The educational record of the province of Quebec, 1 novembre 1908, Novembre

[" = 0180 : ee 15 à + + Educational Record 7 .of the Province of Quebec No.11 November Vol.XXVIII ARTICLES: ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.ANNUAL CONVENTION.\u2018The annual convention of the Provincial Association of Protestant Teachers was held in the High School, Montreal, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October L5, 16 and 17, 1908.The weather was ideal, and the attendance was the Jargest in the history of the association.On Thursday morning the reports of the different committees were read and adopted.The main feature of this session, however, was the motion of Miss M.L.Ferguson re amendment to the Pension Act.Miss Ferguson moved \u201cThat the educational authorities of this Province be requested to procure such amendment to the present Teachers\u2019 Pension Act as will make it of greater benefit to officers of primary instruction.\u201d Whilst the general concen- sus of opinion of the convention was in sympathy with the motion, yet the animated discussion which took place later showed clearly that all were not in accord with the ways and means adopted to secure this much-desired reform.On Thursday afternoon Prof.J.A.Dale, of McGill University, gave a very interesting address on \u201cImagination in Education,\u201d and Miss Ethel Hurlbatt, of Royal Victoria College, read an excellent paper on \u201cThe Teaching of RE RE RE ER EO I NR IC TPL GEL er TT RHR RR NER FIN 346 \u2018The Educational Record.History,\u2019 in which she described the latest methods in the presentation of history in the school room.A resolution was passed to the effect that both papers be published in the Fducational Record.At the evening session the address of welcome was made by the Rev.Dr.Paterson-Smyth.The other speaker of the evening was the Rev.E.J.Bidwell, D.C.L,, head master of Bishop's College School, who dwelt emphatically upon the ethical element in education.On Friday morning, after the disposal of routine business, the convention broke up into sections.The Superior School section discussed questions relating to the work in Superior Schools.The most enjoyable feature of this session was the interesting address given by Dean Moyse on \u201cThe Merchant of Venice.\u201d The teachers who were present received an inspiration which will help them throughout the year.In the Elementary section Mr.H.H.Curtis, director of French in the Protestant schools of Montreal, gave a paper on \u201cFrench Teaching in the Light of European Experience.\u201d As this paper deals with the teaching of this subject in the higher grades, Mr.Curtis has kindly allowed it to be published in this issue of the Record.Mr.Carl Place, of Westmount Academy, gave an excellent address on the \u201cTeaching of Writing.\u201d In his opinion the death knell of vertical writing has been rung.In the Kindergarten and Primary section topics in connection with the work were ably discussed by specialists in this branch of education, viz: Miss Bennett, of Hoch- elaga; Miss Crathern, of King\u2019s School, and Miss Van- Vliet, of Coaticook.Instead of the usual afternoon session, a trip was made to the Macdonald College, Ste Anne de Bellevue.Fully five hundred teachers availed themselves of this privilege.Upon their arrival at the college they received a most cordial welcome from Dr.Robertson, the members of his staff and the pupils of the institution.Under the guidance of the pupils, the different buildings were visited, the equipment inspected, and the afternoon passed pleasantly and profitably, but too quickly, away.Some of those re if French Teaching in Our Schools.347 present that afternoon will return again as students to this institution, and others will go back to their schools imbued with the determination to encourage and assist any lad or lass o\u2019pairts to take a course of training at the Macdonald College.At the evening session, Prof.John Brittain, Macdonald College, gave an interesting lecture on the educational value of Nature Study, and Dr.Sinclair gave an illustrated lecture on \u201cThe English Schools.\u201d On Saturday morning, after routine business, Dr.Frank Adams of McGill gave an interesting and instructive lecture on \u201cMountains: their origin, growth and decay.\u201d The remainder of the morning session was occupied in discussing questions which had arisen from the action taken by the Montreal Association of Women Teachers in regard to the nomination of officers.The officers elected by the convention for the coming year are as follows: President\u2014Miss M.L.Ferguson.First vice-president\u2014Dr.Rexford.Second vice-president\u2014Miss Lawless.Third vice-president\u2014Mr.McBurney.Recording secretary\u2014Inspectory\u2014Inspector McOuat.Correspondng secretary\u2014Mr.T.I.Pollock.Treasurer\u2014Mr.Bacon.Representative to the Protestant Committee \u2014Miss Hunter.Pension committee \u2014Mr.Hopkins and Mr.Rowell.Executive committee\u2014Inspector McCutcheon, Mr.Rol- litt, Miss McCoy, Mr.Rivard, Miss Mitchell, Miss Grant, Miss Duffett, Miss Peebles, Miss E.Stuart, Mrs.Irwin, Miss Baillie, Miss Ross and Mr.McArthur.1 FRENCH TEACHING IN OUR SCHOOLS IN THE LIGHT OF EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE.(H.H.Curtis.) All the accounts which I have read of what is called in Europe the \u201cReform in Modern Language Teaching\u201d place the beginning of the movement about the year 1880, eau.348 : The Educational Record.with the appearance of the remarkable writings of Professor Viator and other German scholars.It is probable that the time was ripe for a change, as political writers are fond of saying.At any rate the paper led to a great amount of controversy, resulting in extended experiments and the gradual development of what they called the \u201cNew Method,\u201dwhich in time extended, under various names and with considerable variation in details, through most of the countries of Europe, making a short-lived appearance in the United States, and taking root in the Province of Quebec, where local conditions favored its development.When the \u201cNew Method\u201d was well established on the Continent, the efficient but somewhat conservative British schoolmaster began to think about it, and during the last few years the \u201cDirect Method,\u201d as they call it in Great Britain, has made rapid progress, including among its advocates a distinct majority of the Modern Language teachers of the country.For a statement of the principles of the \u201cNew Method\u201d and a fuller account of the history of this interesting movement, I should like to refer you to a series of lectures delivered in 1902 in the Columbia University by Dr.Bahlsen, a German superintendent of schools.This little book is published by Ginn & Co., of Boston, and I understand that before long you will be able to borrow a copy from the library of this association.It 1s perhaps unfortunate that we were not during this formative period in closer touch with the larger Furopean movement.It might have helped us in dealing here with similar problems, notwithstanding the fact that the conditions in Europe are somewhat different from those which obtain here.However that may be, it can scarcely fail to be of interest and of advantage now, especially to the smaller group of those concerned, to study the course of these two separate currents of human endeavor, which started from the same impulse a quarter of a century ago, and which have since been making their way independently toward the same goal.Realizing this, I resolved last spring to visit Europe for the purpose of studying educational conditions at close range.For some months I had been following with great interest the discussions already RASH \u201cès, hay long nt Sey ey 0 far at, iv 9 of ! | French Teaching in Our Schools.349 referred to which have been going on in the English educational press.I had also examined a number of new text-books and had entered into correspondence with leaders of the movement in Great Britain.One should make a certain preparation for a trip abroad, whatever the purpose of the journey may be.Of course I must not stop to speak to you of the incidental pleasures of such a journey, the delights of an Ital- lan spring time, the picturesque life of Naples, the wonders of Pompeii, the salubrious climate of Capri, the palaces of Genoa, the wonderful cathedral at Milan, the charming lakes of northern Italy.These things form quite another story, which would be the story of the first month we spent in Furope.Then came the interesting journey northwards by the St.Gotthard through Switzerland, where another week was spent amid such glorious scenes as only Switzerland can offer, and that only in the month of June.Quite as interesting to me, however, though in another way,were the days I spent in Germany, chiefly at Frankfort, studying the methods of teaching French employed there, and discussing with men, equally interested in the subject, problems with which I have been wrestling for many a long year.I had taken the precaution to obtain through the British Consul at Naples and the British Ambassador at Berlin the necessary official permits, and had the advantage of discussing local conditions with an English professor resident in Frankfort, himself the author of a junior French course, with whom I had had previous correspondence.It is rather warm in Germany in the month of June, and I was not sorry to be informed that in hot weather school work begins at 7 o\u2019clock in the morning.It was an inspiration to follow during several days the class work of Director Walter, principal of a High School, who yet finds time, so great is his enthusiasm in the subject, to take some of the French classes in his school, especially the classes of beginners.Several of Dr.Walter's assistants, most of them Doctors of Philosophy, admitted me to their classes in which both French and English were i IE ai 3 SHIT H à THIN i IT A ro Er : + FHT ; : TL Hr, FARE dialed dafitscateiscteatie J + Hi 4 ji I { li! Qi EL He H ii d # 1 lid HY ii H ji ai | { H N MH ENNAN ARTE Nth MIA Re 350 The Educational Record.being taught.In another school I was permitted to observe the methods employed by Dr.Eggert, Dr.Schmidt and others.Modern language teachers in Germany are nearly all well-trained specialists, which perhaps accounts for the fact that there is considerable diversity in the methods employed.I shall presently discuss these methods, but I wish first to tell you what opportunities of observation I had elsewhere.At Paris I met Mr.Paul Passy and the Abbé Rousselot, authors of two systems of phonetic