The Globe. FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 940, 29 June 1877, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1877.

The question of the establishment of Penny Banks in the public schools of the Province has come before the Board of Education. Mr _ George Gould, with that public spirit and liberality which he has evinced on more than one occasion, has been the means of bringing this institution under the notice of the Board, and moreover, has offered, if money be wanting to start it, to subscribe liberally. The scheme has been so fully described in the local papers that it needs no enlargement upon here, as to the details. In effect it is that in our large public schools an opportunity shall be afforded to the children to invest their savings, however small, and thus inculcate habits of thrift and economy. In fact what it proposes to do for the young is just similar to the work performed by the Post Office Savings Bank for the adult portion of the community. The experiment is intended to be tried first in the larger town schools, if the committee see their way to adopt it; but if successful no doubt it will soon spread to the country. At any rate it is well worth trying the experiment, the more so as the G overnment have promised

their co-operation to the extent of providing the necessary books of account. The institution would therefore start perfectly free and unfettered, and. its prospects of success would, thereby bo increased. The only point we see likely to cause some little dilliculty is the calling on the teachers to undertake the collection and entry of the various sums in their respective schools without any consideration for the time and labour thus involved. When one considers that our larger schools contain nearly 1000 children each, and that supposing the scheme be put into work, every one of these have to be provided with a separate book in which is entered the deposits made, some idea may be formed of the amount of work entailed. Schoolmasters have plenty to do now without having fresh duties imposed upon them. To some, no doubt, it would be a labour of love, but we do not think it right to call upon any body of men to sacrifice so large a portion of their time without some.reward. In considering this matter, therefore, we hope the committees will see their way clear to make some small allowance to the teachers upon whom the duty is cast of carrying out the details of the scheme.

The result of the examination for the Government scholarships reveals the fact that, in 'the matter of education, the girls of the province have made marked progress during the past few years. At first it was thought necessary to give them the advantage of one year in the matter of age over the boys, hut now it is found that their improvement has been so rapid that the advantage thus given is too great, and that, if put even on equal terms, the girls would be able to hold their own. In the case of the present examination the girls, though only half the number of the boys, have carried off six out of the ten scholarships offered for competition. That this should be so is very satisfactory, because it is essential to the welfare of a nation that those who have the greatest influence over the rising generation should be cultured. Girls growing up with the advantages of a good sound education are better fitted to discharge the important duties devolving upon them than if they were only partially educated. It is, therefore, matter for general congratulation that our girls should have taken so honourable and high a position in the recent examination.