"But it appears that from the increased cost of building materials Reports on it is not easy to get a contractor to undertake the work at the price the State of offered for the erection and equipment of the school.

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Education.

"In other parts of the circuit there are several unsuitable school- Mr. A. Purser. houses especially in the County of Cavan. Supply.

"It is not so much the school-house and premises that I have sometimes to complain of-it is the manner in which they are kept by the teacher. On a cold winter day I enter a school and find a clean floor, everything tidy and orderly, a good fire, and an air of comfort. Í leave that school and go to another. I find an unclean floor with dirty torn papers lying about, the book-press and the teacher's desk in disorder, dust everywhere, and no fire in the grate.

"I respectfully submit that this matter and the question of schoolhouses require immediate action. Out-offices instead of being an advantage are in some instances a dangerous source of disease and death."

Mr. HYNES:

"

Ample provision is made for the special training of Infants, as forty-two out of the total 128 are Infant schools, and fifteen others have separate Infants' departments. In these Kindergarten is taught, and great attention is paid to Object Lessons, Drill, Singing, and other exercises suited for children of infant school age.

"The distribution of the schools accords very fairly with that of population, and there is not any locality within the rather wide area which they embrace that does not enjoy reasonable facilities for availing of the national system of education.

"The school structures may in general be described as very fair. Some leave nothing to be desired, and only one (Robertstown) is positively unfit for teaching purposes. There are, however, a good many which are defective in one or more of the following essentials-space, lighting, ventilation. In at least three progress is impeded by overcrowding.

There is every likelihood that not a few of the defects referred to will be remedied before my next report.

"One matter to which I am constantly referring, in which there is still great need for improvement, is the appearance of the schoolrooms and premises. Much more taste might easily be displayed in keeping them. The school plot is often unsightly from weeds, loose papers, and litter of different kinds, while inside the houses, soiled tablets, maps torn and hanging awry, dirty windows, dusty mantels, &c., &c., create an unfavourable impression.

Many hands make light work, and the children, if the teacher directs their attention to it, will be quite interested in making everything trim and neat. And this caring and tasteful arranging of their rooms and grounds would be a very useful training for them.

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Mr. A. Purser.
Supply.

More attention should also be paid to the heating of the rooms. I observe a tendency, now that coal is so dear, to dispense with fires or to put up with very scanty ones on all but the coldest days."

Mr. KEENAN :—

"I am not in a position to state to what extent the population has been reduced, but judging from its continuous flow and the reduction in the labouring population, I am led to believe that it is very considerable.

"With a declining population we cannot expect much in school

extension.

"The school buildings are plain and substantial, suitably furnished, and in most cases afford ample accommodation for the present attendThe school-rooms are in general kept clean and well heated in the winter season, when the presence of a good fire is indispensable.

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'The houses are kept in repair by the managers, in most instances, out of their own private means. Structural improvements to school buildings are also made from the same source. I have always regarded it as a great hardship that the managers of schools should be required to maintain the school buildings out of their own private means when a tax, trifling in amount, could be levied for the same purpose, as these school-houses are in reality public property, having been in the first instance erected from funds provided by the locality.

"Of the 154 schools in operation in this district, about twenty-five are held in houses that are not suitable. Some of these unsuitable houses are built in graveyards and on sites that are otherwise objectionable. A few are held in old houses that it is almost impossible to keep in repair. From a sanitary point of view these old houses are most objectionable. They have no sanitary arrangements whatever the site is limited to what is barely sufficient for the house, ceiling low, furniture antiquated and rickety. There are other unsuitable schools that are even more objectionable than the above. These are the schools that are built in graveyards. Some of these have been built actually upon old graves. This class of schools should be removed to suitable sites as soon as possible. However, as regards school building, something has been done. The dilapidated buildings in which Largy Female and Largy Infant schools were held have been replaced by two excellent houses, most thoroughly equipped for their purpose in every respect. In my long experience as an inspector I have not met with better school-houses.

"The sanitation of many, if not most, of the schools is in a very satisfactory state, but I occasionally meet with cases in which this important matter is neglected. I consider it would be much better if the local sanitary officers were placed in charge of the sanitation of our schools."

Mr. M'ELWAINE:

"The school accommodation of that portion of the district which lies outside of the City of Belfast is on the whole satisfactory. There

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are some school-houses which I should like to see replaced by new Reports on ones, but the vast majority of the schools are fairly comfortable. In the State of Ballymacarrett (the portion of Belfast which belongs to this district) Education. the accommodation is not so satisfactory. This is the most growing part of Belfast, and the increase of accommodation scarcely keeps Mr. A. Purser. pace with the increasing population. In the case of a number of Supply. schools, the Commissioners were obliged to give directions to limit the attendance to the number of pupils for whom accommodation is provided.

"A grave fault which I have frequently observed, chiefly in city schools, is defective ventilation. This sometimes arises from neglect of teachers to use the means cf ventilation provided, but too many of the city schools are not sufficiently ventilated.

"I have too often observed at visits to schools that they were unsatisfactory as to cleanliness. This arises from neglect to sweep and dust the school-room as the practical rules require, but one frequent cause is the untidy habit of throwing lunch papers about the floor. Sometimes the school is not supplied with mats or scrapers, so that on wet days the pupils bring mud from the road or playground into the school.

