the needs of their localities, and an evident desire, in all areas where this is practicable, to make provision for the more highly organised forms of instruction contemplated under Article 2 (iii). In connection with the latter, there has been some difficulty in complying with the condition of Article 3(iii), which requires that English subjects should be included in at least the first two years of the course. The difficulty appears to affect only the technical or industrial courses, not the commercial courses. After taking the views of the Authorities and of His Majesty's Chief Inspectors on the subject, we have referred to it in a circular, issued with reference to the forthcoming session, in which we express the hope that those Authorities who consider. it impracticable, for the present, to make instruction in English a compulsory part of these courses, will at least see their way to provide an optional class in the subject. At the same time we emphasize the point that the instruction need not, and indeed should not, be of the kind commonly associated with the day school, and that, so long as the importance of fundamentals is not lost sight of at the earlier stage, there is no reason why the English lessons should not later on have a vocational bias, one of the aims being to train students to express themselves correctly, in speech and writing, on any matter connected with their occupations. The selection of teachers is of paramount. importance, and there should be effective co-operation between the English teacher and the teacher of technical subjects.

For the present session the Department received proposals for the opening of continuation classes at 954 centres. Courses were proposed under Article 2(i), at 373 centres; classes under Article 2(ii), at 898 centres; courses under Article 2 (iii), at 268 centres; and classes under Article 2 (iv), at 21 centres. The number of courses under Article 2 (iii) for which proposals have been submitted is 766, of which 276 may be classified as commercial (including foreign languages), 346 as technical or trade courses, 59 as domestic, and 42 as art courses. The remainder are of various types.

The total estimated expenditure for the present session is £327,000; the estimate for 1925-26 was £331,000, and £322,000 was actually spent. The estimated income from fees is £19,400, equivalent to about 5.9 per cent. of the total expenditure; the corresponding actual figure for last session was 6.4 per cent.

The classes for unemployed juveniles, conducted by Education Authorities with the help of grants from the Ministry of Labour, have continued their work in the districts where unemployment is most prevalent. After November, 1925, however, the Ministry discontinued the grant entirely for areas where the average rate of unemployment among insured juveniles during the preceding year had been under 3 per cent., and reduced it for those where the percentage was between 3 and 6. The result was that at certain centres the classes were abandoned.

During the year ended 31st March, 1927, centres have been opened in Glasgow, in Aberdeen (where grant was paid on the reduced scale), at Motherwell and at Greenock. The total number of centres was 33 (20 for boys and 13 for girls). In March, 1927, the attendance of juveniles who could claim unemployment benefit was 1,168 (716 boys and 452 girls). In addition the classes were attended by 732 students (438 boys and 294 girls) who had no claim to unemployment benefit.

An account of the origin and objects of the Miners' Welfare Fund was given in our report for 1924-25. At the 31st March, 1927, sums had been allocated from the Fund, in respect of schemes for building and equipment, amounting to £3,800 for education areas in the West of Scotland and £21,000 for areas in the East of Scotland. In the autumn of 1926, by means of an allocation of £150,000 from this Fund, a scheme, to be known as the Miners' Welfare National Scholarship Scheme, was established for the purpose of providing University scholarships for workers (being British subjects) in or about coal mines in Great Britain and for their sons and daughters, and in meeting incidental expenses connected therewith. Information as to the awards made will no doubt be published by the Committee in due course.

BURSARIES.

All the Education Authorities duly submitted Bursary schemes providing for the exercise of the powers vested in them by Section 4 of the Act of 1918, and in every case the Department, after scrutiny and necessary adjustment, has approved these in terms of Section 6 (1) (b) of the Act. Amended schemes are submitted for the Department's approval as occasion may require.

During the financial year ended 15th May, 1926, the total sum expended upon bursaries by the Education Authorities. was in round figures £261,000, as compared with £238,000 expended in the previous year. This total was made up as follows:-(a) pupils in the first three years of a post-qualifying course, £64,600; (b) pupils in the fourth, fifth or subsequent year of a post-qualifying course, £63,650; (c) students at universities, training colleges, central institutions, etc., £132,750. These figures do not include bursaries awarded from endowment funds under Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908; nor sums advanced by way of loan to students coming under category (c) a form of assistance which has recently been introduced into their schemes by certain Education Authorities.

REFORMATORY AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

An important change in the administration of the certified schools in the area of Glasgow was effected during the year by the transfer of the powers of the Glasgow Juvenile Delinquency Board to the Education Authority. The Authority

thus became directly responsible for the management of a reformatory school for girls, of the two largest residential industrial schools, and of all the day industrial schools in Glasgow. was afterwards found possible to close the Chapelton Training School, the only reformatory for girls in Scotland. The number of committals to this school did not warrant its continuance, and the scholars requiring further training were transferred to suitable schools in England.

The information available when our last report was written did not appear to indicate that any considerable variation in the annual number of committals to certified schools was to be expected immediately. There has, however, been an increase of 18, apparently casual, in the number of committals to reformatory schools during the year 1926, and a reduction. of 40 in the number of children committed to industrial schools. The total number of children and young persons in schools of both kinds on 31st December, 1926, was 2,998, a net decrease of 137 from the number at the end of 1925. The decrease is most marked in the case of the day industrial schools, the enrolment at which fell from 751 to 704. Of the totai, the number of those who were in the schools by an order of a Court shows a decrease of 215, while there is an increase of 78 in the number of those received by voluntary arrangement. Tabulated statements showing the number of schools and scholars, and of committals, licences, etc., will be found in Appendix X.

