Notices of Books.

A Handbook to School Management. By P. W. Joyce, Head Master Central Model Schools, Dublin. 3rd edition. McGlashan and Gill.-We are glad to welcome a new edition of Mr. Joyce's work, for which we had a word of commendation on its first appearance. A reperusal has confirmed our impression. It contains many practical suggestions, and has a good spice of common sense. On the other hand it does not deal with educational matters after the best fashion, and, especially, exception might be taken to some of the methods recommended, as too mechanical. A higher type of culture is needed both in aim and example, if a high intelligence is to be reached, or a well disciplined intellect secured. Still there is a large class of schoolmasters to whom such a book as this would be a boon, and to such we strongly recommend it.

English Spelling: a Series of Dictation Lessons. By A. H. Barford and H. A. Tilley. Longmans and Co.-This is a book got up with great care, with a clear conception of the difficulties of English spelling, and on a good method of dealing with them. We think it likely that where this book is used correct spelling will be a comparatively easy acquisition.

Spelling Exercises for Home and School use. By Alfred Winniforth. Relfe Brothers.-There is nothing in the structure of this book that places it above other spelling books, while in some respects it is far inferior to many of them. Its price too places it beyond the reach of schools for the poor.

The Ready Writer: Pencil-Ink edition. By H. Combes: Longmans and Co.This is a supplementary series in pencil-ink of the first eight books of this now well known set of copy books. We have in former issues expressed a very favourable opinion of the plan adopted in this series of writing-books, and we again commend them to teachers who may not have introduced them.

Murray's First English Grammar. By Edward Taylor, Master of the Model School, Kildare Place, Dublin.-This is a good and cheap grammar. It may be placed with advantage as a first book in the hands of pupils, whose stay at school is long enough to warrant the giving of systematic instruction in this subject.

Graduated Series of Reading Sheets. Longmans and Co.-Here are 17 lessons on 10 sheets. They are graduated in length, and somewhat in difficulty. They have not been written for teaching by a phonic method, and may therefore be commended as better adapted for teaching young children to read. Each lesson, from the first, is continuous in its subject, and this we hold to be another advantage to the beginners. There is also sufficient variety, as by the time a child has mastered these, he will be ready for a book.

Old Jonathan, for March. Collingridge.—Old Jonathan is still doing his work of carrying evangelical truth to the homes and hearts of tens of thousands in town and country. Teachers may do much to help on this good work. They may find in its pages material and suggestions for religious and moral instruction in their schools, and they would do well to promote its circulation among the homes of their scholars,

Atlas of the British Empire. By John Bartholomew, F.R.G.S. Philip & Son, London.-It has not seldom been urged against the study of Geography in schools, that for those boys whose school life is short, and who are destined for business, to give so much time to acquiring a knowledge of countries which they will perhaps hear mentioned but twice or thrice again in the whole course of their lives, must be a waste of valuable energy. A judicious teacher would no doubt anticipate such an objection by confining the attention of such boys to those parts of the world about which it would be most necessary for them to have some knowledge. Messrs. Philip have certainly made a good selection of such a department in publishing this Atlas of the British Empire throughout the world. We have here a definite subject, sufficiently circumscribed to satisfy the requirement of being practical, and at the same time wide enough both to afford illustration to all the principles of Physical, and to embrace the chief facts of Commercial Geography. To the general student, to the student of English History, and to Paterfamilias over his newspaper, this Atlas will be a most convenient hand-book of reference. The maps, sixteen in number, are clear and good, and are accompanied by explanatory, statistical, and historical Notes, which have been most carefully compiled.

Schiller's William Tell. Annotated by E. A. Oppen. Longmans, London.This is one of a series of German Classics, edited by the German Professor at Haileybury College. It is intended for use as a class-book, and the notes aim chiefly at supplying help to novices in rendering German idioms into vigorous English, though the need of historical annotations in this play has not been by any means overlooked, and in some few instances the etymology of difficult or interesting words has been discussed. The Editor has thoroughly well understood what for such a purpose is required.

