BOOK DEPOSITORY, BOROUGH-ROAD, SOUTHWARK.

Open daily, from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. (On Saturday, from 9 till 3 o'clock.) In issuing a new Catalogue of Lesson Books, Maps, Slates, and other School Material, to the Committees, Managers, and Teachers of British and other Schools, attention is respectfully called to the greatly reduced prices at which all articles are now sold at the Depository.

It will be perceived that the Lesson Books are offered at about half the retail price, and that nearly every other book in the Catalogue can now be obtained at a discount of 25 per cent., or one-fourth less than it is published at.

The Committee are anxious that their friends should be able to obtain everything that may be required of an educational character, at the Borough-road, on the lowest terms; and as the degree in which this can be accomplished necessarily depends on the amount of their sales, they trust that both the committees and teachers of local schools will see the importance of sustaining the attempt by making all their purchases at the Depository.

Catalogues will be sent by post, gratis, on application.

Particular attention is requested to the notices found in the front page of the Catalogue, as, if disregarded, it is impossible to avoid delay.

To meet the convenience of teachers and others, arrangements have been made for the gratuitous delivery, where practicable, of parcels in London.

HENRY DUNN, Secretary.

N.B.-All remittances should be enclosed to Mr. SAMUEL BRADFORD, Accountant, and Post Office Orders made payable to him, at the Borough Post Office, London. Borough-road, December, 1855.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

DONATIONS, AND NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS.
From September 1st, 1855, to November 30th, 1855.

Remittances from Auxiliary Societies and Corresponding Committees, &c., from September 1st, 1855,

to November 30th, 1855.

Subscriptions and Donations will be thankfully received by SAMUEL GURNEY, ESQ, Treasurer, 65, Lombard-street; Messrs. HANBURYS and Co., Bankers to the Society, 60, Lombard-street; and at the Society's House, Borough-road.

Printed by JACOB UNWIN, of No. 8, Grove Place, in the Parish of St. John, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, at his Printing Office, 31, Bucklersbury, in the Parish of St. Stephen, Walbrook, in the City of London; and Published by Tan SOCIETY, at the Depository, Borough Road.-TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1856.

THE

EDUCATIONAL RECORD.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS FROM DEC. 1, 1855, TO MARCH 1, 1856. Two hundred and forty-five students have been in training at the Normal College.

Sixty-five have been appointed to the charge of schools.

Thirteen have withdrawn, either from a desire to change their occupation, from failing health, or some other disqualification.

One hundred and forty-one remain in the Institution.

AGENCY AND INSPECTION.

Since our last, Mr. Baxter has visited and inspected various schools in and around London. He has also held several public examinations and meetings in the country, as well as inspected schools, and held conferences with Committees and Managers. Forty-four towns and villages have received his attention.

Mr. Wilks has been variously engaged in inspecting schools, conducting examinations, and holding public meetings in forty-three places, in addition to the oversight of numerous schools in and around Manchester.

Mr. Phillips has visited forty-one places in North Wales on his usual work of inspection, conference, lecturing, and otherwise furthering the work of education. He states—“I feel that we are progressing gradually. We have more school-rooms being built this year than we have ever had in one year before."

In South Wales, Mr. Roberts has visited twenty-two places on educational business, to some of which he was accompanied by Mr. Baxter, whom the Society's Committee sent down on a special visit to South Wales in January last.

It is a source of much satisfaction to the Society's Committee that the visits of their own Inspectors are increasingly appreciated both by the committees and teachers of British schools. The following is from a master in Berkshire::

"As my last letter to you, prior to the inspection, was rather desponding, it is but fair that I should now, having reason for it, write in a rather more cheerful strain. The school has now a much more flourishing appearance several new scholars have been received, and others, who I thought had left us, have returned. Whether it must be attributed to the effects of the inspection, or to the increased prosperity of the parents, I know not; but I must say, and I hope, too, not from any vain motive, that the recent examination has had its effect on the minds of the children and parents, especially in inducing even those who came to school clean before, to come now cleaner, if anything. The very fact that a gentleman was coming down from London to examine them, seemed on both occasions to have an enchanting effect on all. Better still, I think the effect seen is a lasting one too, as some I know to be using more diligence with a view to a future visit from you."

