"At this point another difficulty arises, which requires as much attention Arrangeas the selection and arrangement of objects, namely, the proper setting up of ment of the exercises before the class. As these objects are not supposed to be sus- objects. pended in space, in putting them up something must be placed under them by way of ground. The ground may be light, medium, or dark, but in the Foreground, early stages the surface should be of one uniform colour and not polished. The colour of the background should be frequently changed, and the same object should be set before different backgrounds and the different effects carefully noted. In the early stages the exercise may be an object placed Background. in relation to a background only, such as a slate, a school-bag, or anything of that type, hanging from a nail in the wall, or hanging in relation to a background of any desired colour. As the pupils acquire skill and facility in execution, the difficulty of the exercise can be increased in accordance with their capacity. "The suggestions in last report on shading in black and white are being Shading in adopted in a number of cases with success. Black and "Here I may add, however, that the lines used in shading with the lead White, pencil should vary according to the form and texture of the object to be represented rounded forms are best represented by curved lines, while straight lines are used for flat surfaces, aiding by their direction the perspective changes of the form. The regularity of the lines and their equality in tone must be strictly adhered to: one of the lines either darker or more unequal than another disturbs the eye and destroys the effect of continuity. "In order to study the effects of light and shade which belong to an object Effects of or group of objects, as distinguished from those which are produced by reflec- Light and tion, before beginning to work, a precaution is necessary, namely, to remove Shade, to a distance all objects that will either intercept the light from the object, or cast reflections upon it. The representation may then be attempted, and may be easily expressed with colours; but with pencil it is different. The effect has to be rendered by means of light and shade only, and the pupils must endeavour in looking at the object to separate these from colour. "The form of any object with its light and shade, texture of material, The Pencil. whether smooth or glossy, rough or shaggy, can be satisfactorily represented by the lead pencil; but we must depend on colour for the highest results of artistic expression; the pencil must be the means and not the end of our studies. in a "The brush is gaining in popularity as a means of expression, and there is The Brush. promise of satisfactory results in schools where colour-work is taken systematic fashion. The pupils first get a knowledge of the primary colours the mixing of these to produce the secondaries, and then the tertiaries. "Design is attempted in the higher classes of a number of schools. Design. Referring to the work generally it is satisfactory to find that the execution is much better than in previous years. Proportions are carefully observed, drawing is firmer, and the colour is cleaner and more harmonious. "Clay-modelling.-As a rule the exercises show that the medium is under- Claystood and appreciated, and that the pupils are steadily acquiring skill in the modelling. manipulation of clay. "Drawing to Scale. This branch of the work continues to flourish. Pupils Drawing to are taught to draw objects to different scales and to represent them to scale Scale. in plan and elevation." Mr. Hood supplies some information on Woodwork which for convenience may be set down here: "Woodwork is taught at a number of centres, such as Aberdeen and Woodwork. Inverness. At the present time there is an interesting development at the Inverness centre, which is best described in the words of Mr. Stewart, the able instructor - Manual. Instruction in this school is correlated with Experimental Science in an effective manner by the calculating, drawing, constructing, and subsequent testing by monochord of a scale of organ pipes executed by the boys in wood and in metal. The pipes lend themselves to several interesting experiments in sound: these are carefully carried out by the pupils in their Science classes.'" 10513. 2 M 2 Increase in their Number. Railway Educational J.-HIGHER GRADE SCHOOLS, During the past Session there has been a considerable increase of the number of these schools in the Northern Division; but there is, I think, no indication of a tendency unduly to multiply them. On the contrary, there are still a few localities where a Higher Grade School might appropriately be established. The ideal of attainment is to have such schools so distributed that an opportunity of obtaining secondary instruction may be available without serious difficulty or inconvenience. The problem is not unDifficulties. frequently somewhat complicated. There may, for example, be railway communication linking certain localities with a fair degree of directness; but in not a few instances the morning and afternoon service of trains may be such that school children must leave their homes very early in the morning and will be unable to return home till late in the evening. Apart from other inconveniences, such a condition of matters seriously limits the amount of time available for private study. Even if we admit that home-lessons are frequently overdone, it is nevertheless necessary that the pupils should perform subsidiary work for which