AND PRENCE EDWARD ISLAND ADVERTISER.

CHARLOTTETOWN, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1843.

, '[No. 289.

V S G H 0 0 L v I S I T E B ’ s R E P 0 R ill . Undefthe following general heads, a view is given of the state and system of education in the Island ; r F 0 R T H E Y E A R l 84 2 ' _ From the uniformity of plan in tuition, which has for some time past, been obtaining among the' fly ' school? the same general remarks under the following heads will, with little variation, apply to each > c, To the Alembers qf the Board of Education : I and al , and in those instances where such general remarks are not applicable, the exceptions Will be

found duly noticed in the sequel.

_ SCHOOLi‘ACCOMMODATION.—N0llllng strikes the eye of the observer in traversing the Island, more than the Since me date ofmy last Annual Report, the state and prospects of elementary education on the improvements which have lately taken place in school-accommodations ; although too many schools are yet , Island, if not so far advanced and promising as those of older and more favoured coumries, have yet sadly defiCientand inconveniently small, more commodious school—houses have been built, and others put I become so important and interesting, as to demand and attract a considerable share of public attention ; mm gOOd. repmr’ dunng the last’ lha" m any former year' AllhOUgh .inlpmvements have laken'place in g Mame advances and Improvements hitherto effected, inspire the hope, that year by vear’ the Schools of the exterior of several of these edifices, and a larger space aflorded Within for the exercise of the classes, our éOHntry will become more and more efficient instruments in rearing a virtuous and intelligent gene— regret {-0 ‘ mile N to‘smm’ that’ among a” the schmls 0t: the COIOny’ there are “Qt "10%th a.d°zen if, ‘_ 2-” Happfly it is not necessary at the Present day, to dwell upon the advantages of providing for the instances in which the school houses are well furnished With benches and desks, or sufficiently lighted Pie, awndam means 0f instruction. It is to be presumed that none will deny, that were an the heated, and ventilated. Apart from any conSideration for the comfortof the teacher, it is a matter of f Youth of the country brought under the influence of a sufficient and wholesome education, the surprise, that parents should not display more soliCitude than they do, in many instances,for the health of lavhole character of the population would be speedily elevated, and their outward comfort would keep thelr.Ch'ldmn by me" fluenmn t” mime matters ; .none.’ can be Ignoranl of “I? senous.m-lu.nes . Children ca withvtheir intellectual progress. sustain, from being shut up seven or eight. hours daily, in close, damp, ill-ventilated bmldings, in conse- i .In Proceeding to state all the Educational Statistics that have come under my notice during the past qua”? of Whmh’ the” lungs are, smel‘arged “"th ‘1 PO’SOH’ Whmh 1“ the end? mu“ pmduce consumpuon

‘ year, it will appear that all the Schools now maintained upon allowances from the Public Revenue are anA( eat 1' f, - i . in number “2, affording Instruction to 4630 pupils ; giving an increase over the past year of 8 Schools TTENDANCE AT Sermons—The children geiieially enter school between seven and eight years of

Gentlemen ;

and 274 Scholars. age, and seldom remain after thirteen or fourteen. About thirteen out of twenty, on an average, attend _ Ofthese Schools,‘ it Will be seen from the appended summary, that 44 are Situated in Queen’s, 41 in theOWFOQB 79“,“ mm l"?.f§c?pl1°‘1.0f the] usualvnm'lon: 'llhe Enerlldapce '5 m0.“ "regumr from May : ‘ Prince, and'fi? m ngas Coumics‘ , o c 0 01, W ion the cu rcn aSSist at iome in agricu turn an oi ier occupations. Each teacher

hwmbe remembered from ample data furnished by the, Census takenin 1841’ it was computed by is required to keep a list of the names of the children, the number of days each has been