notation, and discussed with them the merits of their respective systems.I also had some instruction in the subject in Paris, but I may frankly tell you that I think quite as good phonetic instruction can be had in Montreal as anywhere else, though I should not like to say this of any considerable number of our phonetic teachers.In England the summer vacation begins about the first © of August, and the last half of July is devoted to examinations, so I hastened to London about the 25th of June, and for three weeks gave up a good share of my time to visiting classes in which French was taught by more or less skilful teachers, both male and female.Here also I had made acquaintances by letter, and had no difficulty in obtaining the necessary introductions.Indeed, my Canadian citizenship seemed to be a passport to almost anything I wanted, so great is the interest taken in this country and the favor in which Canadians are held in the Motherland.The most striking difference which I observed between our methods and those employed in Europe was in the treatment of the foreign pronunciation.The development of the science of phonetics has enabled European teachers to obtain much better results in this particular with infinitely less trouble and labor.There is a great saving in learning the fundamental sounds of a language definitely and accurately at the beginning.There is an advantage in using the more definite phonetic characters until the pronunciation has become somewhat established.While phonetics is a development of the \u201cNew Method,\u201d it is applicable to foreign language teaching, whatever method is employed, provided only that the teacher is qualified, and I am strongly of the opinion that we should at once pas eV per = er 351 French Teaching in Our Schools.in Canada, and particularly in this Province, avail ourselves of this new instrument for lightening the difficult task of learning a foreign tongue in schools.Now I have been too long concerned with the administrative side of school work not to understand something of the difference between aspiration and accomplishment, and I do not give this advice without realizing that it will | be many a long day before the teachers of French in this | province will all be able to teach phonetically.And yet | what we can do will be well worth while.Indeed, an im- | portant beginning has aready been made in Montreal.During the last two years the Protestant School Commissioners have provided for their teachers a winter course in phonetics which has been attended by about a hundred teachers each year.In this connection I wish to recognize the highly valuable service which Dr.Walter of McGill University has rendered to the Province.Not only did he call the attention of this associaton to the subject two years ago, but he has since that time, without personal advantage and in a most acceptable manner, conducted the classes in phonetics in this city.We hope for a continuance of this admirable work, for we have not as yet been able to reach all the teachers of French in the service of the board, nor is the work completed in the case of all those who have undertaken it.In the meantime Macdonald College, a more important agency so far as the Province as a whole is concerned, has recognized the importance of the work, and has made such beginnings in phonetic instruction as the general requirements of the time-table will permit.The Macdonald College is, of course, our chief hope for the future in this matter, but for the benefit of those who are already at work, other agencies will be required, as I shall presently indicate in connection with the general theme of the training of teachers for Modern Language work.Apart from the use of phonetics, the methods employed in Montreal are in harmony with the principles most generally held in the countries which I have visited.In saying this I am far from holding up the French work in Mon- SII EE MO OTP SPE J PE PEPIN SCT ye Tele Ly ai.0114 hi 352 The Educational Record.treal as a model of perfection.On the contrary, while it has been most gratifving to find so strong a confirmation of the general trend of our work, it is equally gratifying to know that through the experience and the labours of others many devices and suggestions are now available which will enable us to make very great improvements.It 1s quite apart from the purpose of this paper to discuss these minor details of method, the numerous notes which I have taken will, T hope, find their expression in useful \u2018modifications in the work of which I have the supervision.I may just say in passing that there is still much diversity of opinion as to how far translation should be encouraged.The best opinion does not seem to favour definite exercises in translation in the earlier stages, though of course a difficult word or passage or principle of grammar is fully explained by most teachers in the language of the class.In some schools both prose and verse are memorized more than we have been doing here, and there has also been a fuller development of what I may call connected oral composition, as opposed to short questions and answers.Of course, the discussion of methods leads here, as it always does, to the question of the qualification and training of the teacher, a subject which is receiving great attention in Europe.Modern languages are taught in Europe to a greater extent than here, and to an increasing extent by trained specialists, not foreign teachers.but well educated and well-trained native teachers, Germans in Germany, Englishmen in England.The study of foreign languages.one at a time, 1s begun in secondary, not in primary schools, the pupils being about ten vears of age.These conditions of course simplify the problem of the training of teachers by limiting the number to be trained.I have long been of the opinion that, except perhaps in the city of Montreal, special teachers of French should be employed in all the larger graded schools in the Province.The plan has been tried in a few of our schools, and I am convinced that if skilful teachers of French were available they would find ready employment in other schools, and the plan would gradually extend to all the large schools of the - mn i Bond J» Fa Pr \u2014\u2014\u2014 French Teaching in Our Schools.353 Province.The problem of securing a sufficient number of skilful teachers for this work is not beyond the capacity of such agencies as are available.The more recent graduates of the Provincial Training School have a much better knowledge of French than those of twenty or thirty years ago.This is due not only to improvements in the course of that institution, but also to the fact that many of the students have had better preparation before entering the training school.Young teachers who have studied French in the Public and High or Technical High School of Montreal before entering .the training college, come to their work familiar with the methods empoyed and with a tolerable knowledge of the language.A like improvement would result from the appointment of special teachers of French in the Provincial graded schools, so that the general level of qualifications would be maintained, notwith- standng the fact that less time is now given to the subject in the training college.Of course, additional training would be required for those who undertake higher work or who become specialists in the subject.In Europe, after taking the usual school and college courses, Modern Language teachers usually attend special courses for foreigners in the country whose language they intend to teach.I recently visited in London a summer course for foreigners studying English.It was organized by Prof.Rippmann, head of the Modern Language department of London University, and was attended by over two hundred adult students, mostly teachers of English from almost every country in Europe.They resided among English people and studied by means of lectures, conversation and reading English customs and institutions, as well as English history and English literature.The Teachers\u2019 Guild of Great Britain and Ireland, a society corresponding to this association, organized this year for its members two holiday courses in French, one at Honfleur and one at Tours, as well as a German course in Germany and a Spanish course in Spain.There were altogether this summer in France and in French Switzerland at least twenty-one holiday courses in French organized by committees of the different French universities and by 354 The Educational Record.the Alliance Française for the benefit of foreign students.Many of these courses were held at the seaside, in the mountains or in delightful college towns, and were planned \u201cto meet the requirements of teachers in the way of recreation as well as instruction.The number of Modern Language teachers following these courses and similar courses in Germany and other European coutries must have been very large indeed, which gives some idea of the interest taken in the subject and of the efforts which are made by Modern Language teachers to reach the higher qualifications which modern methods call for.Of course these teachers are encouragéd and in some cases assisted these efforts by the school authorities, which in my opinion is precisely what the situation calls for in this Province.As to ways and means, I need only at this stage mention some of the inducements which might be offered to teachers willing to qualify for this special work: \u2014 First\u2014A reasonable prospect of securing a position.There are always in this province a number of teachers possessing a fair knowledge of French and willing to qualify for French teaching.Such cases have frequently come to my notice during the last few years, and I have been obliged to say that very few special teachers of French are employed in the province of Quebec.Secondly\u2014A reasonable salary.Modern methods of teaching French call for skill, enthusiasm and hard work, and it is useless to expect good teachers to take up the subject if they can do better in other departments of teaching.I would suggest that for a time at least school boards might be encouraged to employ qualified French teachers by the offer of a small conditional grant.I am confident that both the Government and the Protestant Committee would be glad to co-operate in any scheme promising to effect an improvement in a subject so much in demand as French is in this province.Thirdly\u2014Opportunities for study at home and abroad.The institutions which have to do with the education of teachers in this province have already shown their readiness to provide the necessary facilities, and I have no doubt