Sometimes, but more rarely, untidiness is to be observed among the pupils, usually in poor localities. The rule that inspection of cleanliness should be held every morning is a good old rule.

"It should be made a condition that all the vested schools of the future should be furnished with lavatories.

"As a rule the schools are well supplied with school furniture. The desks supplied by the Board of Works have little if any gradation.

"To meet the requirements of the New Programme, Kindergarten desks should form part of the outfit of all new schools.

"Ground in Belfast is so valuable that large playgrounds cannot be looked for in the city, but it is a pity that about half of the schools in Ballymacarrett have practically no playground. Two schools under one roof have a good playground, but it has never been used because of the expense which would be incurred in enclosing it. A novel feature found in a few schools is the playground on the roof, but this is rather a pretence than a reality, as I believe that except in one case it is never used, the door leading to it being kept continually locked.

"In too many cases the schools are not well designed. In a wellplanned school-house there will be a certain relation between the size of the class-rooms and the size of the main rooms."

66 There are now in my district 121 ordinary schools, one Model school with three departments, one Workhouse school with two departments. one Convent school, and one Night school. Since my last report one school was struck off the

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Board's list owing to decline in attendance, and one owing to irregularities. In the Lisburn-road locality more accommodation is necessary, and this, I understand, will shortly be provided, but in other localities the buildings are sufficient. The want of playgrounds is a Mr. A. Furter, serious defect."

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Dr. BEATTY:

"Besides the ordinary schools in the district, there are two Workhouse schools, five Convent schools, and one Model school (with three departments).

"The number of schools in this district is now 143, being one more than in March last. The new school is Forkill Jackson N.S.-a rather small school under E.C. management, and in the enjoyment of a fairly large endowment. This school has existed in the locality for over 100 years.

"The school-houses of this district are rarely overcrowded. There are a few such.

"My predecessor, Mr. Ross, who brought about a great many structural improvements, drew attention in his report of 1898 to the desirability of providing porches to all small one-roomed schools, for the very cogent reasons that they provide accommodation for the children's wraps and for fuel,' and that they add materially to the comfort of the children by making the rooms less draughty, and render unnecessary the exceedingly objectionable arrangement of storing the winter supply of fuel within the school-room.'

There is still a considerable number of schools where this sugges tion has not yet been carried out. The desks are very frequently shaky, hacked, worn, and much too narrow. The greatest defect, however, is the lowness of the windows, which are usually unprovided with pulleys. As the top of the window is often only five or six feet high, ventilation cannot be secured without a dangerous draught along the children's heads. The light in some cases is sufficient, but is in these schools on the wrong place the floor. This leads to imperfectly articulated reading. If children are to read clearly and intelligibly they must straighten themselves and hold their books high. But in these schools the book is frequently above the circle of illumination from the window. For the same reason the children are discouraged from holding up their slates at a proper height.

"How the necessary improvements are to be carried out is one of the most worrying problems which face an Inspector. Teachers should not be liable for such expenses, and managers protest that there are no funds for such purposes.

"It is pleasant to be able to mention that, in one locality, schoolbuilding has made a marked advance during the past year. The Kilkeel district is well supplied with school-houses, and many of them are commodious and suitable. In the town itself, a new house, vested in the Commissioners, has been opened by the Rev. W. M'Mordie one of the best-equipped buildings which I have seen in any district;

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and the St. Colman's Schools (vested in trustees) for boys, girls, and Reports on infants, by the Very Rev. Fr. Marner, P.P.—a splendid block, on a remarkably healthy site, and with ample playgrounds. I am inclined Education. to doubt whether any, town of the size in Ireland is now better supplied with school-houses than Kilkeel.

"The playgrounds are little used for organised games during play hour, or as an alternative, for amateur gardening. The latter is an excellent employment for children. It furnishes an object for healthy exertion, and gives a pleasant relief from school work. It shows the children how good results may be attained without practically any expenditure; it gives them an interest in plant growth, while unconsciously they are learning the principles which underlie all horticultural and agricultural work. It also trains them to beautify their own home surroundings."

Mr. A. Purser.

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Mr. HEADEN:

"The schools are distributed in accordance with the needs of the locality, and structurally they are satisfactory on the whole. In a number of cases, especially within the city, and more especially in connection with the Convents, the school-rooms, playgrounds, furniture, and general equipment are of superior character, meeting all the requirements of the day. In case of two or three rural schools the present buildings are wholly unsuited for their purpose, but steps are being taken to replace them by new houses at an early date. Within the city, too, there are three or four school-houses located in congested parts that deserve to be condemned on every ground, sanitary as well as educational. I know at the same time that the managers and others interested in them are only too anxious to remedy the evil; but difficulties of several kinds stand in the way, and foremost that of procuring suitable sites. I have reason to believe, however, that in all these cases new houses of ample proportions, and fitted and furnished in accordance with the most modern ideas, will soon be erected. There are at present 142 National schools in this district, distinguished as follows:

:

"Further improvements continue to be made in the general accommodation. Unsatisfactory buildings at Portstewart, Killure, and Armoy (2) have been replaced by new vested houses, which are nearly ready for my final report, previously to being fully recognised. Drumtullagh, Ballyweany, Armoy (3), and Upper Dervock Schools have been either enlarged or replaced by entirely new and much more convenient non-vested houses. But there are many cases where room