C

i

|' Win my Report of inst year that about one fifth ofthe population are between the anes of six and four_ absent and in attendance, their strith of iniprolvelmeiét on enltlering sclioolithe brancfhes learning, and their r r . the-“venileeducafionala C. Now on] one in - e C - , __ - , progiess in each stage, ticse ro s are ex ll)lle at eac \iSitation, tie stateo the school caSily and ? teen’ f 'i ‘ h gt, ’ y mu Oflhe Oinmumty attends SChOOl- fdllmg “let far satisfactorily ascertained, and it is thus found, Whether the proficwncy .of the pupils in the interim has i. short 0 tie proportion t at oug. t, on the most moderate calculation to attend School to insure the educa . . . . . g tion of all been commensurate With their attendance and other advantages: some teachers also make it an invari- o . '. ‘ . . . . . . ' ' ' ' 't te v'th benefit to call fre uenil at t resi . 7- ’ ‘ r It Is believed, and the fact has been generally assumed in the Statistics of education, that children qble .mki’ {winch atlchrggflsrng Eonllclthe Game’s of qbscncg &cy he dence Of the Cluldren’ to if even of the poorest classes, to receive the requisite instruction, ought to be in constant attendance at eniif‘lresm 0 16” E1 Euclléwgms ’_It has» new; been {he iracticc in Prince Edward Island ‘0 a I; School, between the ages of Six and fourteen. This state of matters, however, has not been realised SCMfimquD QTlflqh‘ynn‘ce ‘rlti'eacl;ers are of Opium“ that wfm gchOOLfees aid in advance it wolllfi i, among us ; and it is not uncommon that the little education ever given, is hurried over in infancy, in order 1 ‘ erg 1 ‘ “ ' ' ' ’ ‘ F ’

that the school may interfere as little as possible With domestic avocations—the culture of the mind with :elry P§°bably£c mile?Ingfarzzlgigfofihsnffiila;12:2?“fifddafihetezaigign' ah? iiharfiitzflghitngttallgzxg the labours of the hand—the preparation for the future, with the necessities and exigencies for the present. ,Flie i.) fice “1 e fi‘f‘gethe common branchgsyof an finnlish educatiofi avgm 6 “gm seveg' shillings an-(i All the instruction, therefore, that very many receive, terminates before they have reached their ninth, . e 865 per quar.”.’ r It - ,d d bbvl w th H- ’ Hdg l n b d . Dd tenth, or eleventh year. The fact then is established, that a very large amount of population has not S‘xlchtce u? tetn slyllmgs schfol Scogpaiat’ivela Sggqlcnumlr)‘: 5v?“ thgmgefiggfif “Iii: . . . . . . . . rr ‘ ‘ - ‘i ‘ c , i ; the benefit of SchOol instruction for such a length of time, as is requisne to ensure to them the education Om l“ 0”” ms “1" 10“ m I ’ 'y

. . . . . . ber of children in indigent circumstances receivinv free instruction on the

i > W V -_ _ ‘ . priiilege. The total num _ r a _ ~ , z, . ' _

Ell f unit-he dfmpimeh hph lt lifimécssiryfthcy flfihomd posse-S? f th f d t- th I 1 1 island, does not exceed twenty-nine. I‘he yearly salary of a District schoolmaster, including the Legis-

ill " ‘ .15 no .0“ y’ owever’ e wan 0 a su Clem prqv‘smn 0 6 means 0 8. “ca ".3" on e .sam’m hiive auowance avemnes fortv-five pounds. The amount of, the fees seems materially to deter . _ the insuffiment resort to those that have been prowded, that calls for the immediate attention of the I‘vmny from sendi‘m a“ yheir Children to school and from seekim for them the hinher branches of edu_

re 3 ’ (‘overnmeut and the Leei‘lature' not less w th of their attention is the s'ill defective unlitv ofthe ‘ . a . i ’ . a a ' -

an ‘ . -‘ truction which in not°aafcw ins’.“ CS ., a. V orbythe mnans 1h,” hwe been lmvidcd r13) dpn' how_ cation. The reduction of the present scale of school-fees, would doubtless afford conSiderable relief to

u, - m; that Great ‘1’“ in (mam i‘ ‘ Eve ‘5 Dre]? 3;. 1 “gr m‘ucfim have Elke“ {we of lgteyyears many, and in all probability more members of a family would be sent, and some would be continued

ev . its iiir mensin ins ii ‘1 .' L « .» -, — ' - q' - k, wouid be “to oppose “Fe experienpce and testimony of a“ Whig have directed any agent-Ion to the sub: longer at schools. But Without a corresponding increase of salary to the teacher, to be derived from

i - . . . . . - . , . - ther source thelowerinfr of the fees would be an evil b diminishin‘r the inducement for 'oun g i. ect as Well as an act of injustice to many able teachers who for years have strivcn incessantly in a some 0 ’ . '7 . ’, D l g I" v l ’ ’ . - ~ d d i t orthemselves to the rofesSion.

