To the public school teacher then this duty too falls, and it is you who have to undertake the task of training up the rising generation to be patriotic, just and honourable citizens of this great country.

Are you prepared to undertake it; or do you think that when the child has been taught to read a write, your duty to him is done? Are you aware that more of their working hours are spent in your presence than in that of any other, even that of the parents themselves? You are to them a pattern of all that is right and true and noble; can you betray the trust reposed in you? I cannot think this after the associations of the past year or years.

We look to you to be more than mere time-servers; we look to you to carry with you into your work of building up the future of this our fair land, somewhat of the spirit which your principal and professors have tried to inculcate by precept and example during the months that are past.

Never stand still; to do so is to die intellectually; your work of learning is but begun; but you possess the key of all knowledge, apply it faithfully, and truth will allow her locks to yield until in a better world all these mysteries of natural science, these certainties of mathematics, these abstractions of metaphysics, these beauties of language, these glories of art and song will unite to add to the enjoyment of those who climb up the steep ascent and hear the 'Well done" of the master.

Dear young teachers, into this great work you are entering to-day. Is it to bless humanity, to banish distress, to alleviate the woes of mankind, to light up and lift up; or is it to make the world darker, its burdens heavier, its woes more distressing? It is for yourselves to answer.

Editorial Notes and Comments.

SPEAKING to a representative of the Montreal Star, Professor Carter, lately appointed to one of the chairs of Classics in McGill College, gave his views on the teaching of languages. As his remarks have reference to the work of the schools in this branch of learning, we take the liberty of reproducing, at some length, Professor Carter's ideas as expressed in the interview referred to. Among other things he said: "I fully sympathize with Dr. Peterson in the efforts he is making to place the Faculty of Arts on a level

with the other faculties at McGill. To me the Faculty of Arts is one of the most important branches of university work, and anything that detracts from its efficiency must necessarily have an ill-effect upon the other faculties. Principal Peterson has already taken steps to increase the efficiency of the faculty, and I have no doubt that at the end of the session he will be able to notice some tangible results of his labour in this connection. I have scarcely been a week in Canada, but even in this short space I have been able to observe a number of defects in your educational system which greatly handicap the professor of a university in his work. I have noticed that McGill University-and, I presume, McGill is not in many respects different from other Canadian universities-is practically forced to give her students in the Faculty of Arts an elementary classical education, in addition to teaching them in the more advanced branches. This is not as it should be. Students entering upon a university course should at least be able to read and translate with comparative ease. Then the professor would be able to advance them more rapidly in the higher branches. In my opinion more attention should be paid to the teaching of classics in those of our schoolschurch, public, private, or otherwise-which aim at preparing their pupils for a university course. The university should insist that more than the mere elementary principles of a classical education should be acquired by its students-that are to be-before they enter such an institution. Such a change would greatly facilitate the work of the professor. I am aware of the great attention paid in these days to the teaching of mathematics-many believing that such an education will be of greater value to the student in after life than a knowledge of Greek or Latin. However, I do not agree with those who hold this opinion. A thorough classical education will always stand the average university graduate in good stead. There is hardly a profession in these days which may be entered without the student first acquiring a knowledge of Greek, Hebrew or Latin. In medicine, law and pharmacy, Latin is essential, and in theology the student must be able to thoroughly understand Hebrew and Greek in addition. So that, in whatever sphere of professional life a man may enter, a classical education is a real necessity. I may say in most of the universities in England much greater attention is

being paid at present to classics than formerly. At St. Paul's School, London-an institution where boys are prepared for a university course-Latin and Greek are taught daily five days a week. This is as it should be in the schools of Canada. The result is that the pupils receive such a thorough grounding in these subjects that they enter the university much better informed in classical literature than the average freshman here." Though there is a good deal of truth in what Professor Carter says about matriculants entering college with too little knowledge of the classics, we think that the average teacher will wonder where, with an already congested time-table, the time is to be found for further preparation in this branch, important though it be, unless, indeed, the pupils remain a year or so longer at the school. Indeed, if the university insists on a fuller knowledge of Latin and Greek before granting admission to its classes, at least another year must be added to our academy course. However, the advisability of such a course, since it is perhaps not more knowledge that is required, but a more practical knowledge, may be open to question. We should like to have the opinions of our teachers on this

matter.

