E.—s.

employment, and, together with the head teacher's final testimonial, provide more valuable evidence of the work and worth of applicants from central schools than the mere possession of a certificate granted by an outside examining body. I have already expressed the opinion that the central school, for the first two years of its course at least, is really another kind of secondary school freed in a large measure from the influence of external examinations. The great majority of the pupils who pass through the central and senior schools in England leave without having sat for any examinations, except those conducted by their teachers. It would appear that for certain types of work employers are prepared to accept the head teacher's testimonial in preference to the result of an examination conducted by some authority, outside the school. Against this practice it might be urged that a pupil's future is placed too largely in the hands of his or her teacher. SENIOR SCHOOLS. In England the most general new type of school that has resulted from the reorganization is the "senior" school for pupils from 11+ to 14 years, or a little older. Many of these schools are conducted in new buildings admirably equipped, especially for the teaching of practical subjects. The pupils consist of all those children who have not sought, or have not been successful in securing, special places (scholarships) in secondary schools or selective places in central schools. While there can be no doubt that the senior schools provide the kind of education most suitable for the great majority of their pupils, and that every pupil, will benefit by going through their practical courses, the fact remains that some of the pupils in them are there because they cannot enrol in secondary or central schools. Our provision of exploratory intermediate schools and departments for children of 12 and 13 seems much sounder educationally in that it allows a two-year period for trying out the capacities of a pupil and ascertaining whether between 13 and 14 he should enter a secondary or a technical school to proceed with his post-primary education. In some senior chools all the pupils of the same chronological age are taught together and are promoted annually. Boys and girls are often taught separately in the same building. It is usual for the schools to have the woodwork and metalwork teachers and the domestic-arts teachers as members of their staff, devoting themselves full-time to their subjects. The curriculum includes English (no other language is taken), arithmetic (algebra and geometry are included in some schools), history, geography, science (chemistry, physics, and electricity usually in towns, and gardening, horticulture, and general science in the country), art, handicraft, singing, physical exercises, manual training, and domestic subjects (including needlework), and religious knowledge. In many cases the teachers are specialists, and the pupils come to their rooms for lessons. In Nottingham (City) the children spend from three-tenths to six-tenths of their school-time in practical work in science, art, handicraft, and domestic subjects. One " area " school in East Suffolk gives half of the school-time to practical subjects. This school gives only two hours per week to formal English and arithmetic, the remainder of the instruction being given through other subjects. History and geography are taught in alternate weeks for three hours per week. In some of the senior schools in this district the lesson periods last for sixty minutes or even for seventy-five minutes. As far as I could ascertain, there is no transference of senior-school pupils to secondary schools, and, in at least one county, senior-school pupils may sit for an external examination only with the permission of the Director of Education. The senior school is an end in itself, retaining most of its pupils only until they are 14, and giving them an education that will fit them for employment in commerce, industry, or domestic work. Its practical training is often of a fairly advanced nature, and similar to the early stages of our senior technical school programmes., JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. In only two of the Canadian Provinces, Manitoba and British Columbia, are there junior high schools. They were established in British Columbia in 1927, and exist now in Vancouver and six other towns of the province. Pupils from contributing schools enter them, without having to sit for any external qualifying examination, at about 12 years of age and remains for three years. In British Columbia attendance at school is compulsory from 7 until 15 years of age. The junior high school period is an exploratory one during which the aptitudes and capacities of the pupils are investigated. In Vancouver, at 14 or 15 years of age, the pupils who are academically inclined pass into the senior high schools ; the other pupils who remain at school enter the schools of commerce, the technical school, or the school of art. The Vancouver plan of education is a 6—3—3 one for those children who can remain at school till they are 18. All pupils take a " core "of subjects —(a) English, (b) history, civics, and geography, and (c) physical education and hygiene. The academic groups take Latin and French. All take manual instruction and housecraft, for which excellent provision is made in the matter of accommodation and equipment. Commercial work and art are taken by some of the pupils. The population of Vancouver is approximately 250,000. Its three junior high schools have about 1,100, 1,300, and 1,600 pupils respectively. San Francisco established junior high schools in 1921, and now has nine, and one in course of erection. All except one have over 1,000 pupils, the largest having nearly 2,000. The course is a three-year one and the school plan 6—3—3. Full-time education is compulsory to 16 and part-time to 18 or even 21 in certain cases (for those who do not meet the English requirements of the sixth grade).

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