4 . - - ~ - ~ - - . r ‘ men of talent and e ucation eio mg p

= ; spirit of duty and emulation to raise the standard of education in their several localities. The strict

- . - . . . . ’ .v v i'r.-—-Tlie attention of teachers is rinci all directed to readineand orthc ra h " but it _ W; examination too, which candidates for schools now undergo, as to their character and attainments before LRAI‘CHES TAU“ ‘ P p y c g P y,

, , - - - - . is a matter of rewrct that by far too many children quit school without being correct even in these branches. rd your Bgardl‘Rm-‘lerfhny and materially contrlbmés to fills eduqmlonal nifmm' -. . ~ This is to be rfittributed in a great measure to the vicious habits of pronunciation first formed in tender m_ Q But tne CXisting defects of elementary education which claim attention, conSist in the very imperfect years under unqualified teachers With several teachers also, Possessed of the requisite qualification, e" I map-net m Whmh even the a” Offend-mg ls 9&0? vamrgd—m the neglea’ by many, Ofa“ IPStrucuonim to be’able to read perfectly is too often a matter of secondary consideration; and neglecting this great :ll. 3 wmmg’ and the common “1168 Of arithmetic—m the lime exemlse 0f the mmds 0f the pupils Upon me trrouridworl' of instruction they freQi‘ently display a reprehensibie ambition to Push the Pupil forward 3c. ‘ a . l . . . . . _ . ' \ , I I A, ' . ' I .

“m sense 3f Whaltl thécyhreald—in tale]: insufi’i‘;lent {efihlng Of the "mills Pf Religion and m thlel “El-3 Of Sfuih Hflirough branches unsuited alike to his years, capaCity and attainments. The range of female education,

for metho s in t e _c 00 s as can ave no avouia einfluence on t ie improvement or gflnera “1 “S 0 t e 3 am happy to add, appears to have considerably extended of late years, and of the girls who now leave

3:: » pupils. If there IS a neceSSity, therefore, for carrying elementary education into districts where the sem- choo‘ a considerable Proportion are able to write, and possess some knowlequ of amhmelic_while in

up 3 , blance of it does not must, it is almost equally necessary to carry it to other places where it does most, severai places, their attainmentsingrammar and geography, equal “1050 of the best educated young men.

but under SUCh defeats a? those herd) descnbed' ' . - - But to return,_Arithmctic is taught first, principally from the board, and then from books. The chil-

L ' . The ver-y sniaIItl),r0pOfll-On ff puPllS‘ VVhEprOSCCUtF the Stl-Xdy ththe hlgher bramlzhes of Cline???) m8“: dreri, after having been first instructed in llle'commOYl I‘llles, are alSO trained in mental arithmetic. Per-

. . llChOOIS’ w‘" a 50 eseen ".1 t 1? segue ' very .day S experience. owevcr’ Strengmns 1 le comm lonii d3} haps ten out of the hundred, leave school Without liavmg advanced beYond the Rule of Proportion.

Lion lfonce elementary education is raised to what it ought to be, this shall have taken place by means Vi 11?] From data furnished me by every school, lfind that one out of thirty, receives instruction in Mensura-

’dml Wl“ “tend 3' favourable Influence towards the hlgher educamn’ and lead to “5 Enoge acnelal pugsuit' tion Practical Mathematics, and Geometry. Grammar invariably forms a branch of education in the best

5” a" ‘ These means will be found in the more eneral and more liberal endowments o t e istrict sc 00 s. ’ ‘ - ' , fl. - . I - h b d h -

i |" " ' . . . ’ g . - - - conducted schools when the children have made su icxent progicss. t is muc to e regrette ,t at so im-

on; ‘ This Will present inducements to many who are capable of more than clementaiy teaching, and in. this ppormm and “501.111 a branch of human knowledge as Geography Should be so much _ ted in our

, manner, not only Will a set of teachers be found, qualified to instruct in the higher branches; but the dispo- country schools There is not one school in twemy, in which it is taught, and eve . ose schook

"" ‘ ’ Sm?" t9 take lhese. h‘gher branches’.lml Spread largely amongdhe people i for a gqod elemenialy millim- ii'here it forms a part of the routine, the want of an adequate supply of books and maps, prevents it from