Aids to Classical Study. By Sheppard and Turner. Longmans, London.This is a text-book for the highest classes of the highest schools, and for private use by Tutors preparing boys for the Universities. Some of our best scholars have put at the service of the Editors their choicest translations from English Prose Authors and Poets into Latin and Greek. These are contained in a key accessible only to Tutors, but the passages themselves are here printed with hints about phraseology and turns of expression. A selection has also been made of certain passages from Latin and Greek authors, which are distinguished either for their difficulty or their importance. Historical questions are also given in abundance, so framed that the student in answering them shall be taken over the entire ground of Roman and Grecian and Sacred History. The whole is so arranged that every day for a period of forty weeks, or four questions, has its task assigned. Tutors will undoubtedly accept it as a most useful book.

Educational Notices, etq.

Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education,
South Kensington.

At Whitehall, the 21st day of December, 1867.

By the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on Education.

Present-His Grace the Duke of Marlborough, Lord President of the Council. The Right Hon. The Lord Robert Montagu, M.P., Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education.

Scientific Instruction.

Local and Central Scholarships.

My Lords consider the subject of Scientific Instruction with a view to its further encouragement and diffusion.

1. They refer to the Science Directory of the Science and Art Department, and to the Minute of the Education Department of the 20th February, 1867, making additional grants for secular instruction to Elementary Schools.

2. In order to assist the artisan classes who may show an aptitude for scientific instruction, My Lords resolve to aid local efforts in founding Scholarships and Exhibitions. The Scholarship is intended to maintain the student while remaining at the Elementary school, and the Exhibition to support him while pursuing his studies at some central institution where the instruction is of a high grade.

3. Local Scholarships.-These are of two kinds, the Elementary School Scholarship and the Science and Art Scholarship.

4. Elementary School Scholarships.-The Science and Art Department will make a grant of £5 towards the maintenance of a deserving student to the managers of any Elementary school who undertake to support him for one year and subscribe at least £5 for that purpose.

5. Conditions

a. With any number of scholars up to 100 on the register of the school there can be but one such Scholarship; above 100 and up to 200 two Scholarships, and so on for each 100.

6. The Scholarship or Scholarships must be awarded in competition to the most successful student or students in some examination of the school. The absolute terms of the competition and the award of the Scholarship will be left to the managers of the school subject to the approval of the Science and Art Department.

c. The scholar must be an artisan or poor student as defined by the Science Directory, and be between 12 and 16 years of age.

d. He must not be the teacher, pupil-teacher, or other paid servant of a school.

e. He must continue regularly to attend the day school and

f. Pass in some one or more branches of Science at the succeeding May examination of the Science and Art Department, after which the Department grant of £5 will be paid.

6. These grants will be made from year to year on the condition that the student each year pass in a new subject or in a higher grade of the same subject in which he first passed. It will be for the locality to determine for how many years the student may hold the Scholarship, but in no case can he be allowed to hold it for more than three years.

7. The Science and Art Department will hereafter consider such alterations in these conditions as appear necessary.

8. The Science and Art Scholarships.-The Science and Art Department will make a grant of £10 towards the maintenance of a student at an elementary school who has taken a first grade in Freehand or Model Drawing and Elementary Geometry (see Art Directory), and passed in one of the subjects of Science (see Science Directory).

9. Conditions

a. With any number of scholars up to 100 on the register of the school there can be but one such Scholarship; above 100 up to 200 two Scholarships, and so on for each 100 scholars.

b. The Scholarship or Scholarships will be awarded to the most successful student or students in the school.

c. The scholar must be an artisan or poor student as defined by the Science Directory, of between 12 and 16 years of age.

d. He must not be the holder of an Elementary School Scholarship, the teacher, pupil-teacher, or other paid servant of a school.

e. He must continue regularly to attend the day school and—

f. Obtain at least a third class in the subject of Science in which he has already passed, or pass in some other subject.

g. In each year of holding the Scholarship he must pass either in a higher grade of the same subject or in a new subject.

