, 1865-08-15
Summnttt1tfrt5
To the Editor of the St. CrOix Avis
DEAR SIR,

Driver from h1S original pOSIIIOu OH CillS
point, and finding it utterly untenabIe, the
Superintendent, determined to close MS
ewes to the real cause of the failure OF the
Schools, and to defend his hobby to the
last, looks about for other reasons to sub
stitute for his exploded absolute hIndrar-
ces." He finds these in LIST. The non-eX-
istence here, of Infant Schools. 2nd The
smaller number Of School hours per diem
and Ord. The fewer number OF Schools,
as compared with the English Islands. Let
us then examine these points patiently III
detail.
One would certainly conclude, from the
manner in which the argument under the
1st head is put, that, in every district IN
the Island Of Antigua, an Infant School IS
established, as preparatory to the JuTehile
School of that District and that THIS fcgu~
lar progression in the schooling OF the
children takes place, if not i'll all, at least
in the vast majority Of cases. But nothing
can be wider Of the truth than such a sup
position. The fact is that there are really
very few Infant Schools; and that, even II
there were a greater number, the mStfuc-
ton niven in them is not OF such q nature
as TO make them of that great value, as
preparatory to the higher Schools, that the
Superintendent seems to think them. AS
to their numbers, we find that, III Antigua
out of % Church Of England Schools, there
are tuo Lfan5 SchooLs, one an 1otoA, "h@
one IN Tie C0untry the laiter nHmber'R9' M
all, SO chiidrN. The instruction given IN
these is almost exclusively religious, con-
sisting of the oral teaching Of simple Cate
chisms, Infant Hymns, &c. and the age
orally s, rather than 4, as ASSERTED. These are
the factS connected with these Institutions
in the Island Of Antigua; and IeaVe the
community to Judge how far they assist
in producing the 50 per cent. readers IN
the Schools of the Bishop OF Antigua and
to decide whether they give that great adj
vantage, asserted by the superintendent, to
the Bishops Schools over ours.
AS to the number of hours Given to the
daily session, let us hear from the lips OF
the Inspector in Antigua how this matter
stands. s'Juvenile and mixed Schools are
open,'' he says, "43 hours, ana Infant
Schools 4 hours. daily, there being one
hours intermissio ion for recrcatlonand lunch
Now allowing 20 minutes, a very moderate
allowance, for loss of time IN dlsmlSSln9,
and rearranging the Schools, before and
after this intermission, and we have the
same number of hours session in the one
class of Schools, and a shorter session IN the
other, thar we have in our Schools, per
diem. The number of hours being thus
equal, it only remains for us to decide the
resDective ADVANTAGES Of 4 hours scloOl-
ing, in the middle and warmest part OF the
dav, with one hours interruption; and
the same number of hours uninterrupted
instruction, in the cool of the morning and
forenoon. 1 suppose that, in this Climate,
there can be but one opinion on this point.
The third great advantage attributed to
the English Schools is that Of a greater
number of Schools. This of course is but
our old would-be giant, "overcrowded-
ness,'' in another garb; and quite as weak
in this as in the other. AT first glance
this argument is imposing, and appears to
be a strong point, but a little explanation
of facts strips it of all semblance OF power