the school sederunt does not supply an adequate opportunity. Another complication arises from the educational traditions which have long obtained in the Northern Division. Under the influence of the Dick and Milne Bequests a considerable amount of secondary work has been done in many of the Primary Schools; and there is a tendency, on the one hand, to desire the inclusion of such schools within the scope of the new system, and, on the other, to regard the secondary instruction thus given as sufficient for higher education in general. As regards the latter point it is evident Co-existence enough that no Primary School can effectively compete with a of Supple- Higher Grade School properly equipped and adequately provided with a specially qualified staff; and the attempt to do secondary work is exceedingly apt to conflict with the requirements of a Supplementary Course. The inevitable result is that the teacher is apt to concentrate his efforts upon those who are receiving secondary instruction to the detriment of those who are likely to leave school at fourteen. The policy of the Department is, however, quite clear, and meets all reasonable requirements. Higher Grade Schools should be distributed as widely as possible, having regard to the requirement that each of these Schools shall possess the full equipment necessary and shall have a sufficient staff of specially qualified teachers to permit of separate instruction being given to the pupils of each year on a minimum course of three years. But it is the duty of the Preparatory principal teachers of all other schools, without professing to give in every case a complete course of intermediate education, instruction to do what they can to pick out pupils of special capacity in these schools and to give them what instruction in Secondary subjects the circumstances of the school admit of, with a view to preparing them for taking up the work of the recognised Higher Grade or Secondary School at such stage of the course mentary Course. Require ments for H.G. Schools. higher in the Primary School. beginning, end of 1st year, or (in exceptional circumstances) at the end of the 2nd year-as the distance from the Central School and the abundance or scantiness of the provision of bursaries may suggest. In order that pupils so transferred should be able to take their place in the Higher Grade School without loss of time, it is highly desirable that as many of the The teaching ordinary schools as possible should possess the very simple of Science in equipment required for the instruction of 2 or 3 pupils at a time the Primary in Experimental Science. The nature and extent of this provision are in the case of such schools not unduly exacting; but it would be a disastrous mistake to make it a pro forma requirement. Science teaching must be a reality, must be based upon a well-considered scheme, and must not be merely a series of dilettante and more or less spectacular experiments, such as often passed for science teaching in former days. The teachers also must qualify themselves for the giving of science teaching on modern lines; and it is my pleasing duty to report that they are displaying an altogether admirable degree of zeal, self-abnegation, and even enthusiasm in attending Article 55 classes or Technical College classes for the purpose of acquiring the necessary expertness in the practical treatment of the subject. As they are generally graduates, they already possess a knowledge of its more theoretic aspects. School. One very difficult subject is the relation of the Supplementary Relation Course to the Higher Grade department or to the Intermediate of H.G. Curriculum. In large Higher Grade Schools the differentiation is Department to Suppleusually complete, it is in the smaller schools that the difficulty mentary emerges. When the number of pupils between twelve and four- Course. teen does not exceed thirty, and is under the charge of a single teacher, it is very difficult, if not almost impossible, to secure the concurrency of a Secondary with a Supplementary Course of instruction as outlined in Schedule VI. The difficulty is met partly by combining both sets of pupils for certain subjects such as English in its several branches, Arithmetic, etc., and partly by adopting a composite course of Supplementary instruction. Neither arrangement is quite satisfactory, and there is always in such cases a tendency to subordinate, or even to sacrifice, Supplementary to Secondary instruction. It is manifestly almost a breach of faith to retain children at school till the age of fourteen unless provision is made for their receiving distinctive instruction adapted to their special requirements. When, moreover, so many pupils only pass the Qualifying Examination at a comparatively late stage of their school career there is all the greater risk of their being regarded as a negligible quantity, and as too bad for blessing if too good for banning. In the meantime, until the requirements for the Supplementary Course are made more stringently practical and intensive, some mitigation of the evil may be found in more independent study on the part of the secondary pupils and in quasi-tutorial instruction of these pupils before or after the ordinary school-sederunt, as was the practice in former days. Remarks upon the instruction in the several subjects of Secondary Education in these Schools will be found in the Secondary Education Report. I have the honour to be, Your obedient Servant, G. DUNN To the Right Honourable The Lords of the Committee of Council on Education in Scotland |