resembles Eton and Westminster schools in England. It is conducted by eleven masters, called regens, under the superintendence of a rector, a principal, and the academy of professors. Children from the age of five to fifteen or sixteen are successively taught reading, writing, orthography, arithmetic, geography, Greek, Latin and mathematics. The college (as this department is designated,) is divided into nine classes, each having a separate and commodious class room. The scholars generally continue a year in each class, and no one is permitted to leave his form, till he is fit for being promoted to a higher one. An account of the degrees of good and bad conduct of every boy is regularly and faithfully kept, which is summed up at the end of the week. Twice, every year, prizes are distributed for good conduct, and for progress in study and once in the year, generally in June, exercises are proposed to each class, and prizes are adjudged to the best.

"The second department (college proper of our country,) of the system of education at Geneva, is entrusted to the professors, who occupy the highest station in the Academy. It is subdivided into classes called auditoires. Four years' attendance is necessary to complete the studies of this department. The first two are devoted to the Belles Lettres, and the last two to the different branches of philosophy. When the student has completed this course, which he generally does at the age of 18 or 20, he may proceed to the study of divinity, law or physic. Lectures are delivered upon the most important subjects, scientific, literary and professional, by some twenty or thirty learned professors. This excellent establishment, in which are usually educated more than 1,000 pupils of all ages, is supported exclusively by a population of about 30,000.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

THE CONTRAST; or Modes of Education. By the Author of 'Three Experiments of Living,' 'Elinor Fulton,' and 'Rich Enough.' Boston: Whipple and Damrell, 1837. 18mo. pp. 116.

This choice little work is in three parts:-1. We reap as we sow. 2. Results of Education. 3. The Mother's Book. It consists, however, of a single story related in a natural and simple manner, and illustrating, most happily, not only the difference between instruction and education, but the difference between good education and bad. It also recognizes the great and important principle, that the family is the more important and more efficient school; and that according as we 'sow' here, so we shall assuredly reap' in subsequent life. We have select⚫ed and marked one or two passages for insertion, at this place, with

a view to show the design and spirit and tendency of the work; but have concluded to insert them in a more conspicuous, type in some future number. Meanwhile we commend the work to the friends of education, and hope they will not fail to peruse it with care. Its external appearance is as inviting as its contents are judicious; and if we were to point to a single fault of any kind, connected with the work, it would be that of making little Ralph, one of the heroes of the story, rather too wise and too philosophic for his age. This, indeed, is not a new fault; but is one which, in works of the kind, it is highly desirable to avoid.

THE YOUNG WIFE, or Duties of Woman in the Marriage Relalation. By WM. A. ALCOTT, Author of the Young Mother, Young Man's Guide, and House I Live in; and Editor of the Library of Health. Third Stereotype edition. Boston: George W. Light. 1837. 16mo. pp. 376.

This work is based on the principle that the prominent business of the wife is education-the education, in the largest sense, of herself and family. It is comprised in thirtysix chapters, with the following titles.

General Remarks. Submission. Kindness. Cheerfulness. Confidence. Sympathy. Friendship. Love. Delicacy and Modesty. Love of Home. Self Respect. Purity of Character. Simplicity. Neatness. Order and Method. Punctuality. Early Rising. Industry. Domestic Economy. Domestic Reform. Sobriety. Discretion. Scolding. Forbearance. Contentment. Habits and Manners. Dress. Health. Attending the Sick. Love of Infancy and Childhood. Giving Advice. Self Government. Intellectual Improvement. Social Improvement. Moral and Religious Improvement. Moral Influence on the Husband. We hope to be able, ere long, to insert some of the chapters above mentioned in this journal; such as Attending the Sick;''Love of Infancy and Childhood,''Self Government,' 'Intellectual Improvement,' and 'Social Improvement.' These chapters and many others have a manifest bearing on the subject of education, taking the term in its largest sense, and some of them are nearly as applicable to the condition of both parents, and to teachers of every grade, as to those individuals for whom it was primarily and principally intended.

THE APPRENTICE, Containing Examples and Warnings. Boston: James B. Dow, 1838. 18mo., pp. 201.

This little volume is intended, as its title implies, for the apprentice; as an aid in the completion of his education. Here is a highly valuable class of the community, beyond almost all others, grossly neglected; and he who in faith and love prepares a volume likely to draw them

away from the oyster house, the refectory, the tavern, or the gambling house, is a public benefactor. Such seems to have been the intention of the writer of The Apprentice;' and from a hasty survey of the work, we think it very well calculated to accomplish its object.

THE MOTHER'S PRIMER, to teach her Child its Letters, and how to Read. Designed also for the Lowest Class in Primary Schools. On a New Plan. By Rev. T. H. GALLAUDET, late Principal of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Hartford. Third Edition. Hartford: Daniel Burgess and Co., 1836.