that this policy will be continued, especially if their offers 355 French Teaching in Our Schools.meet wth a more general response.As to study abroad, such facilities for travel as have been arranged for the Canadian teachers now travelling in Furope make it a comparatively simple and inexpensive matter to take a holiday course in France.On the whole, I think we may regard the problem of obtaining a sufficient number of special teachers for the French work of the large graded schools as presenting no insuperable difficulties.Along with the development of the New Method in Germany, courses of study on reform lines have naturally come into exisence.Some idea \u2018may be obtained of the type of text-books employed there by examining the German courses which were adopted for use in British schools when the method was introduced into Great Britain.I may mention the texts of Rossman & Schmidt or Dent\u2019s First and Second French books, edited by Prof.Rippmann, copies of which may be found in the library of this association.Designed for the use of specialists dealing with older pupils, they naturally differ somewhat from the little course which we have worked out in Montreal for the use of our regular class teachers dealing with younger pupils.For example, the German books have no teachers\u2019 manual, though I was much interested to observe that the more recent books published in England, where the fullest measure of skill has not yet been generally developed, are provided with more and more elaborate teachers\u2019 notes.Dr.Eggert of Frankfort, who is preparing a new course for use in German schools, told me that he intended following the British example in this respect, though I presume that no one in Furope will go so far as we have done here in this matter, however necessary the manuals may be in such circumstances as obtain here.Another strikng feature of European texts may be observed in the fact that the geography and history and customs and institutions of the foreign country whose language is being studied, form an essential part of the subject matter of the course.In the case of countries lying contiguous, the value of such information is emphasized, though I think that the principle could be applied here to advantage.EE a SR ESS SEE CEU Ae TEI TAR 356 The Educational Record.The first texts used in Great Britain, as I have suggested were adaptations of German and other Continental courses.More recently many of the great British publishing houses have brought out Direct Method courses prepared by British teachers.The manager of a large and somewhat conservative London house stated last winter in a letter that when the Modern Language situation, which he described as being in the \u201cmelting pot,\u201d declared itself .more definitely, his firm would bring out a new French course.He told me the other day that he is now prepared to publish a Direct Method text-book.These facts tend to show that the victory of the New Method is already decisive in Great Britain, though I am far from stating that British teachers are all of one mind on the subject.So far as the translation courses in use in this province are concerned, I am of the opinion that it is time to consider replacing them by more modern text-books, what- a ever method of teaching is likely to be employed here in the future.When I came to this conclusion a couple of years ago I so reported to members of the Protestant i Committee who were then dealing with such matters.i These gentlemen invited a number of professors and teachers of French to study the question and make recommendations thereon.\u2018This committee has done a large amount of useful work.but it is almost impossible under existing circumstances to determine a course of study in French without consideration of the methods likely to be employed.There are admirable courses of study on reform lines more or less rigdly drawn, but the successful use of these books calls for a measure of special skill which can hardly be looked for in the average class teacher.What is to be our policy for the future with regard to French study in the Province of Quebec?Are we to be contented with antiquated methods and indifferent results, or shall we gradually adopt the improvements which have been laboriously worked out in practice, and whose usefulness has been fully demonstrated?The policy which I suggest for vour consideration is this: How to Teach Essentials in Geography.357 The employment of special teachers of French in our large graded schools, and the gradual extension of the plan, modified as may be necessary, to 4 considerable number of the smaller schools.The organization of adequate facilities fbr the more advanced training which such teachers would require, including, for a time at least, inspection and direction of the class-room work.The offer of inducements sufficient to secure the services of competent teachers.The gradual introduction of a modern course of study.It may take a little time to accomplish all these things, but there is nothing in this programme which has not been accomplished elsewhere, or that we cannot accomplish here, encouraged by the urgent need which has always been felt in this province for something more effective than we have yet found for acquiring even a limited mastery of the French language.GETTING AT THE ESSENTIALS IN GEOGRAPHY TEACHING.(Jacques W.Redway, F.R.G.S.) Mr.Charles A.Dana, who made the \u201cSun\u201d famous among newspapers, on being asked the essential feature in his management of that paper that had most helped to make it great, replied, \u201cIt is what we don\u2019t print.\u201d A parallel and similar answer would apply were one to inquire the secret of successful teaching; and most certainly it is true of the successful teaching of geography.One may have volumes of matter at the tongue\u2019s end, and possess but little of the fundamental facts of geography; one may also have a good knowledge of the fundamental principles, and, at the same time, know but little of their application to human life.For years\u2014so many that the memory of man knoweth not\u2014we have always taught the youngster at his first lesson, \u201cThe earth is round, like a ball or an orange.\u201d Now there is certainly nothing heretical to my notion in this 358 The Educational Record.statement; although to the many who insist that the study of geography should begin in the school yard, the idea of beginning with a round world will be highly illogical.Why the earth should be compared to a ball is plain, but why comparable to an orange is not quite clear; moreover, it is not very logical.I should rather say, \u201cThe earth is round, like this\u201d\u2019\u2014*\u201cthis\u201d being a small globe that is a min- lature earth; and because it is a representation of the earth, \u201cthis\u201d is a more logical illustration.But unfortunately, after having compared the shape of the earth to that of the ball or the orange, we ever afterwards teach a most hopelessly flat earth.The round earth is not in the course of study; why, therefore, should the youngster bother about it?If the shape of the earth is a fundamental fact in the study of geography, the pupil must be taught to think in terms of a round earth.This he can do best when the miniature earth is in his hands, to the exclusion of other devices.He is taught that \u201cthree-quarters of the earth\u2019s surface are water and one-quarter is land.\u201d With a little exercise of ingenuity on the part of the teacher the pupil may be led to discover the proportion from a globe; but from a flat map, never.He might have some difficulty in comparing the relative position and sizes of continents, or of grand divisions on even the globe, or miniature earth, but he could not make the comparison on a map with any degree of accuracy at all.The moral of all this is, that the lessons about the shape of the earth, the relative size of land areas and water areas, the succession of day and night, and the relative positions of the poles and the equator should be taught from the small globe and not from the flat map.Indeed, the small globe should be in the hands of the pupil until he thinks automatically of the world as a globe.And whenever, in the course of his school career, a new name looms above the geographical horizon, it should be referred, first of all, to the globe.We are told that \u201cgeography is the study of the earth as it \u2018relates to man.\u201d This is undoubtedly true, and I have long wished that some kind friend would explain just How to Teach Essentials in Geography.359 what it means.If one were to say that geography is a study of the earth with relation to the production and commerce of foodstuffs and other commodities, the statement would be more intelligible and tangible.As a matter of fact the two most important aspects of the subject are physical geography and commercial geography.The control of the first upon the second practically may be summed up as human history.Let us examine a case in illustration.The first important industrial growth in the New England States was commerce, and the commerce was possible because of good harbors.Now the harbor of the New England coast is a problem in physical geography\u2014 in matter of detail, a drowned valley.Along the New England coast the submersion of the coast plain and the intrusion of the sea into the edge of the plateau created the indentations that are the places of safe anchorage.