§ MR. REEDasked the Vice President of the Council, Why it is proposed in the New Code to omit Music from the extra subjects included in the Fourth Schedule?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERreplied that he had to state that after careful considera- 1674 tion the Education Department had decided that the best mode of encouraging music in elementary schools was not to include it in the extra subjects. Music was taught to a considerable extent in elementary schools, and the New Code might be said to encourage it, because it increased from 4s. to 6s. the sum given for average attendance for instruction in secular subjects, including music. Hitherto it had been permitted to the schoolmaster to send up pupils for instruction in music as a special subject; but that power had only been made use of to a very slight extent. In only 43 schools last year was music sent up as an extra subject, and in only 37 even children passed, and the whole sum paid was £77, scarcely any of which was earned by special examination of individual scholars. It had been found desirable to make the premium for special subjects depend upon the special examination of the scholars; and on that ground it had been resolved to exclude from the special subjects for this year drawing and music. Drawing was excluded because it was better attended to by the Department of Science and Art, which had a large number of elementary drawing schools; and with regard to music, the difficulty was that the education not merely of those who attended elementary schools, but of the upper and middle classes, had been neglected, and it was difficult to find gentlemen competent to examine in the notation of music. Therefore, though the Education Department were most anxious to promote the study of music, they could not make it a condition of the appointment of an Inspector, so many other qualifications being required. He would consider whether any other mode of promoting the study of music could be introduced into the Code next year; but at present he thought the object would be better attained by encouraging singing classes throughout the schools than by including music among the special subjects.
§ MR. DIXONasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether the Government will arrange for a Morning Sitting for the consideration of the Motions for alterations in the New Code of Regulations issued by the Committee of Privy Council on Education, on the ground that the power of Parliament to modify the said code will expire on the 17th of March?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that though the Code would not come into legal operation till it had been a month on the Table of the House, it would afterwards be in the power of Parliament to modify it through an Address to the Crown. There was every reason to hope that the hon. Member would have an opportunity to-morrow night of bringing forward the points with reference to which he had given Notices.