As stated in previous reports, the nominal accommodation of the schools considerably exceeds the number of children and young persons actually under training; and, in spite of the closure of one reformatory school, the total excess has been somewhat accentuated by the latest drop in the number to be provided for. There would be more vacant places but for a tendency to retain the scholars till the expiry of the full period for which they were committed. This is due largely to the difficulty of arranging for satisfactory disposal in present circumstances, and is, it may be hoped, a passing phase; its effect upon the roll should cease when trade conditions improve and it is easier to secure employment. On the whole it would seem to be likely that further reduction in the number of certified schools may be necessary, in order to ensure the most economical use of the resources available.

The managers of the schools have continued to co-operate with the Department in their efforts to secure as economical an administration as is compatible with efficiency. The total expenditure for the year ended 31st March, 1926, was £180,490, of which £165,681 was approved for grant purposes. The approved estimates for the year ended 31st March, 1927, provide for an expenditure of £164,861. Although this figure shows an appreciable decrease, yet, owing to the reduction in the number of children, it represents a higher average cost per head. On

this account, and because the previous year's contribution from local authorities had been fixed at a lower rate than was actually required, in adjustment of excess payments made in previous years, the flat rate of contribution was fixed at 11s. per head per week, an increase of 1s. It is unfortunate that the industrial troubles during the year have resulted in so considerable a rise in the cost of lighting and heating the schools.

During the year 1925 (the latest period for which complete statistics on this matter are available) the managers were able to find employment for all except 81 per cent. of those who left the residential institutions. The percentage of exceptions, though slightly higher than that for 1924 (57), is considerably less than that recorded in 1923, which was 14; and, when account is taken of the adverse economic conditions, the result achieved certainly does credit to the managers. The occupations into which the leavers were absorbed, and the distribution of the "leavers

among them, remain very much the same as they were last year. Statistics relating to the young persons still under the supervision of the managers of the schools are generally satisfactory. Of the 713 licensed in 1922, as many as 570 were known in 1925 to be of satisfactory character, 59 were fairly satisfactory, and only 47 unsatisfactory. It was also ascertained that 56 per cent. of the boys and 50 per cent. of the girls were still following the occupations which they had entered on leaving the schools.

The staffing of the residential schools appears to have caused less difficulty than in previous years, and there has been a slight increase in the percentage of teachers who are certificated. Nevertheless the educational standard attained in the certified schools does not, as a rule, yet come up to the level achieved by pupils of corresponding age in the ordinary schools. This need occasion no surprise, when it is remembered that most of the children in certified schools have had their education more or less seriously neglected before their admission and that a considerable percentage of them are naturally dull and backward. Still, in the majority of the industrial schools, most of the children, when they are fifteen or sixteen years of age and ready for discharge, are on the whole as well equipped in the usual school subjects as are those who leave the ordinary type of school at the age of fourteen. Considerable and continuous improvement in this respect has been effected during the past few years, and an increase in the number of fully qualified teachers available cannot fail to exercise a further beneficial effect. Until the age of fourteen is reached, the children devote the whole of their time to the curriculum of the ordinary school; after that their instruction in these subjects is continued, but greater stress is laid on vocational training. Three of the industrial schools send their pupils to a neighbouring primary school. This arrangement is proving very satisfactory, and it is hoped that managers-those of the smaller schools in

particular---will adopt it wherever possible. Other schools send out for education a few selected pupils, chosen either as specially backward or as specially bright and capable of more advanced education. This practice, too, might be extended with advantage.

The health statistics for 1926 show little change. Epidemic sickness again accounts for most of the cases of illness notified, but these were mostly of the less dangerous infantile type. Five cases of tuberculosis, as compared with seven last year, have been reported, and in one of them the disease proved fatal. This was the only death which occurred during the year.

Contributions from parents towards the cost of maintenance of children in the schools amounted in all to £3,391 during 1926, compared with £3,543 for the previous year. The average rate of contribution per child in the schools was £1 11s. 3d.; in 1925 it was £1 12s. 1d. The decrease in contributions is due chiefly to the effects of the dispute in the mining industry, in which many of the parents are employed.

DEFECTIVE AND EPILEPTIC CHILDREN,

In 1919, when the newly constituted Education Authorities assumed office, the total number of children receiving instruction in special schools or classes was 5,675 (3,385 physically defective and 2,290 mentally defective). By 31st July, 1926, the number had advanced to 8,545 (5,094 physically defective and 3,451 mentally defective). The total at the latter date shows an advance on that of the year before of 256 (240 physically defective and 16 mentally defective), this increase being mainly a result of the opening last year of Drumpark Special School, Coatbridge, and of an addition to Paisley Special School, both of which developments were mentioned in our last report. The total number of schools of all kinds in which provision is made for physically or mentally defective children is now now 100 (8 residental schools, 28 special day schools, and 64 ordinary schools to which special classes are attached). In 1919 the total was 76.

A further increase in the provision made for children of this class will result from proposals which the Education Authorities of Dundee, Avr and Lanark have now under consideration. There are still, however, many country areas in which no such provision at all exists or is in immediate contemplation, and the problem of dealing suitably with defective children residing in isolated districts is no nearer a solution. With regard to the mentally defective children, the general position remains much as described in our last report. The shortage of residential institutions may be said to dominate the situation; that is a radical defect, for which the remedy rests with the District Boards of Control. In the meantime the Education Authorities. have their duties to perform as regards the ascertainment of defect and the provision of suitable education up to the age of