University and Educational Intelligence

Abstract

SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT.—The Committee of Council on Education have just issued an important circular on instruction in practical chemistry and in physics. My Lords direct that §§ XLV. and LXXI. of the Science Directory be cancelled and that the following rules be substituted:—1. Payments of 1l. 10s. and 1l. for the first and second class in the elementary stage, and of 4l. and 3l. for the first and second class in the advanced stage and honours, will be made on the results of instruction in practical chemistry. They will be claimable according to the same rules, and subject to the same deductions on account of previous success as the ordinary payments. These payments will be made on condition—(a) That there be a good laboratory—being a room, or part of a room, exclusively devoted to the purpose of the study of practical chemistry—properly fitted with gas and water supply, (b) That the student on whom the payment be claimed have received twenty-five lessons at least in laboratory practice since his last examination, each lesson being an attendance of at least one hour and a half's duration on a separate day. (c) That a register of the attendance of the students at the instruction in practical chemistry be kept duly posted up from day to day. 2. Elementary Stage.—In this stage the knowledge of the students will be tested by special questions set with the ordinary examination paper; but no payments will be made if the laboratory be not furnished with all the apparatus necessary for the individual practice of each student in practical chemistry, and if systematic instruction in practical chemistry be not given. Any student on whom it is intended to claim payments in this stage may be called on by the Inspector of the Department, when visiting the laboratory, to repeat some of the experiments, specified in the Science Directory in the syllabus for the first stage of inorganic chemistry, which he has had an opportunity of witnessing. 3. Advanced Stage and Honours.—The results of the instruction in these stages will be tested by a special examination in qualitative analysis to be held on a Saturda / during the ordinary May examinations, and lasting, for the advanced stage from 6 P.M. to 10 P.M., and for honours from 2 P.M. to 10 P.M. Payments can only be claimed in these stages provided—(a) That the laboratory be fitted up with a separate working place for each student, (b) That each student be provided with a complete set of apparatus and chemical tests (as enumerated in Science Form No. 402) kept separate, and in good working order, on the shelves, and in the cupboard or drawers at his own table. (c) That the laboratory be also furnished with apparatus for general use, consisting of at least the articles of which a list will be found on Science Form No. 402. From the reports of the examiners and of the inspectors it appears that instruction still continues to be given in physics without a sufficient amount of apparatus to illustrate the teaching of these experimental sciences. My Lords cannot allow examinations to be held in schools where instructions of such a superficial and perfunctory nature is given. They therefore direct that in 1878 no classes be examined which are not furnished with apparatus at least sufficient to illustrate some of the more important experiments; which apparatus the teacher may be called upon by the Inspector of the Department to show his ability to use.