\u2019That is, the physical geography of the region encouraged commerce.It was an adjustment of a people to their physical environment and, therefore, an epoch in human history.At a later period the New England plateau became a great center of manufacture, and has so remained to the present day.But the possibilities of manufacture were due to an abrupt slope of a rugged plateau, which furnished abundant water power.That is, topography is the essential in the study of the states of this plateau, and a favorable topography has been the underlying factor in its industrial growth and development.Still more, the history of the people cannot be logically understood unless it is based upon a knowledge of the topography of the region.Even when we examine the struggle over the tariff, we finally must revert to the topography that made this plateau a region of manufacture.The primary questions of cause and effect\u2014rugged plateau, abrupt slope, water power and manufacture\u2014are intelligible to fourth or fifth year pupils; some of the incidental problems, such as the tariff issue, the decadence of manufacture in the Southern Piedmont region, and the decadence of ship-building, are rather too abstruse even for high school pupils.One other readjustment is even RRR RRA] 13 11315 4H de.cit AHI LOT + Le hig 360 The Educational Record.now under way in parts of the New England plateau: some of the great industrial establishments are now seeking tidewater locations in order to avail themselves of cheap coal.To the younger pupil a problem of this sort has little meaning; to the high school pupil it is a necessary part of the knowledge of his own environment.But to young and old the essential feature of the geography of this region 1s its topography.In the study of the geography of the United States, the individual state has a place of but little importance; beyond the establishment of its boundaries it has practically none.The industrial region is the real unit, and the industrial region may comprise half a dozen or more states.In the preceding illustration, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, together with a part of New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, form such an industrial region; and it 1s the general topography, not of the one state, but of the whole region, that has unity.We may see the same illustration in the South Atlantic and Gulf States.The dominating industry\u2014the occupation that brings the income to the people\u2014is cotton growing.Now the river-bottom lands, and \u201csea islands,\u201d yield about two bales of cotton per acre; bluff lands yield less.Therefore, the physiography of flood plains and\\sea islands 1s one essential feature in the study of the region; that of the bluff lands is another.But the sea islands of the Middle Atlantic States, and the flood plains and bluffs of Iowa do not produce cotton.The plants will grow, thrive fairly and flower.but before the bolls burst an early frost puts an end to the plant.The question of climate, therefore, is, perhaps, the first essential in the study of the geography of this region, for climate is the foremost essential in the great industry of this region.Indeed, the geography of the cotton industry\u2014planting, cultivating, gathering, manufacturing and shipping\u2014is about all that is required.Similarly, in the prairie region of the Northern Central States, the production of foodstuffs is the great industry; and the topography which permits a bushel of wheat to be planted, harvested and put upon the market at a smaller cost than in almost any other locality in the world, is the essential feature.The markets of this region are the mar- How to Teach Essentials in Geography.361 kets for foodstuffs; the manufactures are those which have to do with foodstuffs or with transportation; and the chief business of the railways is the transportation of foodstuffs; the railways themselves are commonly known as \u2018\u2018granger\u2019 roads.Fven the younger pupils can understand that level, prairie land 1s better for gram farming than rugged hillsides; they can even comprehend that the gigantic harvesting machinery of the prairies would be scarcely usable on the ten-acre farms of the New England plateau.There is also a problem for older pupils which bears directly upon the wheat lands of these states, namely\u2014gla- ciation.The soils producing the hard and glutinous kernels that constitute the best wheat are composed of a glacial drift.In a certain part of Illinois are two farms separated by a creek.The creek flows in the groin formed where the lobe of one area of glacial drift overlaps another.On one side of the creek the land is worth more than one hundred dollars per acre; on the other side its value is about one-half as much.The soil of the one lobe is a glacial drift that is ideal for wheat growing; that of the other lobe is practically worthless for the purpose.This fact would not be of especial value in itself except to the farmer of Northern Illinois if it did not illustrate a principle; but it does illustrate a principle whose application is co-extensive with the area in which American wheat is consumed.Notice that in these illustrations the point of inquiry has been: What is the dominating industry of the region\u2014 the industry that brings it in touch with the rest of the world?In other words, what is the indnstry or industries that bring to the particular region its income ?Having ascertained this fact, it remains to be learned how and in what manner topography, climate and the other conditions of environment favor this occupation or occupations.As a rule, we shall find that soil, climate and topography\u2014 perhaps one, perhaps all\u2014are the geographic factors involved.In other instances, as in the coal regions of Pennsylvania, rock folds are so broken and exposed that the mineral contents needed in the arts and sciences are avail- 362 The Educational Record.able.In still other instances an ocean current may send a drift of water having the right temperature for a certain species of food fish to a given locality, thereby locating an industry.A remarkable instance of the control of an industry 1s seen in the location of the corn belt.Maize thrives best in the latitude of the fifteen-hour day and warm summer night; and this in turn is determined by the inclination of the earth's axis.Another interesting case 1s the Chinook wind and wheat growing in the Saskatchewan and Athabaska valleys.It might not be quite correct to say that wheat would not grow in this locality were it not for the warm Chinook winds, but it is nevertheless true that, without their influence, wheat growing would be a very feeble industry, The same is true of the i \u201cHavana\u201d tobacco grown in Pinar del Rio; there are con- 3 ditions of soil, water and climate in that particular locality which make the tobacco what it is, and plants having the same quality are not produced elsewhere.a The man, too, may be an important factor, not only by the use of intelligence and knowledge in adjusting him- a self to his environment, but also in overcoming many natural obstacles.Thus, Chicago might have prospered quite as much had the city been built at the present site of Mich- a igan City; as a matter of fact, the latter location is vastly if better; but the intelligence of man has kept the great 4 center of industry where it is.San Francisco, though a wisely located with reference to its early history, would 1 now be far more conveniently located if it were at some 44 position on the bay where grain and produce might be i landed directly on its wharves, instead of paying an addi- i tional transshipment to be delivered there.But in spite of this drawback the intelligence of man has caused San Francisco's growth to proceed with but little hindrance.It is a great city, while Vallejo and Port Costa are not.Southampton has wrested much of the trade from Liverpool, on account of a more favorable location.but Liverpool has continued to grow by leaps and bounds, because the men behind business affairs are able to overcome an ordinary handicap.San Diego, with one of the finest harbors on the Pacific Ocean, has never controlled any considerable trade, while Los Angeles, twenty miles inland, How to Teach Essentials in Geography.363 with nothing to recommend its situation.has grown from an adobe village to a city of three hundred thousand people in less than forty years.Seattle, wth the finest harbor in the world.has not had so great a growth.In each instance the intelligence and knowledge of the man of business has won success over odds of environment that were against him.The discussion of instances of this sort is a legitimate part of the study of geography; it requires knowledge of the subject, however, and discretion as to the place in the course of study where such discussion will be educative.To an advanced pupil, a training that will enable him to discern the odds of environment in favor of or against the man is an essential.But this training is not to be gained by dropping the study of geography at the time when the pupil is just old enough to have an intelligent knowledge of the subject.The discovery of the essential is not always so easily accomplished as it might seem in the foregoing illustrations; moreover, the question of political organization is frequently a factor in the study of geography.Let us take Austria-Hungary as an example.An analysis of the various industrial pursuits will inform us that the production of foodstuffs is the chief employment; and that wherever there are \u201cplains\u201d wheat and other foodstuffs produce the income of the people.But the existence of a nation composed of widely diverse races bound by a practically indissoluble tie\u2014races whose attitude toward one another is that of intense hatred\u2014requires a reason for its explanation that is not apparent on the surface.And the explanation is topography\u2014the thalweg of the Danube.The thalweg of this river is the line of least resistance between the grain fields of Hungary and the Black Sea plain on the one side, and the market for the grain in Western Europe on the other.Both the valley and the stream itself are trade routes.Moreover, so important is this traffic.and so essential is its free existence to both Fast- ern and Western Europe, that all Europe unites 11.saving, \u201cHands off.\u201d It is said that Bismarck* once ex- *The credit to Bismarck as the orignator of the exclamation is probably unauthentic.It has been a common remark for half a century.Bedab aad pr re Nn ne pe aie a A A A A.CRIER REINE RICE GL ho deu 364 The Educational Record.claimed.\u201cIf Austria-Hungary did not exist, it would have to be invented.