Perhaps no book of its size, designed to effect a thorough change in the method of teaching, has ever met with better success than this little volume, by Gallaudet. The truth is, that most improvements, so obviously radical -so diametrically opposed to existing usages meet with much opposition. The world are never prepared for such large innovations; and as all important and striking changes, even for the better, must, of course, be innovations at first, the cause of truth must be expected to move slow.

The Mother's Primer, is designed to assist parents and teachers in the rational and interesting task of teaching a child its letters, by first teaching it whole familiar words. The excellency of the plan has been fully tested, not only in the family of Mr G., but in many other families. It is at length becoming popular; and the work before us has passed to a third stereotype edition. We learn, moreover, with great pleasure, that it was adopted, a few weeks since, as a first book for the eighty primary schools in this city. This alone is high praise; but we trust its usefulness in classes will reflect praise still higher, and tend to prove to the world, what it has always been slow to believe, that depth of philosophy does not necessarily disqualify a person for teaching the first elements of knowledge or virtue.

HISTORICAL CAUSES AND EFFECTS, from 500 to 1500. By WILLIAM SULLIVAN, Author of the Political,' Moral' and' Historical Class Books.'

We have barely room, in the present number to announce this work, just published by James B. Dow of this city; but shall endeavor, in our next, to give it a degree of that attention, which, from a hasty survey, its merit appears to us to demand.

Error.-On page 553 of the last volume of this work, eleventh line from the bottom, for fearful,' read' fanciful,'

AMERICAN

ANNALS OF EDUCATION.

FEBRUARY, 1838.

NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

We have received, through the politeness of the Rev. Mr Cunningham, late Principal of the Edinburgh Institution for Languages, Mathematics, &c. but now Professor of Ancient Languages, in Lafayette College, in Pennsylvania, the printed 'Reports of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, for the years 1834, 1835 and 1836;' from which we collect the following facts in regard to the state of public instruction in that country.

In October, 1831, the government of Great Britain empowered the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to constitute a Board of Commissioners for the Superintendence of a System of National Education in Ireland; and Parliament so far sanctioned the arrangement as to appropriate a sum of money, to be expended under the proposed system. This board consisted of the Duke of Leicester, the Archbishop of Dublin, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr F. Sadlier, Mr A. R. Blake, Robert Holmes, Esq. and Rev. James Carlile. Their duties, together with the state of education among the poor in Ireland at the commencement of their labors, will be best understood by the following extract from their first Report, bearing date Dec. 31, 1833.

'We commenced receiving applications for aid towards schools in January, 1832, and the total number made to us, to the present time, amounts to 1,548.

'We have granted assistance' to 789 schools, which are now in full operation. We made grants to 52 other schools, which have since ceased to be in connection with us; in general, we

50

Unanimity of Operations.

deemed it right to discontinue aid to them, in consequence of the reports of our inspectors. We have promised aid towards the building of 199 schools, which have not as yet been completed.

'We have rejected 216 applications, and have 292 now before us for consideration.

The schools which we already have in operation are attended by 107,042 children; and according to the estimates transmitted to us, those which are to be opened, in the houses not yet finished, will be attended by a further number of 36,804; so that the whole of the schools existing and in preparation, will afford the benefits of education to 143,846 children.

'We have the satisfaction to state, that throughout our correspondence with the patrons of schools, we have found them disposed to act with perfect integrity and candor; some instances of deviation from our rules have been reported to us, but on inquiry into the circumstances, we have in general received such explanations as have been satisfactory to us.

6

An important part of the duty entrusted to us, is the preparation of books for the use of the schools and school libraries. We have hitherto directed our attention chiefly to the compilation of books for schools only; we have prepared and published four numbers of a series of reading books, to which we propose to add a fifth the lessons of which these books consist, have been so written or selected as that, while they are used as reading exercises, they convey elements of knowledge to the children in regular order. We have also published treatises on arithmetic and book-keeping, and a translation of Clairaut's Geometry. Some books, having been hastily prepared to meet the urgent necessities of the schools, will require a further revision; but we are enabled to add, that the whole have met with very general approbation, and we propose so to arrange the prices and mode of sale, as to bring them as much as possible into general use.

Besides these works on the ordinary subjects of education, we have compiled and printed two numbers of a series of lessons from the Holy Scriptures, one from the Old and the other from the New Testament, and we propose to go on adding to them until we complete a copious abstract of the narrative parts of the Sacred Volume, interspersed with suitable passages from the poetical and didactic parts of it. We proceed in the undertaking with perfect unanimity, and anticipate, from the general cirrculation of the work, the best results.'

The greatest difficulty which the Board had to contend with was, the religious instruction of the children. The schools had