On Thursday, July 22nd, the President of the Board of
Education gave an account of his department's work and prospects which was not exciting. Under the surface is the struggle, particularly acute now, between expanding efficiency and economy. The estimates rise by a little over a million. Lord Eustace Percy was able to say that while the children in attendance at the elementary schools have increased by 17,000 during the past year, the number of teachers has risen by 1,129. Thus the average number of children in one teacher's class is gradually falling, but there are still classes here and there of over fifty, which, as every teacher knows, is too great a number for effective instruction. If the whole country is taken, the number of children to teachers is smaller to-day than ever before. In regard to teachers' training colleges," Lotcl Etistace wants to relax control by regulation where co-operation with the universities can be increased. More and more money will be wanted for secondary education (which is particularly near his heart) since the number of places to be provided increases rapidly. Besides new elementary schools and enlargements the local authorities and managers will plainly be called on to find large sums for structural and other improvements, especially in voluntary schools.
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