reached the stage of the Intermediate Certificate. During the past year, in the Higher Grade Schools or Departments, payments were made under Article 142 of the Code in respect of an average attendance of 18,467, of which 8,734 represented the attendance of scholars in the first year's stage of the various courses, 5,719 in the second and 4,014 beyond the second; 7,552 scholars were paid for at the higher rate on account of exceptional efficiency.

Fuller details as to the principles upon which the present organization of education in Scotland is based, in so far as that organization is affected by regulations of the Department, will be found in the "Explanatory Memorandum" which accompanied a selection of circular letters of the Department published in May,

1904.

IV.-Teaching Power.

The number of schools under inspection in 1907 was 3,285 with an average attendance of 711,228 children. The Staff provided for the instruction of these scholars was made up as follows:→→

1. Certificated Teachers

(a) Trained, Male 3,882, Female 5,829-9,711)
(b) Untrained

920,

4,280=5,200/

14,911

2. Provisionally Certificated Teachers (Art. 60, Code of 1906).—

--69

4. Female Assistants (Art. 32 (c) 3, Code of 1906)

21,289

Total number of Teachers of all grades

From the above statement it will be seen that 14,911 certificated teachers were employed, or a proportion of one certificated teacher for every 48 children. But if the number of provisionally certificated teachers and of teachers qualified under Article 79 be included, there is a proportion (exclusive of pupil teachers and unqualified assistants) of one qualified teacher for every 41 children, a proportion which might, however, with advantage be improved, especially as regards the supply of

* Of these 252 (19 Male and 233 Female) were serving as assistant teachers before 31st December, 1895, and may therefore continue to be recognised as such beyond the date (31st December, 1914) mentioned in Art.71 (d) of the Regulations

trained certificated teachers. We are glad to believe that through the operation of the new Regulations a very marked improvement in this respect will shortly be apparent.

A comparison with the figures of last year shows the number of certificated teachers actually employed to have increased by 827 (Male 65, Female 762), whilst the number of assistant teachers (Article 79) has decreased by 180, and the provisionally certificated teachers under Article 60 have increased by 8-a nett increase of 655 qualified teachers. The number of pupil teachers and of unqualified assistants on the other hand shows a marked falling off.

It is important to consider whether the additions to the body of certificated teachers during the past year have been sufficient to meet the wants of the country.

Supply of

The demand for new certificated teachers is determined by—(a) the wastage entailed by the retirement of teachers from active Teachers. service, (b) the growth of average attendance, (c) the replacement of less qualified teachers, and (d) more liberal staffing arrangements adopted by School managers.

In order to arrive at trustworthy figures as regards the waste of teaching power, careful enquiry as to the cause of leaving has been made in all cases where certificated teachers have relinquished their appointments, and a summary of the results of this enquiry during the year 1907-so far as teachers who are not known to have taken up fresh engagements in Scotland are concerned-will be found in the following table:

It is evident that the whole of the 658 teachers included in this statement, as well as the 13 referred to in the footnote, are,

Of these, 2 Males and 8 Females received Disablement Allowances. + These figures do not include 13 teachers (2 Males and 11 Females) who completed their training this year and have obtained appointments in England.

10513.

B

for the time being, lost to the teaching profession in Scotland, but many of them will, no doubt, eventually re-enterit. Enquiries have shown the number of such cases of re-entry (including cases where English certificated teachers have taken service in Scotland) during the past year to have been approximately 240, and the nett loss to be made good may therefore be estimated at 431 The increase in average attendance during the year has been 5,166, which-assuming it to have been met entirely by the appointment of certificated teachers, and following the proportion referred to above of one teacher for every 41 children would absorb 126 more of the new certificated teachers.

It will be seen from the figures given below that the number of new certificated teachers recognised during the past year was 1569. After deducting 431 to meet the wastage in the ranks of Certificated teachers, and 126 required for the instruction of the increased number of children in average attendance, there remain 1012 new certificated teachers for meeting the two other purposes referred to above., viz., the replacement of less qualified teachers, and the provision of more liberal staff.

there has been a

The figures on page 19 show that nett decrease of 172 in the number of assistant teachers and provisionally certificated teachers. The unqualified female assistants have also decreased by 79, while the number of pupil-teachers has diminished by 738. We may perhaps assume that an equal number of certificated teachers would be required to take the place of the assistant and provisionally certificated teachers. But in the case of female assistants and pupilteachers it is very difficult to say what is the corresponding number of certificated teachers. In terms of the Code the certificated assistant teacher counts for 60 scholars, whilst the pupil-teacher or female assistant counts for 25 only. But further, it is well known that a very large proportion of the pupil-teachers have not been required at all for purposes of minimum staff. Probably, therefore, an estimate of 200 certificated teachers to supplement the diminished number of pupil-teachers and female assistants will be a fairly liberal one.

We thus arrive at the following statement, showing a surplus of 640 new certificated teachers available for improving the quality of school staff

No. of new certificated teachers recognised

1569

No. required to meet

(a) Wastage

431

(b) Increased average attendance

(c) Replacement of less qualified

teachers

372

Leaving a surplus available for— (d) Improvement of staff

640