\u201d Perhaps Austria-Hungary might not need \u201cto be invented\u201d; but in our own time the state of Panama most certainly was \u201cinvented\u201d because its topography made it a world\u2019s trade route.In the plateau of Iran we may also find a good illustration of adjustment to environment.This region is known to the rest of the world through such names as Kulah, Daghestan, Kabistan, Kermanshah, Khorassan.Shiraz, Gorevan.Yomud, and many similar unpronounceables.They are specific names of Oriental rugs; and these textiles are about the only things that connect the plateau of Iran with the rest of the world.Now these rugs cannot be reproduced elsewhere in the world.so far as is known.Soil and climate give to the wool qualities that do not exist in wool grown elsewhere.The same is also true of the dyestuffs; water will not change them; the sun will not fade them; exposure will not dull them; chemicals alone will destroy them.The designs may be imitated.if one knows the history of six thousand years of Aryan symbolism, but the materials cannot be.And with the possible exception of American cotton cloth.no other commercial commodity, radiating from a single center, has such a world-wide dissemination as these fabrics.The conditions of geographic environment, therefore, that makes Oriental rugs what they are, constitute the fundamental knowledge of the geography of the region; wisdom concerning ge- osvnclines, diastrophism.uniformitarianism and isostasy cuts no ice in the matter.From the foregoing paragraphs it may be inferred that I regard the commercial and economic aspects of geography as the more important side of the study to be emphasized.I most certainly do.If the country of the Sam- oyads does not enter into the life of New England, the only essential knowledge about it is the fact that it exists and the locality of is existence; and one can worry along through life even in ignorance of these facts.On the other hand, if Samoyadland can and does supply all New England with apodictic aphorisms more economically, yard for yard, than they can be grown in Boston, then the essentials concerning the geography of Samoyadland be- How to Teach Essentials in Geography.365 comes much more comprehensive.Not only must one know whether the product of Samoyadland grows on pumpkin bushes, roosts high, or hibernates in warm currents; one ought also to know what conditions of soil, climate and topography enable Samoyadlanders to market its crop in the presence of a New England handicap.\u2018 In the near future several other matters that even now are beginning to produce vicious results, will require vigorous attention.One of these shortcomings is the half-in- sane notion that memory work 1s eliminated from what some are pleased to term \u2018\u201c\u2018the new geography.\u201d On the contrary, at no time in the past has so much memory work been imperative as at the present, The events of the past two decades have brought more than a thousand place names and other geographic terms into use that did not exist before.Ten years ago it would not have been wise to require familiarity with such names as Cavité, Nieuw Chwang, Yalu, Weihaiwei, Iloilo, Pearl Harbor, Fray Ben- tos and Harbin; nowadays, every intelligent person is expected to know something not only about these places but also three or four-score more that had no place in the literature of geography a few years ago.« It goes without saying that memorizing names and the locality to which each belongs is not the study of geography.A critic, recently complaining of the conventialism of geography teaching, claims that it is far more satisfying to read of the beauties of Lake Katrine than to learn its latitude and longitude.To this I quite agree; nevertheless, it strikes me that an intellectual repast on the beauties of the lake, without an earthly idea of its locality, is not a very satisfactory meal.Lake Katrine is an incident in literature rather than one of geography; and if one happens to be studying the physiography of tarns.any other lake of the region will answer quite as well.The scenic features are a part of the origin and physical history of about every lake in Scotland; the trade route is the chief thing about the Great Lakes; and the commerce of asphalt is the important thing about Pitch Lake, in Trinidad.The capable teacher does not mix traffic problems with Pitch Lake, 366 The Educational Record, nor asptalt with Lake Katrine.But she knows enough to see that, in the discussion of the utility of the lake, the location of it shall become a part of the pupil\u2019s knowledge.In other words, the locality is an incident in the study of the feature, and not a specially imposed memory task.To | put it still more epigrammatically, the fundamental questions of geography are\u2014what, where and why.A far more serious matter is the misplacing of geography in the course of study.For the past ten years there has been a systematic effort to push the fundamental studies farther and farther down in the course.Well-mean- ing architects ©f courses of study have succeeded in crowding into the high school the mathematical and classical studies that thirty years ago were in the sophomore year of the college.[Fifteen years ago a committee of the National Education Association recommended the enriching of the grammar school courses.As a result the screws were again applied.Reading, spelling and composition were crowded out of the course, if results count for anything; geography and history, the only broadening studies remaining, were pushed down to the seventh year of the 4 grammar school-\u2014geography being finished in that year in 4 most school courses.In New York, an abominable sys- a tem of examination sends a very large number of pupils into the eighth year of the grammar school who should remain a year or two longer with the nursing bottle.Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that history becomes merely the memory of chronology, while the i real essence of geography is left untaught\u2014not because the i: pupil lacks brightness, but because he is not old enough.i The grade teacher is therefore compelled in self-defence to i drill the pupils in a sort of rote work, which experience has yy shown her will most likely pass her class through the exam- i ination grinds._ The pupils, in turn, study to pass the ex- 12 aminations rather than to know the subject; and they do % pass, but they don\u2019t know.It is a very common practice to blame the grade teacher for the shortcomings of geography teaching.Doubtless she 1s far from perfect.But in an experience that has been acquired by observing the personal work of grade teachers EERE AH AE MMA MAC CH CACHE 367 Report of the Inspector of Superior Schools.in nearly five hundred schools in different parts of the country, I am forced to the belief that she is doing her part of the work better than those who lay out her work are doing theirs.And why should she be either capable or possessed of world knowledge?She is taken immediately after graduation from the high school or the normal school into the class room to practise on others the vicious system that the year before was practised on her.At the time when she begins work in the school room, her knowledge of the subject is limited to what she had learned in the textbook she studied; possibly at a normal school she received instruction in the proper method of teaching a subject of which she had been taught nothing.After she is in harness she is occasionally instructed by lecturers whose chief aim is to convince her that whatever she does is wrong, any way.Her world-wisdom, the knowledge that can be acquired by observation only, and her experience in travel, are nil; under these circumstances she does her work surprisingly well.But can the same be said of those who, knowing all these facts, require her to do the work cut out?Are her shortcomings her own fault wholly, or are they in part those of John Doe higher up >\u2014FEducation.OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR OF SUPERIOR SCHOOLS.Quebec, September 22nd, 1908.To the Reverend W.I.Shaw, LL.D., D.C.L., Chairman of the Protestant Committee : Reverend and Dear Sir: I have he honor to submit | my annual report for the scholastic year of 1907-08 on the | Protestant Superior Schools in this Province which it is my duty to inspect.SCHOOLS.There were in operation during the year twenty-five academies and forty-six model schools. 368 The Educational Record.INSPECTION.With the exception of the schools on the Gaspe coast, I visited and inspected all the superior schools under your jurisdiction, giving two days to the larger academies and one day to the smaller academies and model schools.REPORTS.After inspection an interim report on each school was sent to you for consideration.A duplicate (in part) of this report was sent to the school board whose school was visited.This report dwelt upon the condition of the school buildings, school rooms, closets, furniture, apparatus, progress of pupils, qualifications of teachers, methods, efficiency and salaries.At the close of my visit to each room the teacher in charge received a report on the character of her work, with suggestions for improvement.Copies of these reports are submitted herewith: EXAMINATIONS, The written examinations began on Monday, June 15th.At the close of the examinations the written answers were received at my office, and afterwards were read and valued by the staff of examiners appointed for this purpose.This arduous duty was performed faithfully and well.The reports of these examiners, with their comments and suggestions for improvement, will appear in the Educational Record along with the examination questions in the subject reported upon.RETURNS.On the 13th of July the secretary-treasurers of all schools which sent up pupils in Grades 1 and 2 Academy received a list containing the names of the pupils who were successful in passing the examinations.The names of the ten highest pupils in each grade, with the number of marks taken by each, were published in the daily papers in August.The certificates of promotion and the schedules containing the marks were sent to the secre- tary-treasurers on the 25th of July.On the 2nd of September the tabular statements, showing the rank and standing of each school, were sent to the head teachers and the secretary-treasurers of Superior RR ap PR ade A1 Le a a UT 1d Report of the Inspector of Superior Schools.369 Schools.At the same time a statement containing the marks taken by each school in the competition for the equipment grant was sent to each school board, in accordance with the regulation.RESULTS.The academies presented 1,414 pupils for examination : 1,091 passed and 323 failed.Last year 1,222 pupils were presented: 875 passed and 347 failed.The model schools presented 1,097 pupils: 803 passed and 294 failed.Last year 991 pupils were presented: 698 passed and 293 failed.This year 2,511 pupils were presented for examination; last year, 2,213, an increase this year of 298.Comparative statement showing the percentage of pupils in each grade who passed the examinations in 1906, 1907 and 1908.ACADEMIES, 1906.1907.1908.\u2018Grade II.Model.73 p.c.80 p.c.75 p.c.Grade III.Model.71 58 84 « Grade I.Academy.65 \u201c 68 61 Grade II.Academy.92 \u201c 79 86 \u201c Grade III.Academy.69 \u201c\u201c 79 77 MODEL SCHOOLS.\u2018Grade I.Model.74 p.c.74 p.c.74 p.c.Grade II.Model.62 \u201c 77\u201c 69 \u201c - Grade IIT.Model.72 \u201c 61 \u201c 85 \u2018Grade I.Academy.57 \u201c 64 50 Grade II.Academy.90 \u201c 62 \u201c 80 101 pupils in Grade I.Academy came up for examination from 34 Model Schools, and 15 Model Schools sent up 46 pupils in Grade II.Academy.Of the 101 presented in Grade I.Academy, 51 passed and 50 failed; 37 of the 46 in Grade II.Academy passed. 