, 1866-04-24

furnishes a most liberal support for them, it
seems doubly deplorable that the results of all
this faithful e%xertion, and unstinted expenditure,
should hitherto have been, and should still CON
tinue to be, so very limited.
This lamentable state of things may, in the
opinion of different Members Of the Commission,
be attributed to various causes, of which the
following are the principal.
|. The irregular attendance of the Children.
II. The limited term of instruction allowed
them.
III. The overcrowded state of the schools,
and
Nv. The adoption of system of teaching-the
Phonetical-not considered the best in its
application to the English Language.
l. The evil of irregular attendance, from
whatever cause arising, has now undoubtedly
attained the most injurious dimensions, and can
be remedied only by the most stringent enforce
ment of the existing School Ordinance, which
if strictly carried out, would, in the op~inionof
the Commission, be sufficient for this purpose.
To one great obstacle to its enforcement with
success, the Commission, however, deem them
selves justified in specially calling the attention
of the Government-it is to the difficulty arts
ing from the fact that the compulsory system
of attendance is not practically universal
throughout the Island. The wider license
"AASA uANOuOCCdly plONd lIc III LIIo ACOpCCu III
the Towns, cannot fail to create dissatisfaction
among the Parents in the Country, and inevita-
bly, leads to a wide spread desire to remove
their children to what they consider the more
favored places, and, when this cannot be aC-
complShed, to q most reluctant, and therefore
irregular compliance with the Law. The evil
of this state of things, not only to the cause of
Education but to the general interests of the
Community, need not be pointed out.
II. The limited term of attendance at the
daily schools now allowed the children in all
cases, is, in the opinion Of the majority of the
Commission, insufficient for such a thorough
requirement of the arts Of reading and writing
as would render them pleasant and easy exer-
cises to the children, and therefore lead to their
practice, and consequent retention, after leav-
ing school while, on the other hand, many
children of inferior ability, or who have been
prevented, it may be by uncomfortable causes,
from attending regularly at school, could hard
ly be expected to make any very great prog
ress during this limited term. At the same
time the Commission think it evident that a
wrong would be inflicted on any Parents of the
laboring class, who should be deprived of the
assistance and service of their children by their
compulsory retention at school longer than ne
cessary for the purpose above mentioned.
Thus it would be manifestly useless to retain
those ~chlldren, (Say "A per cent who are
now reported as fluent readers at the termina-
ton of the present schOol-term, any longer at
school: while it would be highly desirable that
those who, at the same time, are not 50 adj
vanced, might have the advantage afforded
them of remaining for a reasonably longer peri
cd under instruction and the Commission are
of opinion that this object might be attained by
the adjustment of the Saturday Schools, now
universally regarded as useless, the extension
of the school-term one year longer for all child
rem, and the allowance of six months, or one
years, additional instruction, at the option of
the Parents, in the case of such children as, &C
cording to the Report of the Teachers, have
not then made sufficient progress to warrant
their dismissal.
III. The overcrOwded state of the schools
the Commission consider to be an obstacle
rather possible than actual. With the present
attendance, and considering the assistance rem
dered by the Female Teachers, and the Moni-
tors, none Of the Schools can now be said to be
overcrowded to such a degree as to be beyond
the ability of a competent Teacher. But mas
much as this evil would undoubtedly become
co-existent with the increased attendance which
we hope to secure for the future, there seems
to be an absolute necessity for providing against
it. This it has been proposed to do by the
erection of new School-houses but the Com