upon with the principal teacher, if the school is a large one, settled in what order he means to review the teaching of the pupil-teachers; which of them he means to see taking the ordinary instruction in reading, writing, or arithmetic; and from which of them and at what o'clock, he will expect a collective lesson. In arranging his programme for this part of the inspection (which it is most essential should be carefully thought out, so as not to waste his own time, or that of the school, and so as to get the greatest possible knowledge of the school, in the shortest possible time) he will take into consideration the pupil-teacher papers, which have been worked for him at the collective examination, and which he should make a point of having looked over before he comes to the school. If, for example, a pupil-teacher has done badly, he will give particular attention to his teaching, in order to see if his bad work in examination is due to idleness or to devotion to teaching.

20. Programme of the Day's Work.-I have already supposed that the school, if a large one, consists of an experienced principal teacher, one certificated assistant-teacher, five pupil-teachers, and three candidates (see § 16). In order fully to illustrate how the inspection of such a school should be conducted, I will further suppose that the assistant-teacher is a probationer, whose teaching power must be specially tested, but that, as regards the principal, being a well-known and experienced man, it will not be necessary to require him to give lessons, but will be sufficient to ask him to take part in the examination of one or more of the higher classes, in the higher subjects (see Appendix II.); and that of the five pupil-teachers, one is at the end of the fifth year,

one of the fourth, one of the third, one of the second, and one of the first year of apprenticeship. The inspector, having examined the time-table, and conferred with the principal teacher, will make a sort of programme for himself thus.

1

I will test the three candidates from 10 to 10.30: at 10.30 I will begin my inspection of the teaching of the staff. I see by the time-table, that the following teachers will be doing the following work with their respective classes at the following hours: I shall therefore take the following course in my inspection 1 -First year pupil-teacher-reading lesson at 10.30; fifteen minutes, 10.30-10.45. Second year pupilteacher-writing lesson at 10.30; fifteen minutes, 10.45-11. Change, and ten minutes' recreation, at 11. Watch this; speak to the senior pupilteachers as to the lessons they are going to give. Fifth year pupil-teacher-collective lesson in English grammar at 11.10; thirty minutes, 11.1011.40. Fourth year pupil-teacher - arithmetic lesson at 11.40; twenty minutes, 11.40—12. Third year pupil-teacher-collective lesson in geography at 12; twenty minutes, 12—12.20. Singing heard, and dismissal watched; 12.2012.40; and, if the time is likely to be short at the end of the day, and an opportunity will not occur next day, pupil-teachers and candidates spoken to respecting their papers and teaching. Assistant

master's collective lesson in English history at 2; thirty minutes, 2 to 2.30. Examination in grammar, geography, history, and the specific subjects of

1 N.B. The secular hours of the school are supposed to be from 9.30 to 12.30; and from 2 to 4 for the lower classes, and to 4.30 for the senior classes. The inspector is supposed to have arrived at 9.50.

higher instruction, throughout the school, the principal, assistant, and senior pupil-teachers taking a part; 2.30 to 4.30. Consideration with the principal teacher of the condition of the school as regards the results of inspection, and, if not done before, review of their examination papers with the pupil-teachers; 4.30 to 5.

Such a programme as this will give a complete view of the whole organization of the school, its staff, their capacities and duties, its system, &c. ; and, when combined with the individual examination in the elements, which is to follow, or has already been effected, forms as complete and searching a test as any institution has to go through. No other class of schools, it may safely be asserted, could stand such a trial. And now for the details of it.

21. Inspection of a Reading Lesson.-The inspector, accompanied by the principal teacher, goes to the class-room, where the first year pupilteacher is to take his reading lesson. They place themselves where, with least intrusion, they can best observe and hear all that passes between the young teacher and his scholars. The principal teacher does not of course interfere at all the inspector only so far as the shortness of the time at his disposal renders it necessary for him, when satisfied on one part of the process, to ask the pupilteacher to pass to a latter part. For example, in the above supposed programme (see § 20), the reading lesson of the first year pupil-teacher will really last half-an-hour; but the inspector can only afford fifteen minutes for it. He must, therefore, if he wants to see the pupil-teacher's teaching in all the different parts of a reading lesson, stop him, when he is satisfied with one part of the process, ard

request him to go to another. It is, of course, desirable to do this as little as possible; as it discourages. If a young teacher has prepared his lesson properly, all the parts of it will hang together; and he will be sorely put out, if told to alter his course. In the above supposed case, where, simultaneously with the first year pupil-teacher's reading lesson, a second year pupil-teacher's writing lesson is going on, a better plan will be for the inspector to hear the reading lesson, say, for eight minutes, then to go for twelve minutes or so to the writing lesson, and to return for the remaining ten minutes to the reading lesson. And this kind of thing should be done as much as possible; the great object in inspection, as distinguished from examination, being to disturb the order of the school as little as possible.

On reaching the class-room, or part of the school-room, where the reading lesson is beginning, the inspector, having regard both to the pains which have been taken by the principal teacher in training his pupil-teacher, and to the diligence and aptness of the lad himself, will observe such things as these, in addition to those already noted for a candidate (see § 18):

First-Does he place himself where he can duly see, hear, and be heard?-The class should be so arranged and he should be so far off from it that he can see every child in it with a movement of the eye only, by just raising the eye from the book. No child should be so placed, nor should he so stand or sit, that he is obliged even to turn his head to look at any one child, still less to turn his body. He should have a little desk in front of him, on which he may place his book and any preparatory

notes he may have made, so as to have his hands free. On the other hand, he must not be so far off as to be obliged unduly to raise his voice to make himself heard, or as that he cannot easily hear the furthest child in the class reading in his natural voice. Under no circumstances must he move to his scholars, or touch them, but must control them with the eye; and the inspector, if he has with him his notes of what he was as a candidate, will look to see what progress he has made in the use of the eye. Secondly-What are the relations between him and his class?-Has a year's apprenticeship produced a reserve on his part towards his former fellowpupils, and a respect on theirs towards him? Do they watch his eye? When he speaks is he attended to? The inspector will, of course, inquire carefully how long he has been in charge of this particular class. Is he ready and full of resource when a hitch or difficulty occurs in the lesson? For example, when a child is unable to master a word or phrase, does he understand how to get forward without telling or helping him too much? Does he keep all the class at work? For example, by questioning, and by requiring the better readers to help the worse; and by not putting the children on to read in regular order.

Thirdly Does he understand the proper use of simultaneous teaching ?-Nothing will show better than this whether the principal teacher has taken any pains to train him during the year, and nothing in teaching reading is more important.

A reading lesson, which is designed to last halfan-hour, should be conducted somewhat in the following order :

(1). Fifteen minutes. (a) The teacher reads a