-ONE of our exchanges remarks that "about the handsomest lawn in Dis that of the High School." And why not? It is hoped that the competition which has recently been inaugurated in connection with our schoolgrounds will bring it to pass that it may truthfully be said of many of our school municipalities, "The most beautiful grounds in such and such a district are those of the district school."

-REFERRING to the promises of educational reform in this province, lately made in behalf of the government by the Premier, the Quebec Chronicle says: "He will more largely subsidize the common schools, where want of means has long been a great hindrance in the employment of proper teachers. It is well known that there are many schoolmistresses in the country districts who are paid less than a hundred dollars a year, and the large majority of female teachers engaged outside the cities and towns earn below $200. How is it possible that efficient teachers, even for district and elementary schools, can be obtained for prices such as are paid in our cities as wages to domestic servants? No doubt with the increased aid that is to be forthcoming,

means will also be found for keeping the rate-payers up to a due performance of their duty." Another paper, the Richmond Guardian, says, speaking of the same matter: "On the broad question of increased aid we are heartily with the government; but there is just the danger that an increased subscription from the Provincial Treasury may not augment the total fund applicable to school purposes. Our experience is that the more the government gives the less the tax-payers tax themselves, and unless more stringent conditious than now prevail be attached to the government grant, the schools will not be benefitted by the proposed increase. We don't know how far it would be practicable to compel school commissioners to raise the rate of assessment to any particular level that may be decreed by law, there are a hundred ways in which such a provision might be evaded; but this we do know, that every school should be obliged to earn what it gets from the state, and therefore the amount given to them should be dependent more or less upon results." It is plain that any increase to the common shool fund should be so distributed as to assist the poor schools and to encourage school boards to raise even more than they now do by taxation. The agitatation now going on in this province is not for money from some new source, but for better schools. Our people should know that to have more efficient schools we must have more efficient teachers, better paid teachers, and a greater willingness among the rate-payers to stand the cost of the best possible education.

-FROM the School Journal we take the accompanying extract. There is in it a word of warning and a word of advice for all teachers. "If any teacher deserves to be called pedantic, it is the one who regards his pupils as so many empty vessels which are sent to him to be filled every day with part of the knowledge which he has in store for them-and his name is legion. Ever since the days of Friar Bacon the leaders of educational thought have complained that there is in the schools too much chain-gang work, too much talking by the teacher and too little by the children, too much of guidance, of help and support-and too little self-activity on the part of the pupils. Still the pedants-Heaven grant them a comfortable grave!-go right on pumping knowledge into their pupils, and if they ever think of letting them go a little way without go-cart

and leading-strings, they put up so many fingerposts that the youthful minds are kept right in the ruts. The thoughtful ones among the teachers do differently: they believe in waking up the mind and getting it to chisel out new ideas independently of any work-director; they encourage their pupils to strike out for themselves, to explore new fields, to look for new truths and new ways of doing things, and, unassisted, to solve problems within the scope of their powers. This is the right course; for the school stands for development of character, of self-reliance, and that can be acquired only through self-activity. Well says Diesterweg-and these golden words cannot be too often held up to teachers: Lead your pupils to self-reliance through SELFACTIVITY in the service of all that is true, beautiful, and good."'

Current Events.

-THE next convention of the American Institute of Instruction will be held next July in Montreal. Mr. Albert E. Winship, of Boston, editor of the Journal of Education, and president of the Institute, was in Montreal lately, arranging for the coming meeting. The society is largely New England in its constituency, though it has quite a membership in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It has met out of New England but twice in its history. It usually has from a thousand to twenty-three hundred teachers in attendance, and always has the names of many of the most distinguished educators of the east on its programme. The programme for the next convention will be as attractive as any that has ever been presented in America. Aside from the popular evening sessions, in which both American and Canadian speakers will take part, there will be three section meetings each day, and there will also be the best educational exhibit ever seen in this country in connection with any educational meeting. Mr. Winship says there will be from one one to three thousand educators from the United States here at that time attracted by the programme, the city, and the many charming excursions up and down the river and into the mountains. He prophesies that most of the teachers will spend their vacation in this vicinity. The teachers and educationists of the United States may be sure of receiving a warm welcome to Montreal and Canada at the hands of their fellow-workers in the Dominion.