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wir sprechen von Privatschulen— den an der Spitze einer der 11 000 Privatschulen stehen- den Head Master, alias Rev. Bull, M. A., um den armen Assistant Master kümmert es sich nicht; er ist in seinen Augen ein nobody, eines jener traurigen Geschöpfe, die zu unbe- deutend sind, um nur bemerkt zu werden; man liebt sie nicht, man hasst sie nicht, wie es die Natur des nobody mit sich bringt. ¹

The Assistant Master is indeed a poor creature worthy of pity. The future lies dark before him, he cannot enjoy the tranquillity of a sweet home, he is continually tormented and teased by unruly boys, often illtreated by his Principal; even the lady of the house will look upon him very unkindly, whenever some boarders have not washed themselves nor combed their hair properly in the morning. He is the bottom-rung of the long ladder at. the top of which is the Head Master of a great Public School, such as Eton or Rugby.

As the lot of an Assistant Master is a dreary one, so the position of all English Teachers is, in general, very insecure— I except the Elementary Teachers, although in their case much remains to be done. There exist no pensions for them or for their widows. The City of London School forms a glorious exception, for the Teachers of this School have not only a safe position, but they are, after a certain number of years, entitled to a pension. The Head Masters of most Public Schools, who may themselves be sent away, may also, as we have seen above, dismiss their Teachers upon three months' notice without giving any reason.„Eine blosse Laune des Direktors oder des Verwaltungsrates der Schule,“ says Mr. Baumann,„kann den gereiften Pädagogen fast ohne besondere Veranlassung plötzlich um seine Stellung bringen.“

In recent years, many reasonable Englishmen have recognised that it has become necessary for England to effect a thorough reform in her Scholastic Institutions, chiefly as to Middle-class Schools. The Earl of Derby at the distribution of prizes at Ormskirk Gram- mar School in the autumn of 1889 said:„The weak point in education matters is still— though less than formerly— the want of good secondary or middle-class teaching. The upper classes have a system which suits them, and which they are not disposed to alter; the poor children are better provided for than ever before; but for the class between a great deal remains to be done.“

Also in this respect, signs of- coming improvement are visible in England. A Technical and Secondarg Education Association has been started in July 1887 which, amongst other objects, intends raising the standard of education for the middle classes and providing better schools for them. One of its chief objects is the organization and maintenance of a system of secondary education„with a view to placing the higher technical and commercial education in our schools and colleges on a better footing.“ This technical instruction is to comprise mainly instruction in drawing, physical science, modern languages, mathematics, commercial history, and geography, and the elementary use of tools. The Association further aims at improving the training of teachers,„so that they may be able to take an effective part in the work which the Association desires to promote.“ Moreover, the Association makes enquiries into the present state of secondary education with a view to showing its faults and initiating a thorough reform.„The Committee feel that their work will not be over until the public in each locality, are much more alive to the worth of good education, and the duty of providing for it, than they are at present. In this respect we are still far be- hind other nations.“— To promote technical education, an Act of Parliament was passed in 1889 called the Technical Instruction Act which gives permission to local authorities to levy a technical education rate of a penny in the pound. This Act is already in force in 30 of the chief manufacturing and agricultural districts of England. In 1890, the House of Commons voted a bill permitting County Councils to devote£ 350,000 to technical education. This Bill became law on August 19, 1890.

4 Teachers' Universit’ Association has also been formed, doubtless, I think, in con- sequence of the endeavours and success of the Elementary Teachers' Association. The

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