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much time, as he has done, to this humble but useful employment, he anxiously hopes that this subject will be among the first to occupy the attention of the Society; and that the result of their deliberations and of their labours will be, that the Church of England will thenceforth possess a regular and well-digested course of progressive instruction, expressly adapted to the new method of teaching in which course, thus planned and provided under the immediate inspection of the governors of the church, the greater part of its infant members would probably be trained up, for many succeeding generations.

Of

With respect to the extent of the instruction to be afforded in the Church of England schools, the author cannot conclude these introductory remarks without expressing his hopes, that it may be such as fully to meet the wishes of that class of the community, for whose use they are principally designed. In order to become generally and permanently useful, they must be popular: and no school will be popular, or will long continue so, from which writing and arithmetic are excluded. In the present state of society, the humblest individual has continual occasion for some acquaintance with these useful branches of learning. this the poor seem now to be fully sensible; and the instances are frequent of their submitting to much inconvenience, and incurring an expence which they often can but ill afford, for the sake of having their children instructed in them. That the new schools, therefore, may not disappoint the hopes of those who shall promote their establishment, but may prove the means of securing to the church the education of its own infant poor; especial care must be taken, that the plan of instruction be not on too contracted a scale. In a preceding page, reasons have been assigned to shew the necessity, in certain circumstances, of making even

THE

VILLAGE SCHOOL IMPROVED.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

LONG before I heard of the new system of education, I had been in the practice of occasionally visiting a day-school established in my parish. It consisted generally of about twenty-five or thirty children of both sexes; all of whom were taught to read; some few to write; and such of the girls as were old enough were instructed in needle-work. The schoolmistress was an active intelligent woman; who appeared desirous of doing all in her power to bring on the children in their learning: but her plan of instruction being that which is followed in most of the old village schools, the progress made by the children, though equal to what is usually made in such schools, was by no means such as satisfied me. I formed the resolution, therefore, about two years ago, of attempting to introduce into the school some of the recent improvements in education.

I was fully sensible that what I was about to attempt was merely an experiment. No instance had come to my knowledge of the new system having been adopted in any but free schools; established, and supported by subscription, in large

towns or populous manufacturing districts. How it would succeed, when applied to a school in a small parish, where the education of each child is paid for by its parent, or some other individual, could not be ascertained without a trial; and that trial, with the consent and concurrence of the schoolmistress, I was disposed to make.

On my explaining to her the principle of the new system, viz. tuition by means of the scholars themselves d, and stating to her the outlines of the plan which I proposed to go upon; I had the great satisfaction to find, not only that she understood it, but that she clearly foresaw the advantages that were likely to arise from adopting it in her school. I thought it prudent, however, to make the first trial of the new method of teaching with five or six only of her more advanced scholars; and to be determined, by its effect upon them, whether it should be continued or not. This point was soon settled. At the end of a few weeks, the improvement of these children was so great and obvious, especially in spelling, which before had not been much attended to, that no doubt remained as to the propriety of introducing it generally into the school.

The necessary provision, therefore, having been made of sand, slates, books, &c. and the room hav

• Out of seventy children, of which the school at present consists, there are thirteen only, that are not paid for by their parents and even were the individuals, who pay for these thirteen, to withdraw their assistance, I have reason to believe that not one of them would on that account be kept from school.

The schoolmistress receives two-pence a week for each of the children resident in the parish of Enmore, who write on slates only; and three-pence for each of those who write occasionally on paper. This latter sum is paid for every child sent from an adjoining parish.

Let writing and arithmetic as well as reading be thoroughly and expeditiously taught to all the children, and there will be little occasion for free schools. Even the poorest parents will contrive to pay for those highly valued acquirements.

d See Madras School, p. 49.

ing been enlarged to its present size, and furnished with desks and forms, in July 1810, the new system began to be fully acted upon. Since that time more than a year and a half is elapsed; and every day has convinced me still farther of its excellence. As the school increased in number, alterations were of course requisite in the arrangement of classes, and other subordinate details: improvements also presented themselves, from time to time, in different parts of the system; which rendered some changes expedient. With the exception, however, of a few modifications, which at the first introduction of the system were impracticable, but which the further progress of our children enabled us to adopt, and which will be noticed in their proper places; the following account describes the school in its present state.

The method of teaching is a compound of Dr. Bell's and Mr. Lancaster's systems, with alterations and additions. In what respects it agrees, and in what it differs from each, may be seen at once in the subjoined table.

I. It agrees with both

In the division of the school into classes; each under the tuition of one of the scholars.

II. It agrees with Dr. Bell's

1. In the use of small, cheap books, in preference to cards.

2. In reading word by word, backwards, and sometimes syllabically.

3. In unreiterated spelling.

4. In the reading and ciphering lessons being accompanied with questions.

5. In keeping a register of the business done in

each class.

6. In the interrogative mode of communicating religious instruction.

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