E.—l2.

fiEPOET UPON STATE EDUCATION.

TEACHERS. 1 The organization in respect of teachers 2 is defective: although the best blood in America is said to teach in the schools. The Americans " have not in any State/' it is reported, "devised a means of giving all the teachers of the public schools a fair measure of professional training, so that many teachers are to be found with little scholarship and little skill in teaching, &c. 3 The last official report, however, states " the efforts made within the past few years to improve the teaching force of the country schools has had some degree of success. It is now required in all the States that candidates for the service shall pass the examination for a teacher's certificate, or present the diploma of a normal school. 4 There were, according to the more recent returns, 255 (127 public and 128 private) normal schools, having 1,937 instructors, 5 and G0,063 students. 6 They are spread over all the States, save Delaware, Louisiana, Nevada, and South Carolina; but the teaching in them is not always satisfactory, 7 and is frequently for too short a term. 8 The appliances for teaching sciences, however, are good. 9 Tuition is not gratuitous in the case of all schools, or of all students at schools where there are gratuitous pupils; but free tuition is very general. 10 Although no teacher can receive public money unless certificated, yet the character and conduct of the examinations of teachers do not, as a rule, seem to be satisfactory, 11 nor are certificates always wisely granted, or appointments invariably made according to merit. 12 This is not without effect upon the teachers, for in a country where rents, and indeed living generally, are notedly high, salaries are disproportionately low. 13 There are, however, very handsome exceptions. For instance, in Boston (Massachusetts again) there are reported to be at least 100 free school-teachers, head-masters, who have each a salary of nearly 4,000 dollars; and about 100 women free school-teachers, who have each 2,800 dollars ; 14 whilst in New York city the salaries range " from 3,000 dollars down to 400 dollars for junior female teachei's of one year's experience." " In the city schools, female teachers largely preponderate, composing frequently 90 per cent, of the entire corps of teachers. In country schools the proportion is very much smaller, but has increased considerably in late years." 15 The reasons given are : " The female character being trained by experience in family supervision to the administration of special details wherein division of labour does not prevail to any great extent, is eminently fitted to control and manage the education of a child while it is in a state of transition from caprice to rationally regulated exercise of the will j and the development of individuality is generally more harmonious up to a certain age if the pupil is placed under female teachers. The com-

Defective organization. Defective normal school teaching.

Certifications and appointments of teachers not alwa)'s satisfactory. Salaries,

Female teachers largely preponderate.

1 For instructive particulars respecting training, and normal schools, see Dr. Philbrick, p. 41 and seq. But espec. Circulars of Information of Bureau, No. 2,1885, Teachers' Institutes (herein termed " Teachers' Institutes"), Washington Govt. Printing Office, 1885, particularly p. 71 and seq. The views of the 25th annual meeting of Nat. Ed. Assoc, held at Topeka, Kansas, on 13-16 July, 1880, at which 7,000 teachers are estimated to have been present should be noted.—Sec Journ. of Ed., 1 Sept., London, 1886, p. 370. ! Note Teachers' Institutes, p. 7, and No. G Circulars, 1884, Rural Schools, p. 13 and seg. 8 Seo 0. rep., 1884, p. 99, rep. by Dr. McLellan,-*" some years ago the Commr.'s own estimate was that 3 per cent, of American teachers were trained;" rep., 1872, p. 29, and C. rep., 1885, p. 40; Dr. R., p. 10 ; and see Q.R., pp. 422, 437, 455. Seo also Dr. Philbriok, p. 110. " The Amer. Journ. of Ed. says that the numbers that graduate from the normal schools of the country, public and private, each year are less than 5 per cent, of the teachers ; so it is impossible to secure anything like a reasonable proportion of trained teachers."— "Journ. of Ed.," London, 1 Oct., 1886, p. 415. See also Circular No. 0, 1884, espec, pp. 13 and seq., and 41 and seq_. 1 C. rep., 1885, p. 38. 6 See also C. rep., 1885, pp. 99-113, 388-410, and Teachers' Institutes, p. 11. For sample course of study, see Dr. Philbrick, p. 197. • See Note above. ' See C. rep., 1884, p. 100. For illustration of course, see Dr. Philbrick, p. 197, and C. rep., 1885, p. 101.

8 See— (a) Dr. E., footnote to p. 10, and (b) Q.R. On subject generally see— (a) " Education," Nov. and Dec, 1880, pp. 180-184; (6) Q.R., pp. 422, 423; (c) New York and Philadelphia Colleges; S. and E.1., 14th and 7th Oct., 1884; and espec. (d) Dr. Philbrick, p. 110. 9 Sec also C. rep., 1884, p. 97. 10 Seo 0. rep., 1885, p. 394 and scg_. 11 See— la) 0. rep., 1884, p. 23; (6) " Education," Jan. and Feb., 1881, p. 237; (c) Dr. Philbrick, p. 118; and (d) C. rep., 1885, p. 33. 12 See for instance C. rep., 1885, p. 38, and 1884, pp. 100, 28. 13 See details and statistics, C. rep., 1885, pp. 35, 277, 16 and seq., and 180; 1884, pp. 17, 26, 28, 29. See also— (a) Dr. R., p. 8, 9; (6) Q.R., espec. pp. 422, 426, 427, 430; and (c) Dr. Philbrick, p. 110. 11 See S. and R.1., 14 Oct., 1884. And on subject generally see same journal 9 Sept. and 7 Oct., 1884. The statement, however, that salaries in New York are regulated by the average attendance of the preceding year, I am told, is incorrect. 15 Statement, p. 18. See also—■ (a) C. rep., 1885, p. 28. June 30, 1884, total female teachers employed in U.S.A., 173,776, as against 102,883 male ; (6) R.C., vol. 3, p. 495 ; (c) S. and R.1., 7th Oct., 1884 ; and (d) Dr. Philbrick, p. 127.

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