{33: i: ‘ cation imparted with the Vigour which the best metnods require, and received With the avidlly'Willcll heme, mun!“ systematically or effectively Out of St. Andrew’s College and’the Central Academy, not

if“; i» r alwilys “mimosa-ms an energeilc mode qf'teaChmg’- W-lll inspire bath the pupils and the Pal-ems With the mot: the: a dozen pupils will be found, learning the Latin or Greek languages in all the schools of the Is-

W" ' deS‘te 0f advancmg ‘0 somethmg of ‘1 h'gher descnpt‘on' . . . . . . . land. The Scriptures are daily read in many of the schools; and in several, different Catechisms taught,

I ‘ “must be confessed’ that many sememems suger this educational dfisumtlorfi’ With?” fummemly and the mode of reading mechanicallyionly, is gradually disappearing before the explanatory system. "

fl. . ' exerting themselves to call into action all the latent means on the spot, W ich mig t supp y he want or which inralmost a“ of thebest schools is eflbcfively practised. area. 2 contribute to do so. This is the natural source of remedy, and until it has been exhausted, there is no SCHGOL BOOKS AND OTHER SCHOOL’REQUISITES._T},C Books most genera“), empioyed in teaching, a, i, call either on charity or policy to offer any other. The want must sometimes be asCribed Simply to indiffer- for readhw Murray,s Spelling book, Immducrion and Reader, New Testament ; for Grammar, Lennie’ ,. _ 1 .ence on the part of the people: In so far as that disposnion may he theefibct ofa depressedand in some (17, M‘Culli—ich’s Grammars; for Arithmetic, Gray’s, 6L Walkingame’s treatise; for Mathematics, Playfair’s in, i I iwmnces’ a “98 State Of hfe’ It cannm Of course be removed or rfamedled by any power WhICh the eXISt- Euclid and Davidson’s practical mathematics. The expense ofschool books is found to be a very serious "- Y lug latcppéf‘s' But Where it is Era-ceazle tilled)!“ causesasom: influencelmiw be. l”°“$h:1‘° impediment in the way of a good education ; even in the most ordinary branches, all the children have eff; . ;_ .“iby Wthll be *Et leaSt-fim‘P‘She - “01 may 3 one, Y Paw”? 3‘ monmon’ “"3 m b y} f not books. These are consequently shut out from the benefit of study at home, and in a great degree

Ind, ~ presence of ’fiachers in the Vicinity fitted to command attention to wnat they profess , when 01.1 0 from the benefit of emulation at school. To remedy this in part, several teachers have nieritoflously him _. these means have been occasionally employed, they have not failed in having much of the deSired made efforts to supply these wants and some copies of the reading books used, are kept at school and}. I .cam- effect. Something, too, might be expected of individiials interested in'the locality, and-able to prowde lent to those who may not have coéies for themselves. / . . ‘ rut-“,1: i for its proper education, when the people themselves are not-1n a capacity to do so; but it is remarkable METHODS OF TEAcrllNd—The explanatory or intellectual system is daily com-mg more into vogue, "' me how few are the instances Of this medepf beneVOIence’ 1" Prince Edward Igland' - - and practice. The monitorial system is partly employed and felt in many respects to be advantageous.

Lon- From the foregomg then, the fact Will be apparent to your Board and the public, that the educational The ,an of Simuhaneous instruction, and the elliptical method of teaching are occasionally employed. Jury wants of the country are very far from having been adequately met. But froiirwhatsoui-ce, the funds DlBEIPLmE__D-ld parents more frequently co-0pemie with the teachers, for noticing and punishing _ , “‘93, r the purpose 0f meeting these wams Shall be derived’ Is a quesnon {or the-celluldimuog- 0f?" Cillomal all transgressions, either in school or out of it, a salutary influence would be exercised over the beha- M ‘ .a'hamem' [.nay’l howevetr.’ be allowed 0 add’ that there a": two m parilcufaalt at (S) ertlvsTs‘: gels-t: viour and morals of the children, and less necessny would exist for the use of punishinent'at school; under oN- I flew—an add‘tlona 6’“th mm the inlth funds: or a genera assessmen 0 6 re pee l 0 n "p this head, tasks are prescribed to the Children when out of school, and to the preparationof these, they /, or parisheS. _ . , _ 7. A keenly devote themselves. Emulation is employed as a stimulus, and in addition to their place in the

