number of candidates 13,173. The intermediate education board of Ireland, a public examining body, reports 7,682 students (5,816 boys and 1,866 girls) as coming up for examination in 1894.

THE ENGLISH SYSTEM.

At the present time the educational system of England may be thus briefly outlined:

(1) School boards have jurisdiction over nearly 20,000,000 of the population of England and Wales, and school attendance committees over 10,000,000. The former bodies have power to provide school accommodation where there is a deficiency of seats in their district, while the powers of the latter are limited entirely to the administration of the law as to children's labor and school attendance.

(2) The voluntary managers have provided and maintained three-fifths of the elementary school accommodation of the country.

(3) While the school boards have power to build and maintain their schools on the security of their local rates, the voluntary schools rely on their endowments and subscriptions for such building and maintenance.

(4) While in the voluntary schools religious teaching in accordance with the distinctive doctrines of the denominations which established them may be given, at regulated times and subject to the right of withdrawal of all children whose parents do not desire it for them, in a school board school no religious teaching or religious formulary which is distinctive of a particular denomination may be given.

(5) The grants last year amounted in day schools to £4,137,713 ($20,688,565). The average expenditure per scholar is slightly over £2 ($10); in board schools it is £2 10s. ($12.50), and the average rate of grant per head toward this expenditure is 18s. 6d. ($4.624).

The following detailed tables, relating to England and Wales, are reproduced, with explanatory comments, from the Schoolmaster of April 25, 1896:

TABLE 2.-Classified view of schools and scholars.

TABLE 3.—Subjects of instruction other than the three elementary branches.

In connection with class subjects, it will be seen from the next table that while English is gradually being discarded, elementary science and history are increasing in favor. Geography, too, shows slight signs of a growing popularity. Needlework as a class subject does not vary much. Probably in a few years' time, when object lessons have been universally adopted, this table will undergo considerable changes.

Coming to specifics, we note first of all the leaps and bounds which "shorthand" has made in popularity as a specific subject. Amongst the other subjects, algebra, mechanics, and physiology, and domestic economy apparently are making the greatest headway. Latin, for the first time for several years, shows a slight increase.

1 Under these heads provision is made for subjects above the elements.

1 Bookkeeping, geology, elementary science, history, hygiene, fruit culture, natural philosophy, navigation, practical mechanics, social economy, and Welsh.

TABLE 4.-Comparative view of free vs. paying pupils.

The figures for this year show that although the rate of increase is not so rapid as in the years immediately following the passage of the law for the remission of fees (1891), still the time is not distant when few children in primary schools will pay fees, and where fees are paid it is noticeable that the majority pay a penny per week or less. Not one child in one hundred and fifty pays more than 1 penny per week. But this growth of free education can easily be seen from the table.

TABLE 5.-Effects of the law for the remission of fees.

In looking at the increase in our school population, it is well to examine how far the almost entire abolition of fees has affected the attendance. We notice, as the next table will indicate, that there has been an increase in the percentage of attendance, and also in number of children who attend school after reaching the age of 10. This year, however, does not show any very great strides in either direction. It must not be overlooked, though, that an increase in percentage of attendance of one-tenth means an additional 5,000 children.

Denominations.

Masters.

Head.

Men.

To the totals above given, 92,580 in 1895 (73,533 in 1890), should be added the number of pupil teachers, 28,664 in 1895 (29,610 in 1890), giving as grand totals 121,244 in 1895 (103,143 in 1890).

TABLE 7.-Average salaries of certificated teachers.

Mistresses.

Head.

TABLE 8.-Annual expenditure and Parliamentary grant in board and voluntary schools

Year.

at specified dates.

Women.

Men.

Women.

Additional teachers.

Prior to 1876 the amount of the Government grant to a school could not exceed the amount raised locally. The law passed that year provided that the grant might exceed the local income but should not be more than 17s. 6d. per capita without corresponding increase in the local funds. In view of the proposal to abolish this limit it has been declared that voluntary subscriptions declined as a consequence of the liberal Government provisions of 1876. The following table shows in fact that a reduction in the per capita of voluntary subscriptions did follow that change:

TABLE 9.-Sources of income of denominational schools, with the cost and amount from each source per capita of attendance.

On the vote for £4,162,232 ($20,811,160) to complete the sum of £7,122,213 ($35,611,065) necessary for public elementary education in England and Wales, including the expenses of the education office in London, Sir J. Gorst (Cambridge University) said:

THE INCREASED ESTIMATE AND THE REASONS FOR IT.

The expenditure during the past year exceeded the expenditure of the year before by £275,000. It was greater than had been expected, and a supplementary estimate had to be taken to meet the excess. The increased expenditure was well spread over all the principal items. I do not know that there is anything in the increased expenditure to call for special mention, except that it indicates the continued progress of education in the country. There is an increase in the numbers on the books, an increase in the average attendance of those on the books, and an increase in the grants that the children earn. In the coming year we have only estimated for an increase of £186,000. That is partly due to the fact that the stimulus given to education by the act of 1891 is gradually becoming exhausted, and the progress in all parts of education, which still goes on, is the normal increase due to the increase in the population and the wealth of the country. This increase of £186,000 is again spread over every item of expenditure. The cost of inspection has increased chiefly because the evening schools are just now making great progress, and because the new system of making two surprise visits a year, instead of the regular inspection ED 96-5