The Three R.'S.

entering into controversial points , we shall always be glad to aid in our humble measure all wise efforts to extend educational agencies . For much remains to be clone , and the most genuine alarmist need not yet apprehend a too rapid advance even iu elementary knowledge .

All education requires is to be left alone . It will progress in its own AA-ay and utility and blessing , if only judiciously encouraged , and scientifically supported . The only fear is , lest it should be too much doctored . Professor Cockroach is at present very much to the fore , and Ave do not believe in Professor

Government grants , Avho were qualified byage and attendances to bring such grants to the schools on passing a satisfactory examination in reading , writing , and arithmetic . There were 857 , 611 children actually presented for such examination ,

and 508 , ^ 32 passed the proscribed test Avithout failure in any one of the three subjects . The inspectors' reports supply valuable accounts of these schools and their work . The Rev . E . P . Arnold , reporting on schools in Devonshire , observes that he

is not one of those who think that , the results of our elementary school system have been up to this time unsatisfactory . He is not sure that groAvn-up and educated people do not form an exaggerated estimate of the intelligence which can fairl y be expected in a child of 10 or 11 years old . Mr . Arnold says : — ' A boy the other clay Avas reading to me these words from a book

of English history— " Ihey raised the standard and marched against the enemy ;" and upon my asking him Avhat a standard Avas , he said it was a " daily paper . " But the boy understood the pith of the passage , that the tAvo sides Avere just going to fight . A supply of reading books of continuous

narrative , like the " Vicar of Wakefield , " & c , ' Avould do much , ' says Mr . Arnold , 'to give children an interest in their reading , and so to improve it ; but to expect an ordinary child in an elementary school to understand all the Avords in a leader of the

" Times , or a page of modern literature will be ahvays to expect a prodigy . ' Mr . Arnold notes that under the head of ' writing , ' good spelling is required , and to Avrite from dictation correctly requires intelligence ; Avhen Ave hear that nearly 77 per cent , pass in it successfullyit would

, be very unfair to regard this result merely as a test of mechanical hanclAvriting . In regard to arithmetic , he observes that under the fourth standard are included '

compound rules , ' treated as requiring not merely the correct Avorking of straightforward sums , but the poAver to resolve easy problems in these rules . The following is one put in his district : — 'A watch is 37 min . 2 ? sec . too fast ; Avhat is the correct time Avhen it is a quarter past 12 by the watch ? ' In that district only twothirds of all the children examined in

arithmetic passed successfully , but all the boys in the fourth standard Avere educated with a view to Avorking such sums as this . The Rev . W . F . Trogarthen , reporting on Dorset and Hants , says that in schools where there is the greatest variety ol reading booksthe children ahvays read

, best . Still , he observes , good reading , distinct , intelligent and expressive , is not often met Avith ; fair reading , with correct and distinct rirommciation , and some attempt to give exjiression to meaning , is not so hard to find . The reading Avould be

better if more time Avere given to the explanation of Avords . This inspector notices that good Avriting becomes the habit of a school Avhere the teacher is a

good penman , attaches due importance to the exercise , and insists upon the letters being well and neatly formed . He adds that arithmetic involves thought from the first , and he observes the most amusing efforts on tlie part of the juvenile mind not to think . Children would rather make

Cockroach . Education , like a good many other things just now , is in great danger of falling into the hands of quacks and charlatans ; and too many " cooks " may even yet " spoil the broth . " We have thought it AVOII to show the present position and work of education

amongst us , by appending a precis of some of the recent reports of Her Majesty ' s Inspectors of Schools , which appeared in the " Times" a short time ago , as they deserve alike careful perusal and serious thought . We have also given a

few educational statistics , and though it is said you can prove anything by statistics , as Prince Albert once said so Avell , they form the only safe basis cither of scientific study or political knowledge : "In the year ending with August , 1874 , there wore 1 , 013 , 068 children in elementary day schools in England aided by