The next is from a British teacher in Wiltshire :

"The committee, parents, teachers, and children, all feel grateful for your visit. It did us good. It has attached additional importance to our school in the estimation of those who should prize it. Many of the children feel (I believe for the first time) that there are other persons in the world who think highly of the acquirements which are to be attained in a British school, besides the solitary individual whose voice they hear every day. On the day after you came I took an opportunity of having a little free conversation with the children respecting your visit, the examination which had taken place, and the one which still loomed. I asked to see the hands of those who wanted you to come again. They were unanimous, with many interesting inquiries as to when they may expect to see you again. I found them tolerably familiar with the 'heads' of your address on 'The Formation of Good Habits,' and also with the interesting anecdotes with which you illustrated it. Your prophecy received a literal fulfilment. 'The eyes went round,' (not for the first time), and were pleased in discovering thirty-two pairs of clean shoes and boots, some of which had been used to get about an annual brush; and a few of the few girls whose hair had generally looked as though they had been seriously frightened on their way to school, had evidently been cultivating the 'habit of personal neatness.'

The following extract is from a letter written by a British teacher in London, who, though but lately appointed, is already succeeding well, as might have been expected from the spirit with which he entered on his work. After mentioning his first difficulties, he says:

"I was not discouraged, but went to work in earnest. Being naturally fond of children, I was not long in winning their affections, which was a great point gained. My elder boys I frequently have home to tea in parties of from six to twelve, and during the summer months I formed a cricket club, which I directed for them; thus forming a feeling of friendship, which, I am happy to say, has now spread throughout the whole school. They are, I believe, one happy band, ever willing to do my bidding. Is not this cheering to one who loves teaching, to know that so many young hearts beat with love towards him? The parents, too, are ever inviting me to form one of their circle, and show their gratitude in many ways. About four months since I formed a French class, and engaged a French gentleman to teach it once a week. I have now above twenty-five belonging to it, each paying 4s. 6d. a quarter."

The master of an excellent British school in Surrey transmits the following encouraging fact. It is of especial value as illustrative of the high importance attached by British teachers to the spiritual improvement of their charge, as well as of the success which often follows even where least expected.

"It is now fifteen months since a poor ignorant boy, scarcely able to read words of one syllable (though ten years old), came to me to be admitted as a scholar. I asked him why he wished to come to my school, when he told me because I wants to learn.' I admitted the boy, and about a month from that time he began to improve very rapidly. On one occasion, when this boy was present, I was giving the class a very simple lesson on the duty of praying to God,' which was followed by as simple a prayer from me (in which the class took part) for themselves and parents. The boy continued to come to school with increasing interest to hear the Bible lessons, and on no account would be absent from the school in the morning. About four months from the time of his admittance, I missed him from his class. I immediately made inquiries after him, when I found that he had a drunken father and a sick mother, and, in consequence of the latter, he had to go to work. His parents could neither read nor write. In a day or two after this I received a kind verbal

message from his poor mother, thanking me very much for making her Johnny such a good boy, and for teaching him to say his prayers night and morning;' adding, that he always prayed for his bad father and his poor mother. In a short time the mother was on her death-bed, and it was her son's delight, every evening after work, to read to her about Jesus Christ. On one occasion, his father, in a sober state, entered the room, and found his boy engaged in prayer for his father and mother. The man was cut to the heart, for he had never prayed for himself, wife, or child. From this time he resolved to be a better man, and accordingly he left off his habits of intemperance, and has acted the part of a parent towards his son. Since the decease of his wife, I am informed that he attends the house of God at least once every Sunday."

One other extract will show how the school may benefit the home, when the instruction is of a practical kind, and their interest in it is secured. "While giving a lesson on quicksilver to a junior class, I had occasion to advert to its use in the manufacture of looking-glasses. Though I had a small piece of a broken mirror in my hand to show them the effect of the union of tin and mercury on glass, I could not make them understand the process of silvering. Determining to do this, I set about silvering a piece of common glass before them. Having accomplished my object, I finished the lesson. The next morning, to my surprise, several of the boys had pieces of glass, which they had silvered at home, telling me that their big brothers had assisted them in the operation. I am repeatedly told by the boys that their fathers and brothers often assist them in the preparation of home lessons."