370 The Educational Record.CLASSIFICATION.Academies.Model Schools.Grade.Grade.Il Model LL LL LL a a LL LL LL 402 II.Model 492.0.0.315 III.Model 429.iin.233 I.Acad.215.i.101 II.Acad.176.cui, 46 ITI.Acad.102.0.1414 1097 The results of the examinations show that some subjects are better taught than others.ENGLISH.The English papers in all grades \u2018were satisfactory.\u201d HISTORY.In Grecian History the results were better than those of last year.78 per cent.of the pupils passed.Last year the percentage was 52.In \u201cGreat Events,\u201d 73 per cent.passed.Last year the percentage was 87.In Grade I.Academy, British History.the results were better than those of last year; 71 per cent.of the pupils passed in this subject.In Grade II.Model, Canadian History, the results were not satisfactory.GEOGRAPHY.In Physical Geography, the answers showed good and careful work.In Third Model, General Geography, the answers were satisfactory, the writing good, and the papers neater than in former years.In Grades I.and II.the knowledge of the subject was fair but the spelling was poor.COMPOSITION.A decided improvement is noticeable in many schools.In dictation many failures were due to faults of punctuation rather than to orthography.In Grades II.and III.Model the writing was more legible and the papers were neater than those of last year.In I.Model the pupils are not too familiar with the rules of punctuation._\u2014 fs ++ + 371 Report of the Inspector of Superior Schools.ARITHMETIC.In Grade I.Academy the paper was beyond the scope of the majority of the pupils.There were many failures.In the other grades, the results were satisfactory.In mental and rapid arithmetic, the majority of pupils passed successfully and there were many perfect papers.GEOMETRY.In Grade II.Academy there is an improvement over last year: 209 pupils took this subject, 170 from Academies and 39 from Model Schools.Of the 170 presented, 40 failed, and 14 failed out of the 39 sent up from the Model Schools.In Grade I.Academy there is room for improvement, especially in the Model Schools.In this grade 308 pupils took the examination, 201 from Academies and 107 from Model Schools.There were 65 failures in the Academies and 59 failures in the Model Schools.This subject requires more attention.\u2019 MENSURATION.79 out of 94 presented passed the examination successfully.The marks were good.ALGEBRA, Pupils in all grades took high marks in this subject.FRENCH.In Grade II.Academy the number of failures was comparatively small.In I.Academy, III.Model, II.Model, the work was fairly well done.In I.Model the answers were much more intelligently given than in last year\u2019s examination.An improvement in the matter of arrangement was noticeable.NATURAL METHOD.This method is being used very successfully in a number of schools, and the pupils of those schools, as a rule, have given highly satisfactory work in the Academy grades where the other method is followed.GREEK.There were only three papers\u2014one was very good, one fair and one very bad. Sh HE SHIEH 372 The Educational Record.LATIN.Some of the academies did excellent work, but in many schools the work was not satisfactory.GERMAN.The papers on this subject were good, both in regard to the actual knowledge and careful arrangement of the subject matter.SCRIPTURE.In Grade III.Model the papers were fairly satisfactory.In Grades I.and II.Model there is room for improvement.TEACHERS.In these schools there were employed 304 duly qualified teachers,, who, with a few exceptions, were doing good work.There were 35 male teachers and 269 female teachers; 19 Academies were in charge of male teachers and 6 Academies had female teachers as principals.SALARIES.In the matter of salaries, I am pleased to report a marked improvement, especially in the better Academies.Thirteen Academies received the maximum of marks given for the Equipment grant, viz.: Westmount, Sherbrooke, Stanstead, Lachute, Huntingdon, Waterloo, Dan- ville, Granby, Coaticook, Lachine, Cowansville, Valleyfield and Richmond.In these schools the average salary paid the head teacher is $1,200.The average salary of the second teacher is $500.In the Model Schools the increase in salaries is not so marked.In two Model Schools, Fairmount and Hull, the salaries reach the maximum.Montreal West pays the head teacher $800.In the other Model Schools the salaries of the head teachers vary from $300 to $600.The average is about $350.As a result due to low salaries, many of our best Model School teachers have gone to Alberta and Saskatchewan, and are now teaching in Western schools at a higher salary.IMPROVEMENTS.Frelighsburg\u2014The school rooms have been repaired and painted.> ed | 4 Report of the Inspector of Superior Schools.373 St.John\u2019s\u2014The interior of the building has been thoroughly renovated.Magog\u2014General repairs to the interior of the building.Dunham\u2014The school building has been repaired and provided with new desks and apparatus.Bishop's Crossing\u2014New desks have been placed in the Elementary room.Marbleton\u2014Extensive repairs have been made during the holidays.Windsor Mills\u2014School building has been repaired and painted.Bury\u2014The school board had erected a building which was a credit to the municipality.Some time before the June examinations this fine building was destroyed by fire.The school board, with commendable zeal in the interests of education, has taken steps to erect a new building to replace the one that was burned.Montreal West\u2014Hull: Excellent fire escapes have been placed on the school buildings in these towns.Waterloo\u2014The school board has erected a new, modern school building which is a credit to the municipality.Cowansville\u2014The school building has been thoroughly.renovated and equipped with suitable apparatus for teaching purposes.Lennoxville\u2014A new piano has been provided for the school.Buckingham\u2014Fire escapes have been placed on the school building.SPECIMENS.In accordance with Regulation 81, the specimens of school work received were examined and marked according to merit.Thes specimens will be submitted for inspection at the September meeting of the committee.EQUIPMENT.As most of the schools are fairly well equipped with apparatus, it might be well to discuss the question of discontinuing this grant, and of devoting the money to some other purpose in connection with the schools. Hen it is even whispered that there is a mysterious connection 374 The Educalional Record, Copies of the examination papers and the tabular statement for 1908 are submitted, herewith, for your consideration.All of which is respecfully submitted.I have the honor to be, Reverend and Dear Sir, Your obedient servant, JOHN PARKER, Inspector of Superior Schools.BAD WRITING IS IMMORAL.The boys of the present day ought to write a better hand than their predecessors; but it is not in accord with general experience that they do so.Those whose painful duty it is to engage and supervise junior clerks tell us that when they were lads they would have been ashamed to turn out such work as now daily meets their eyes, and between badly made pens and incorrect spelling.Now, it is incontestable that pens are much better made mechanically than in the days when schoolmasters, or boys, used to be taught to fashion goose-quills into writing implements for themselves.We have steel pens of every degree of hardness, to say nothing of stylos and fountain pens.Good writing, by which is meant writing that anybody can read at a glance, ought to be a universal accomplishment.Why is it not?Obviously because it is undervalued.Boys are not taught to esteem highly the power to make their meaning plain.And it is not boys only that are to blame.Half our \u201ceducated\u201d people are content to inflict an almost unconquerable task upon everybody who tries to read them whenever they put pen to i paper.The fact is that illegible writing is a moral offence, and if that were generally recognized life would go much | more easily than it does.The sins that would be saved in bad temper and perhaps now and then in bad language, | when people open their letters, are innumerable \u2014London | Globe. Two Kinds of Critics.\u2014The Character of a Happy Life.375 TWO KINDS OF CRITICS.(F.B.Atkinson.) There always seems to be on the part of the critic outside the school system who \u201ctakes his pen in hand,\u201d the implied assumption that those who are responsible for the administration of the schools are not so critical of their own work as he is, that they are not so conscious of the relation of the school to the work of life.As a matter of fact they are more critical.The difference between the two critics\u2014the critic within the school and the critic without the school\u2014is that one knows what he is talking about.Moreover the average schoolman knows much more about the character of the things that are going on in the markets, the industries and the professions, than the men in these professions and occupations know about what is going on in the schools.Yet the average man of affairs would probably resent any direct and definite criticism on the part of a schoolman of the conduct of the affairs of his business or profession \u2014Fxchange.THE CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE.How happy is he born and taught That serveth not another's will; Whose armour is his honest thought, And simple truth his utmost skill! Whose passions not his masters are; Whose soul is still prepared for death, Untied unto the world by care Of public fame or private breath; Who envies none that chance doth raise, Nor vice; who never understood How deepest wounds are given by praise; Nor rules of state, but rules of good; 376 The Educational Record.Who hath his life from rumours freed; Whose conscience is his strong retreat; Whose state can neither flatterers feed, Nor ruin make oppressors great; Who God doth late and early pray More of His grace than gifts to lend; And entertains the harmless day With a religious book or friend; \u2014This man is freed from servile bands Of hope to rise or fear to fall: Lord of himself, though not of lands, And having nothing, yet hath all.H.WOTTEN.THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB.I.The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.IL.Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen: Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown, That host on the morrow lay wither\u2019d and strown.III.For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass\u2019d; And the eyes of the sleepers wax\u2019d deadly and chill, A And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still! Report of Examiner in Greek, Latin and Scripture.377 IV.And there lay the steed with his nostrils all wide, But through it there roll\u2019d not the breath of his pride ; And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, \u2018 And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.V.And there lay the rider, dis.orted and pale, With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail: And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.VI.And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! \u2014Lord Byron.REPORT OF THE EXAMINER IN GREEK, LATIN AND SCRIPTURE.The general quality of this year\u2019s work, though by no means as good as one would desire, is better than that of last year.In many schools the pupils seem very poorly grounded in the Latin idioms, and, consequently, they are incompetent to turn English sentences into Latin.The teachers are partly responsible for this ignorance, and an examiner can easily pick out the schools where the subject in which he examines is thoroughly taught, as well as those where it does not receive proper attention.Of course, Latin, being an optional subject, some teachers may not think they are justified in spending as much time upon it as upon the subjects which must be taken.It would be decidedly better, however, to go over only half the work thoroughly than try to do the whole in the careless way in which it seems to be done in too many of our schools.rite 378 The Educational Record.The change of text-book in Latin made a great difference with the pupils of Grade 111.Model; still the one now in use is so much superior to the other that our future Academy pupils, who do each year\u2019s work carefully, will know as much Latin as the average B.A.The III.Grade Model Scripture paper covered the book of The Acts of the Apostles, so that only those pupils who were thoroughly grounded in the subject were able to obtain high marks.Some of the schools did very well; others very poorly.Grade II.Model Scripture was a very easy paper; but the general quality of the answers was not as good as it should have been.I feel constrained this year again to find fault with the hand-writing, spelling and method of answering of the majority of the pupils in all the grades.So many answers are too vague and lack clearness.Teachers should not be satisfied till they get their pupils into the habit of expressing themselves clearly and intelligently.Fach answer should convey some definite information to the reader whether he knows the question or not.I shall give instances of what I mean before closing this report.GREEK.There were only three papers\u2014one Grade II.and two Grade I.Academy.One was very good, one fair, and one very bad.LATIN.II.Academy.Questions 1 2 and 3 were generally well answered, but the answers sent in to 4, 5 and 6 by many schools were unsatisfactory.There were few good renderings into Latin of 7, owing to lack of knowledge in regard to the proper Latin constructions.Out of twelve papers received from Huntingdon Academy in this grade the lowest marks obtained were 182, or 91 per cent.Danville, Westmount, Waterloo, St.Lambert, Stanstead, St.Francis, Lachine, Sherbrooke, Knowl- ton, Lachute and Cookshire Academies and Sawyerville and Frelighsburg Model Schools did excellent work. Report of Examiner in Greek, Latin and Scripture.379 - I.Academy.All who knew anything about the subject did not find much trouble with 1 and 2; but 3, 4, 5 and 6 were not as a rule answered satisfactorily.The answers to 5 lacked fulness; those to 6 clearness.Very few, if any, translated the English and Latin correctly; the majority made some mistake or mistakes in at least two-thirds of the sentences.So many who seemed to have a pretty good knowledge of the subject failed to make the adjectives and participles agree in gender with the nouns which they qualified.The following schools obtained the best results in this grade: St.Francis, Huntingdon, Danville, Cookshire, Granby, La- chute and Hull.III.Model Questions 1, 4 and 9 were generally well answered, except that in the translation some failed to bring out the force of the particular tenses and the difference between the active and passive voice.Very few sent really good translations of the English into Latin, because they did not understand the Latin idioms.Those who were able to distinguish clearly and correctly the difference between suus and ejus were very much in the minority.The answers to 5 generally contained from one to four mistakes; those to 6 were not as clear as they should have been and many got badly mixed up.Few had the courage to tackle 7, and not one of those who had succeeded in getting all the italicised words correct; 8 fared no better than 7, for there were mistakes made in both sections.The best papers were received from St.Francis, Danville and la- chute Academies and one from Clarenceville Model School.IT Model.The Latin into English was fairly well rendered, but the sentence, \u201cVir bonus conjugem amat,\u201d bothered a good many, and was translated in several different ways.As usual, the English into Latin showed where the knowedge of the subject was defective.\u201cI shall give the friend money\u201d trapped the unwary; so did the last sentence: 3 and 5 proved easy to all who knew anything about their RER TETE METIER 380 The Educational Record.work.Only one out of 249 answered 4 correctly, and very few got full marks for 6.The best answers came from Danville, St.Francis, Lachute and Sherbrooke.SCRIPTURE, III.Model.Many of the answers were rambling and indefinite; others too brief and not clear.This was especially noticeable in 7 and 8.Very few answered 10 perfectly, the majority either omitting the location or the incident.Again, such a vague answer as this was given by many: \u201cLystra, in Asia, visited by Paul,\u201d instead of \u201cLystra, a city of Lycaonia, where St.Paul healed a cripple who had never walked.\u201d Comparatively few understood clearly the lesson taught by Peter\u2019s vision, viz.: \u201cThat God is no respecter of persons.\u201d The best answers came from Danville, Lachute, Huntingdon, Bedford, St.Francis.Cookshire, Westmount and Lachine Academies, and Aylmer, Clarenceville, Beebe Plain, Sawyerville, King- sey, Gaspé and Lacolle Model Schools.I, and II.Model.The answers, as a rule, were very unsatisfactory, some too short, others too long, but nearly all badly expressed.Had it not been for No.8 many who just barely passed would have augmented the long list of failures.An answer like this to 6 was quite common: (a) \u201cHerod was a King\u201d; (b) \u201cCaiphas was a priest\u201d; (c) \u201cZaccheus was a publican\u201d; (d) \u201cPilate was a priest\u201d; (e) \u201cMary Magdalene was Christ\u2019s mother.\u201d Some were even worse.Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene, however, seemed to have been better known characters than the others.There was a tendency to get the answers to 7 either mixed up with the healing of the Gadarene demoniac or one of the other instances where our Lord healed a blind man.More pains should be taken to teach the pupils in these grades how to answer questions intelligently. Superior School Examinations.381 I 1908 | SUPERIOR SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS, TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 16th, from 9 to 12.LATIN (GRADE II.ACADEMY.) All the questions are to be answered.1.Translate into English :\u2014 A.Ad haec cognoscenda, priusquam periculum faceret idoneum esse arbitratus C Volusenum cum navi longa praemittit.Huic mandat, ut exploratus omnibus rebus ad se quam primum revertatur.Ipse cum omnibus copiis in - Morinos proficiscitur, quod inde erat brevissimus in Brit- anniam traiectus.Huc naves undique ex finitimis region- ibus et quam superiore aestate ad Veneticum bellum fecer- at classem, iubet convenire.B.Qui cum propter siccitates paludum, quo se reciper- ent, non haberent, quo perfugio superiore anno erant usi, omnes fere in potestatem Labieni venerunt.At Q.Titur- ius et L.Cotta legati, qui in Menapiorum fines legiones ~duxerant, omnibus eorum aedificiis incensis, quod Menapii se omnes in densissimas silvas abdiderant, se ad Caesarem receperunt.Caesar in Belgis omnium legionum hiberna constituit.Fo duae omnino civitates ex Britannia obsides miserunt, reliquae neglexerunt.His rebus gestis ex lit- teris Caesais dierum XX supplicatio a senatu decreta est.C.Talia dicentem molli Schoeneia vultu \u2018 adspicit et dubitat superari an vincere malit.Atque ita, quis deus hunc formosis, inquit, iniquus perdere vult, caraeque iubet discrimine vitae coniugium petere hoc?non sum, me iudice, tanti.Nec forma tangor,\u2014poteram tamen hac quoque tangi sed quod ad.huc puer est.Non me movet ipse, sed aetas.Quid, quod inest virtus et mens interrita leti?50 2 (Extract A.) (a) Give the principal parts of arbitratus, praemittit, iubet.(b) What is the construction of haec cognoscenda, idoneum?ik ARR LE Se 382 The Educational Record.(c) Account for the mood of revertatur.(Extract B.) (d) Account for the subjunctives and ablativts in the second sentence of Extract B.(e) \u201cAt Q.Titurius et L.Cotta legati\u201d Distinguish the use of at from that of sed.(f) dierum viginti supplicatio.\u201d What was the sup- plicatio?What grounds were there for it in this instance ?(Extract C.) (g) Account for the case of formosis, discrimine, tanti, leti.50 3.Name the mood and tense of dubitat, vult, reciperent, duxerant, constituit; and give the principal parts of each verb., 15 4.(a) When does cum temporal take the indicative and when the subjunctive?(b) Write in Latin:\u2014(1) When he had said this we set out.(2).When I have written the letter I will come to you., 15 ut (a) What construction follows credo, persuado?