not keep up the attention under such circumstances, and it is always better to stop until the visitors have done talking.

One of the teachers must be on the premises at half past eight o'clock in the morning, to receive the children, and to take it by turns, unless they reside on the premises which is most desirable.*

That when a pupil or a class are about to leave the model school, for one of the upper schools, the master

* It should be remembered that in England, schools for the poor, generally commence the business of teaching at 9 o'clock in the morning, and the children remain until 12 at noon, they then go home, and return again at 2 o'clock, and remain until 4 in the evening in winter, and 5 o'clock in summer. In Ireland, however, it is totally different: the usual time to commence the business of teaching is 10 o'clock in the morning, and the pupils remain till 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when the business of the school is over for that day. It will thus be sccn, that the pupils in the schools in Ireland generally have no meal between the hours stated above. In the infant schools however they usually give them a piece of bread at 1 o'clock. Nothing, however, in my mind, is so essential to teach the Irish children as punctuality; I have known children come at 11 o'clock at noon, at 12, and even so late as between 1 and 2 o'clock, and there is the greatest difficulty to teach both parents and children the value of time. At what are called the model schools connected with the Board of Education in Dublin, this desirable object is secured, as no child either of the infant, girls', or boys' schools, is admitted even five minutes after 10 o'clock, In every school in Ireland, therefore, the teacher should be at the school house ready to receive the children at 9 o'clock, which will allow the pupils a full hour to assemble.

In most schools in Scotland the hours of attendance are as follows: during November, December, and January, 10 to 1, and 2 to 4 o'clock; in October and February, 10 to 1, and 2 to half-past 4; and during the other months 10 to 1, and 3 to 5. Doors open every morning during the year at half-past 9 o'clock, and all children must be present before 10. In November, December, and January, though the lessons be finished before half-past 3 o'clock, yet the children shall not be required to leave the play-ground before 4; in October and February, though the lessons may be finished before 4 o'clock, the children shall not be required to leave the play-ground before 5; in other nonths, though the lessons may be over before 5, yet the children can continue in the play-ground till 6 o'clock; one of the teachers always being in the way to superintend the play-ground

train them in the mechanical parts of the plan adopted therein, so that the pupils may feel at home when they get there, and be put in their proper places and have justice done to them; this is quite practicable, and earnestly recommended to the serious attention of all infant teachers, and also to every teacher on a normal establishment, as unity of purpose will be highly advantageous to the pupils. That the teachers never send too many of the forward children away at the same time, as they are the main spring of the school; and on no account to allow the parents to be in a hurry to get them into the upper schools before they are fit or of age, as the parents are generally incompetent judges on the subject. A good understanding must always be kept up amongst the teachers on the establishment, to prevent the parents making a play-thing of the institution by taking the child from one school without notice and putting it to another, which they are apt to do.

Lastly, that it be considered that the infant teachers are equal in all respects to the other teachers, and that their office is fully as respectable, and requires even a greater diversity of talent than the others; and that the responsibilities are equally apparent and independent also. That the infants be taught to make letters on the engraved slates in the afternoon, so as to be able to know and form all the letters in the alphabet, both capitals and text, before they leave the infant schools; and that this department be superintended by both the teachers, and performed in an orderly and proper manner. That the classes be called over every day, so as to know who are the absentees, and to be marked on the slate provided for that purpose; and that the teachers who come from time to time to be instructed in the system, be especially directed on this subject, which is neglected in almost all the infant schools. Nothing is of greater importance to secure their regular attendance in other schools than attention to this when they are quite young. It is a lamentable fact, that little

E

children in manufacturing districts, soon learn to play at truant, and unless the greatest attention be paid to it, on the part of the teachers, the moral education is much injured; I have known as many as ten children in a neglected infant school, play at truant on the same day. That which a child learns in infancy makes an impression that is hardly to be afterwards erased, great care must be taken that all its impressions, as far as the teachers are concerned, are good ones: in pursuance of this object all harsh words must be avoided on the part of the teachers; no snapping or irritable expressions should be made to them or in their presence. Love should be the mainspring of action amongst them. When the infants scc their tutors can command their own tempers, it will have a mighty influence upon them; such an influence that there exists not at present the means of ascertaining Generations yet unborn will be benefitted by it, in being treated by their parents in a more natural and Christian-like manner, and the effects on the whole community will go further to incrcase love and affection amongst the human species, and do more to decrcase crime amongst us, than all the coercive laws which are to be found in the statute book.

It is true that in such places as London, Liverpool, Manchester, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and other large towns, where strangers are so much in the habit of sojourning, it appears there will be always a great number of children whom school education can never reach, and these will be subject to strect contaminations; but this ought not to prevent us from doing all we can for those who are differently circumstanced, and who are fortunate enough to be placed under our care, and in a more favourable position. Education will be worthless, unless it has a tendency to decrease crime, to elevate our nature, improve our morals, and promote love and cha rity, and incrcase true religion amongst us

Let

mothers and teachers understand, that no child can be properly trained by himself, so as to be made a valuable and useful member of society, and also a good moral and religious character. Man being a social being, must be well trained in community; it is evidently a law of the Creator that it should be so; all those children brought up with brothers and sisters are less petulant, and more sociable, than those brought up alone, and more fit to associate with others, and have less of the selfish principle. than the latter.

Neither is an adult fit society for an infant, no, not even the mother; for parents are very apt to think that if they indulge their children to the utmost of their power, and give them every thing they wish for, they are treating them with the utmost possible kindness; this, I am sorry to say, is a common but a very dangerous error. The following are facts in support of what I have now advanced, which were witnessed by myself, so that I can with justice testify to their truth.

A mother, for some time past, has been in the habit of indulging her child, aged two years and six months, with pieces of cigars, in order to keep him quiet; and he has become so initiated into this practice, that every day after dinner he calls for his usual allowance, and will not take a denial. When he gets one, it must be lighted, if not he will stamp with his feet, and raise such a disturbance in the house that the poor mother is obliged to comply, and he actually consumes the greater part of it before he leaves off. The method taken is different from that usually practised, for instead of inhaling the smoke, he blows it from him. Thus we perceive, that if allowed to follow the same track for some time, the practice will grow with his growth and strengthen with his strength, and the proper training of the youth will be subverted by one who ought rather to watch that which will in future form his moral character.

The second is an instance of a child about the same age, who is in fact complete master over his mother; he even strikes her, says he won't obey, and, in order to gain his object, will stamp and roar until he has obtained it. This child has been three or four times in the infant school; his character when there, exhibited quite a different tendency, and I was perfectly surprised to perceive the progress he made in so short a time; but the mother is unwilling to allow him to remain, her mind being impressed with the idea that he is better at home with her until he is a little older.

A further instance of a girl aged three years, who acts in a similar manner with her mother, but when at school her character is quite different; shewing the benefits arising from the training in school and neglect at home, which we know arises from the mother's fondness in wishing to do all in her power to gratify her child, and thus by giving it too much of its own way, doing it more harm than good.

In addition to these facts there are others of an opposite character. The first is of a boy aged six years, who has attended an infant school that I organized, for some time; having been sent for a quantity of coals, May 17, 1837, immediately after the opening of the morning school, and previous to the time for prayer, during his absence those in the school room were engaged in offering up their de votions to their Maker; he came to the door, and finding it locked, looked through the window which forms the upper part of the door; but, sccing his young schoolmates engaged at their religious duties, was unwilling to disturb them by knocking, and at the same time not willing to lose the benefits they were enjoying, laid down the shovel and coals on the step at the entrance, knelt over them with his hands in an uplifted position, and joined his young companions in their fervent duties.

From these examples we are able to judge whether in