18 OCTOBER 1879, Page 3

Mr. Forster, speaking yesterday week at a dinner given by

the Bradford Liberal Club to the Bradford School Board, -denied entirely that the great increase in the cost of elementary education was due to the extravagantly high education given or attempted in elementary schools, or to the demand for the teaching of "special subjects" over and, above the "three R's." It was a ridiculously small proportion of

the children who i learned these special subjects, nor was t the demand for teachers displaying the power to teach such sabjects, which raised the cost of teaching. It was thesuddenaess of the demand, for good teachers of the common subjects whjch had run up the salaries of teachers. And that, no doubt, its being exactly what we ought to

have expected. So far from being a heavy tax on teachers to ask that they shall be able to teach one or two subjects be- yond the more rudiments., teachers who are really up to the work of vivifying the routine subj.ecta., are quite certain to have mastered other subjects with .which it is a groat relief to them The real test of good to vary the monotony of their work.. teaching is the power to put some animation and vividness into the discipline and regular grind of the ordinary schooling. this are almost certain to Men and women who can rea.11y.do. have intellectual interests .outside. in which they can also show A mastery of extra teaching power when it is re. gaffed. sub-

jects tells far more on the calibre of the teaching of the ordinary subjects, than in any other way.