(b) Give Latin sentences in illustration.10 6.Express in Latin idiom: \u2014 The middle of the night The top of the mountain Nothing good.What news.Men of war.7.Translate into Latin: 10 We went into the garden to pick flowers.I hope to see the queen, whom my brother saw yesterday.He said that he was well.The general said that he had ordered fifty men to go into the territory of the Haedui to get corn.Having learnt these facts the soldiers made me leader.It does not matter to the judge that you deny this.It is the duty of good citizens to help those who rule the state.Do not deny this.The Roman army was willing to help you.He gave me a book for a present.10 AR ED Superior School Examinations.TUESDAY MORNING.JUNE 16th, from 9 to 11.LATIN (GRADE I.ACADEMY.) All the questions are to be answered.1.Translate into English: \u2014 Tum Hercules cadaver ad opidum in humeris retulit: et pellem, quam detraxerat, postea pro veste gerebat.Omnes autem, qui eam regionem incolebant, ubi famam de morte leonis acceperunt vehementer gaudebant, et Herculem magno honore habebant.J His rebus gestis, Medea sperabat se cum conjuge suo regnim accepturam esse; at cives, quum intelligerent quomodo Pelias perisset, tantum scelus aegre tulerunt ; itaque Jasone et Medea e regno expulsis, Acastum regem creaverunt.35 2.Give the mood, tense and principal parts of retulit, gerebat, incolebant, intelleligerent, tulerunt, perisset.15 3.The construction of a word means the part it plays in building the \u201cstructure\u201d of a sentence.The answer to the question.What is the construction of a word?consists of two parts: (a) the case of the word (if it is declined) or the mood of a word (if it is a verb) and (Db) what it is in that case or mood.(a) What is the construction of:\u2014Veste, honore, his rebus gestis, conjuge, accepturam esse.(b) Can a noun or pronoun be in the ablative absolute if it is the subject or object of another verb?25 4.(a) What is a defective verb?an impersonal verb?Are impersonal verbs necessarily defective?(b) Write in Latin: \u2014It is permitted me to go.It behooves me to go.I go to ask help.25 5.Mention some of the commonest uses of the subjunctive, and write short Latin sentences in illustration.25 6.Distinguish between gerund and gerundive (a) in regard to difference in meaning (b) difference in use.- 7.Translate into Latin.\u2014 The soldiers who stood in front of the camp saw the horsemen.Having spoken, he went away to the city.Having delivered this speech, Caesar returned home.I came to vou RER The Educational Record.384 that you might help me in this matter.He spoke those words to deceive the soldiers.He said that he would not set sail to-morrow.I am going away that I may not see the soldiers.I shall go to sleep soon.The ships were useless for sailing.The money must be returned.25 TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 16th, from 9 to 11.LATIN (GRADE III.MODEL SCHOOL) (Questions 1 and 2 are to be answered and any five (not more) of the others.) 1.Translate into English :\u2014 A.Jupiter tamen haec omnia vidit, et filium suum ser- vare constituit.Fecit igitur mare tranquillum, et arcam ad insulam Seriphum perduxit.B.Cephus igitur oraculum dei Ammonis consuluit, atque a deo jussus est filiam monstro tradere.Ejus autem filia nomine Andromeda, virgo formosissima erat.C.Duodecim annos in servitute Eurysteo tenebatur et duodecim labores, quos ille im peraverat, confecit: hoc enim uno modo tantum scelus expiari potuit.De his laboribus plurima a poetis scripsa sunt.Translate into Latin :\u2014 2.They are carrying gold and silver into the sacred temples.Shall we demand corn or boats from the enemy?How many ships did the enemy build?Who is teaching?I used to teach.The boys will be called by their father.Were they not called?The Roman soldiers are bolder in battle than the Germans.The soldiers fought very bravely for four hours.30 3.(a) In questien 1, extract B.account for the case of deo, nomine, (extract C) annos, laboribus.Parse suum (extract A), and ejus, (extract B.) (b) Explain the difference between Hercules filium LS = suum occidit, and Hercules filium ejus occidit.10 4.Decline together: hostes multi, vir audax, judex sapiens.\u2019 10 5.What part of the verb is monitus?How is it obtained?What is the Latin for: having been moved, the top of the mountain, fond of praise, sunrise, at home.10 Superior School Examinations.385 6.If a noun has its nominative singular ending in us to what three declensions may it belong?What would its genitive in each instance be?its gender?10 7.Give the Latin words in their correct case, number and gender for the words in black type in the following sentences and phrases: A man had two sons: one was good, the other was bad.Which son was good?Neither.Of any poet.To no friend.10 8.(a) Correct the relative in each of the following phrases where it is wrong (a) rex quod, (b) milites quibus.(¢) nox quae, (d) fluminis quod, (e) monte quarum.(b) What kind of a pronoun would the Latin use for each of the words in black in the sentence: He has taken my share for himself in addition to his own.10 9.What kind of a pronoun is each of the following?Give meanings and decline :\u2014Noster, ille, vos, qui.10 TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 16h, from 9 to 11.LATIN (GRADE II.MODEI, SCHOOL.) All the questions are to be answered.1.Translate into English :\u2014 .Cur regina nautas laudat?Servi muros hortorum lau- dant.Magister cum pueris in horto ambulabat.Socios in oppido collocaverint.Magnam militis virtutem lau- davit.Vir bonus conjugem amat.Milites cohortis in alto colle erant.20 2.Translate into Latin: \u2014 Farmers praise the fertility of the soil.I'he poets are delighting the girls with stories.I shall give the friend money.The workmen will build the walls of Rome.We stand in the deep water.Our native land is dear to the slaves.In a garden was a high tree.The general will summon the soldiers to the citadel.3.Give, in tabular form, the gender, genitive singular of bos, iter, nox, opus, rus, ager, vir, deus, ara, luna.10 4.Give the Latin words, in their correct case, number \u2018and gender for the words in black type in the following sentences and phrases :\u2014A farmer had two sons: one was good, the other bad.Which son was good?Neither.Of any poet, of no people, to no friend.15 FI TL TL I TPL AHH HN HHS HN] IH ni SHIRE sine HH H 386 The Educational Record.5.Decline together :\u2014 Magna virtus, iter magnum.6.(a) Give the mood, tense, person, and the English equivalent of amabat, amabimus, amavi, amaveras, amav- erint.(b) What are the principal parts of a verb?(c) What is-the differenre between amabam and amavi?15.FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 19th, from 2 to 4.SCRIPTURE (GRADE III.MODEL SCHOOL.) All the questions are to be answered., 1.(a) Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?(b) Name the greatest of the Apostles.When, where, and how did he become an apostle?10 2.\u201cBut ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto 2, me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea,\u201d etc., etc.(a) Whose words are these?(b) To whom were they spoken?(c) When, and where?(d) When, where, and how did his power come upon them?(e) Mention at least two instances showing how this power was manifested.20: 3.Give a brief account of the death of the first Christian Martyr.10- + What was the punishment given to (a) Ananias, (b) Elymas, (c) Herod?For what cause?.15 5.Under what circumseances did St.Paul use the words : \u201cT'here shall be no loss of any man\u2019s life.\u201d 10 6.Relate Peter\u2019s Vision.What lesson does it teach?10 7.In connection with what events were the following expressions used?(a) \u201cThy money perish with thee.\u201d (b) \u201cCome over into Macedonia and help us.\u201d (c) \u201cWhat must I do to be saved?\u201d (d) \u201cGo thy way for this time.\u201d (e) \u201cAlmost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.\u201d 15 8.Locate the followng places and mention an event that took place at each: \u2014 Joppa.Damascus, Athens, Melita, Lystra.10 J i Notices from the Official Gazette.FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 19th, from 2 to 4.SCRIPTURE (GRADES I and II MODEL SCHOOL.) 1.To whom is the Gospel of St.Luke specially addressed?Name four of the prominent persons mentioned in the first chapter and say who they were.15 2.\u201cLord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.\u201d When, where, and by whom were these words spoken?10 3.Name any four of our Lord's parables and give the substance of any one of them in your own words.15 4.What were the words used by the angel of the Lord who appeared to the shepherds of Bethlehem the night on which Christ was born?10 5.In what connection do the followiog expressions occur?(a) \u201cMaid arise.\u201d (b) \u201cWhere are the nine\u201d?(c) \u201cShow me a penny.\u201d (d) \u201cWoman, I know him not.\u201d (e) \u201cI find no fault in this man.\u201d 15 6.Who was (a) Herod, (b) Caiaphas, (¢) Zacchaeus, (d) Pilate (e) Mary Magdalene?10 7.Relate the miracle in connection with which the following words were used: \u201cThou son of David, have mercy on me.\u201d : 8.What disciples were present at the Transfiguration 2 NOTICES FROM T'HE OFFICIAL GAZETTE.DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.His Honor, the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased, by order in Council, dated the 19th of September, 1908, to appoint Messrs.Richard L.Mitchell, Harvey W.Sharp and Harry Johnstone, of Chaudiere, school trustees for the dissentient school municipality of Chaudiere, Levis county, some doubt having arisen as to the validity of the election held on 6th July last, at which these persons were elected to office.FRR À DFE RE A TIT RTE TI RES ETES EE A ETE a -388 The Educational Record.His Honor the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased, by order in Council, dated the 19th of September, 1908, to make the following appointments, to wit: School Commissioners.Matane, Saint-Moise.\u2014Messrs.Joseph Paradis, Charles St.Amand and J.B.Caron, the two former continued in office, their term of office having expired from the 1st of July, 1908, and the third to replace Mr.Philippe Roy, whose domicile is now outside of the limits of the said school municipality.His Honor, the Lieutenant Governor, has been pleased, by order in Council, dated the 30th of September last, 1908, to make the following appointments, to wit: School Commissioners.Beauce.\u2014Courcelles.\u2014Mr.Joseph Roy, continued in office.Bonaventure \u2014Saint FEtienne de New Carlisle.\u2014Rev.George W.Freire, to replace the Rev.J.E.Sasseville, who has left the municipality.Missisquoi.\u2014Saint Armand West.\u2014Messrs.Augustin Fortin and Olivier Bibeau, to replace Messrs.Alphé Lamothe and Frank Cadorette, whose terms of office have expired.His Honor the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased, by order in Council.dated the 5th of October, 1908, to appoint Mr.Joseph Marcotte, school commissioner for the municipality of Sainte Cunégonde, in the county of Hoche- laga, to replace Dr.Campeau, now residing outside of the municipality.His Honor the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased, by order in Council, dated the 17th of October, 1908; to appoint Mr.Henri F.Gingras, school commissioner for the school municipality of Sainte Cécile de Milton, in the county of Shefford, to replace Mr.Damase Fontaine, who has resigned."]