all“ “hall merely add wnh reference to the second source or Prowswn here anmled lo, Hz. ssessmem class the practice ofdistributing occasional prizes Wlth a 1'8fel‘ellce to the merits of the children, appears N a, i that public opinion is divided on the question,whethe’r the maintenance of schools should fall'on the land- to ha’ve a powerful influence_ In one or two cases only last year, did the practice of inflicting degrading g; is: I edinterest throughout the country, in proportion to their estates or rentals; or, whether It would be and unmemiful corporal Dunishmem come to my knowiedge_a mode of disciplinc,_which appears to in I‘l" ' more equitable, that any assessment for educationalpurposes should extend to the otherkinds of real pro- have been in former years"mther too extensively practised. '

3",: - tinny. Sufiice it to say, that these two sources are the obvious resources against the eXisting eVils of an ACADUN AND OTHER SCHOOLSFJrhere are six Acadia“ Teachers among the French population, a" or P-t- flic1ent provision for elementary education throughout the country. Which of them may be employed artially supported by Government ; 130 children altogether are taught. Sabbath schools are on the irJo- most readily, most acceptably, and With the best effect, is a question whichmust he‘left t: thehdeierl'fil- {increase There are no infant schools, or schooh ofindustry, with the exception of the one now in course 1‘1" ‘ "no" of the Comma! .Leglsfature' Bat Whatever “heme may be.ad0pled’ it - '5 Obnous t at t; egls‘ of erection in Charlottetown. Week-day evening schools are sometimes kept during the winter months,

. V lature alone can effectively impart that support to the schools which they plainly appear to he . attended for the most Pan by adult scholars. / ' Itisdesirable owever that these additional crrants if made should take effect rinci ally in the poorest I . . . _ ‘ esol‘ . i : c ’ .’ P - ' - ' fllhl dSh 1 h th tteofeachatt‘ic d

' on blots of t countr where the le are unable to raise amon themselves, that proportion of the The followmg is a detailed accounto a t e icense c 00 s, s owmg e s a i. perio

no! . 1e y: , . . r g . - - ' '

baring: maintenance of a teacher, which the regulations of the exrsting law require as conditional torany grfant of the last examlflfltlon- QUEEN,S COUNTY

J" . . - - - ' ect 0 an '

‘ '1 mad ' hus circumstanCed are unwrllin to build where there is no prosp . . ‘33:? 4 crime 5:, ac“: tigsrpffiglfegcher and consequiamly no assugmnce of a school being kept up even after Charlottetown, P. B. Dona—The attendance on this school has fallen ofl‘durmg the past year ;_24 of th‘ i the buirdingpfiag been provided ’ only being on the roll ; the only branches taught are reading, writing, and the primary rules of arith- { .' ‘ ' , , . - . - - a .

Pertle" r ‘ There are sufficient grounds for further Legislative interference'in a prevailing deSire throughout the metic. ‘ A congregational fund of ceiiSiderable amoqné set apvaJSt $2323! 2:: 31:,“qu of poor (mildx‘en

be Pro. ',?l°“y, t0 pOSsess a certain measure of instruction, and an inability to obtain it without aid. Such aid, at this School, and as yet but two or three have aiai e emse an age.

H I}! = "'1" cause the establishment of schools in poor localities where they are urgentlyiieeded, and Will sustain Chaflouetown Royalw, T_ A.1\IACCABE._TJI~,S school numbers 98; the state of Improvement ,g which 1

r.’ i 15 already in CXlS‘emes but malma'lned With dlflic‘my on agcolmt Of the Pauc‘ty or queriy or tllehscilllo' this school has attained is highly ycreditable to both the teacher and taught. The classes learning En—

, an: by making an advance on the slender salaries of teachers, it Will secure for the localities in whic t ey gush Grammar are rapidly acqumng a correct knowledge of that branch, several read and.“ me we", fig V fireplaced, the benefit of their_services, and will encourage and stimulate them in the performance of their and the method of teaching pursued m the school is very praiseworthy. The schoolhouse is neat and

firm!» , ‘3 ' “(lupus though interesting duties, and at the same time, will raise and perpetuate a class of teachers Whose comfortable. .

sfl'hlifications maybe adapted to the more advanced state, which education in many parts of the adjacent I (To be concluded in our next.)

W ' fitish Provinces is now rapidly approaching.