10. Local Exhibitions.-The Science and Art Department will make a grant of £25 per annum to the Managers of any school or educational institution, or any Local Committee formed for the purpose, who will raise the like sum by voluntary contribution for the maintenance of a student at some college or school where scientific instruction of an advanced character may be obtained. The exhibition may last for one, two, or three years.

11. Conditions

a. The exhibition must be awarded in competition in one or more branches of science at the May examination of the Science and Art Department. The managers may select any branch or branches of science for the competition, and if more than one be taken they may fix any relative amount of marks they consider best to assign to them.

b. The place where the student is to pursue his studies may be fixed by the managers subject to the approval of the Science and Art Department. If a Government institution be selected such as the Royal School of Mines or Royal College of Chemistry, London, or the Royal College of Science, Dublin, the fees of the student will be remitted.

c. The exhibitioner must be of the artisan class or a poor student as defined by the Science Directory.

d. The grant of the Department will be paid from year to year on condition that a like payment has been made by the managers or Local Committee, and that the student has pursued his studies satisfactorily according to regulations fixed by the Department.

12. Transmit a copy to the Treasury and request sanotion to provide in the estimate for the increased expenditure likely to be occasioned by this Minute.

Explanatory Memorandum to accompany the Minute of 21st Dec., 1867.

1. It will be seen that this Minute creates three descriptions of scholarships or exhibitions for the encouragement of Science Instruction and for the support of students of the industrial classes while continuing their education. These are intended to supplement and enlarge existing action on the part of the Science and Art Department, and to promote secondary instruction in elementary schools, thus forming a connecting link between them and the Science and Art schools and classes.

2. The existing action through the Science and Art Department is to aid instruction in Science in the following subjects:-1, practical plane and solid geometry; 2, machine construction and drawing; 3, building construction or naval architecture and drawing; 4, elementary mathematics; 5, higher mathematics; theoretical mechanics; 7, applied mechanics; 8, acoustics, light and heat; 9, magnetism and electricity; 10, inorganic chemistry; 11, organic chemistry; 12, geology; 13, mineralogy; 14, animal physiology; 15, zoology; 16, vegetable physiology and economic botany; 17, systematic botany; 18, mining; 19, metallurgy; 20, navigation; 21, nautical astronomy; 22, steam; 23, physical geography. And in Art in Elementary Drawing as an education of the power of observation and in drawing, painting, modelling, and designing for mar ufacture and decoration.

3. In order to place a school or class in connexion with the Science and Art Department, it is necessary that a committee, consisting of at least five persons, should be formed, who will undertake certain duties of superintendence in connexion with it.

4. As respects Science, the aid consists of-(1) payments to the teachers on the results of instruction as tested by examination, (2) medals and prizes to the successful students, (3) grants to the school in aid of the purchase of apparatus to the extent of 50 per cent of the cost, and (4) Royal Exhibitions and free admissions to the Royal School of Mines in London and the Royal College of Science in Dublin.

5. The payments to the teachers vary from £1 to £5 according to the class in which the student is placed. There are five classes, the fifth being the lowest. The payments are only made for the instruction of students of the artizan or weekly wages class, and those whose incomes are less than £100 per annum. The teacher to be qualified to earn payments on results must have taken a 1st or 2nd class, unless he has obtained some University degree.

6. The examinations are held in May. The examination in each subject is held over the whole kingdom on the same night. It is not necessary to enable a class to be examined and obtain prizes, &c., that the teacher should be certificated. If a satisfactory committee be formed, any class or single student can be examined however taught.

7. Prizes, which, with some few restrictions, are open to all students, are given to those who obtain a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class, To the best in each subject are given a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals.

8. Six Royal Exhibitions of the value of £50 per annum, tenable for three years, are given in competition at the May examinations. Three of these are to the Royal School of Mines in London, and three to the Royal College of Science in Dublin. Free admissions are given to the ourses at these institutions to all who take gold medals.