The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-30 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

The Emperor of Russia left Livadia in the Crimea,
on the 9th, on board the Tigre. He arrived at
Theodosia on the morning of the 10th. Having
heard mass in the Cathedral, his Majesty inspected
the Military Hospital, the Museum, and the Arsenal,
and left for Kertch, where he arrived the same
evening, He inspected the Government establish-
ments there during the morning of the 11th, and
re-embarked at noon for Taman, whence his Majesty
will make a tour through part of the Caucasus.

THE EDUCATION MINUTE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,,—ln your leader upon the New Edna-
ion Minute, you draw rather an exaggerated
nfercnco from the Report of the Royal Com-
mission upon Education. You say that it ap-
pears from the above report that the children in
the schools under Government inspection can
neither " read or write with readiness and correct-
ness, nor p erform the first four rules of arithmetic,
often not perform them at all." This statement, as
it stands naked and unqualified, is very unfair to
the teachers, and, indeed, to all connected with these
schools. Is it net known that the Government in-
spectors visit annually every school, examine them
in reading, writing, arithmetic, and other subjects,
and it is entirely upon their report that the grants
are made ? It is no new thing to make grants to
depend upon work done. That has always been
the principle upon which the Government has
acted. Not a farthing reaches the school or the
certificated masters unless " their lordships " are
satisfied that there has been real work. What,
then, have the inspectors been doing all these years,
if the schools which they certify to be in a satis-
factory state do not teach the children to read,
write, nor work the four simple rules of arith-
metic ? These subjects may not have received all the
attention they deserve, but that is because the main
exertions of the teachers have been turned chiefly
in other directions by the Education Department
itself, through its Inspectors. When the Govern-
ment took in hand the national schools, they found
a low state of mental and intellectual life. There
were certain dry and lifeless tasks ; but there was
no mind, no thought. The great aim was to ani-
mate and infuse vitality. Hence arose "gallery
lessons," "object lessons," which really composed
the chief business of the school. General "intelli-
gence," " moral tone," &c., became the order of the
day, and a reaction set in against all mechanical
teaching. Reading, writing, and arithmetic,
although not wholly neglected, thus became of
second-rate importance. This state of things, what-
ever may be said of it, is clearly to be attributed
to the action of the Government, and not to the
perfunctiveuess of the certificated masters. There
may be reasons for change, but none for taunting
certificated masters with neglect of duty, as it is
the fashion with reviewers and public writers ,at
the present time. Nor would those who arc really
conversant with what the state of popular educa-
tion was in this country fifteen or sixteen years ago,
and what it is at present, complain that there has
been no progress, and that the public money has
been wasted. A CERTIFICATED TEACHER.

The murderous attack made on the members of
the English Legation in Japan decided the commander of
the French squadron in China to send the Duchayla steam-
corvette to Yeddo, to place herself at the disposal of M.
Duchesne de Bellecour, the French Charge d'Affaires.