HOME CORRESPONDENCE.-REGULAR ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL. The most active friends of education in all parts of the country are just now endeavouring to devise some methods of securing a more punctual and constant attendance on the part of the children, and thus of removing one of the greatest impediments to the usefulness of the schools. Our readers will be interested to learn the result of an important experiment which has been tried with this view at Alton in Hampshire. The Committee thus report:

"With a view to encourage every effort to promote regularity in attendance, the Government have made a regulation, whereby some pecuniary assistance is afforded towards the expenses of those schools placed under their inspection, in which a certain degree of attention is given to the attainment of this object. As irregularity in attendance is one of the greatest difficulties under which schools generally labour, the Committee have endeavoured to promote the end in view, by giving the boys to understand that some small prize will be awarded to each of those who attend the school for at least the required time, being 176 days in the year, ending April 30th next. They have reason to believe that this prize will be much sought for by the boys, apart from its intrinsic value—as being a certificate of punctuality and regu. larity in the performance of their duties. The Committee would earnestly impress on the boys, and on their parents, the great disadvantages which follow from irregularity of attendance; they hope that more attention will be given to this subject, and that some inconveniences may be borne with, to enable the boys to attend with increased regularity."

The Committee of a large and flourishing British school at Cheltenham have also devoted considerable attention to this important subject. We subjoin some details of their plans and the results :

"One of the plans which has greatly contributed to the order and discipline of

the school, as well as to the improvement of the scholars, consists in the periodical award of Certificates of Merit.' These are divided into three classes, and being chiefly designed to secure punctual and regular attendance, are given as follows:"The first class, to those of the scholars who have not been absent from school more than four days during the year; the second, where the absence does not exceed ten days; and the third, where it does not extend beyond twenty days. During the last year, no less than sixty of these were gained. They are fully appreciated by the parents and children, and in most instances are neatly glazed and framed. They are given only to those scholars who have been in the school from January to December, as an inducement to secure a more lengthened stay at school. Your Committee deplore the existence of a disposition on the part of the parents to shorten, as much as possible, the period devoted to education. Considerable advantage has been derived from the monthly and quarterly reports of attendance and progress which were referred to in the last report, and which still continue to be regularly forwarded by the master to the parents of each child.

"The cultivation of provident habits, it will be readily admitted, forms one important branch of education. Under this impression, about three years ago, a savings' bank was established among the boys, to which the old scholars are allowed to contribute after they have left the school. The amount paid into the bank since its establishment has been £150, and 5 per cent. interest is paid upon the deposits, without any charge whatever upon the school funds."

In the Warrington school, in which a high state of practical efficiency has been reached, the effect of improved discipline, and of a generally enlarged course of instruction, has been highly favourable to the attendance.

"The ordinary attendance during the year has been 310 boys and 90 girls. The number admitted has been 241 boys and 83 girls, whilst the number that has left has been 222 boys and 73 girls; showing a gain of 19 boys and 10 girls, and making a total of 1,939 boys, and 1,366 girls, who have passed through the schools within the last seven years. In nothing is the altered condition of the schools more evident than the increased regularity of the attendance, and the lengthened period during which the pupils remain. In 1848, the proportion of absentees in the boys' school was from twenty-five to thirty per cent., it is now from eight to ten per cent. Then, also, more than twice as many boys passed through the school in the year as now do, though the number in the school is now much higher. The scholars also stay to a greater age than formerly, and at present there are 16 pupils over thirteen years of age, and 12 over fourteen."

TESTIMONIAL TO THE MASTER OF THE EARITH BRITISH SCHOOL. -- On Thursday afternoon, the 20th March, the pupil-teachers and scholars of the Earith British School assembled in the school-room to present, as a token of their esteem and affection, a massive and beautiful gold pencilcase to their teacher, Mr. George Pegler, who is about to resign the office of superintendent of that school. conducted the school to the satisfaction of the trustees, and with credit to himself, for nearly ten years. The following address by the scholars was inclosed with the pencilcase:

"Respected Sir,

He has

"It is with the deepest regret that we think of your leaving our school, and we are fully convinced that you have done your duty towards us; and though at times we have thought you rather strict, we are now persuaded it was all for our good. As a token of our esteem, we hope you will condescend to accept the inclosed; and that in the future part of your life you may live happily, and your future endeavours be crowned with complete success, is the wish of every right-minded Earith British School-boy."