If the children be seated in groups of more than three rows, some of them will be at such a distance from the master as to render efficient supervision impossible, while seeing and hearing will be seriously interfered with, both on the part of the master and the children. An open space is required for blackboards and classes in front of the desks, sufficient to allow the teacher to group the children round him and move about with ease. This space should not be less than from 8ft. 6in. to 9ft. in width.

The space required for three rows of desks and benches is 8ft. 3in., divided as follows :

ft. in.
Width of 3 desks, each 1ft. ................. 3 0
Ditto 3 benches, each 7in. .................. 1 9
Three spaces between each bench and its own desk of 3in. each ................. 0 9
Space between the wall and the hindermost bench ......................... 1 2
Space between the hindermost desk and middle bench ...................... 1 0
Space between the middle desk and front bench .......................... 0 7
Total space required for desks and benches ............................ 8 3

Taking 8ft. 9in. as the space required in front of the desks, the total width of the room will be 17ft.

The length of the room depends upon other considerations. The following rules have been laid down as a guide in the arrangement of desks in a school-room :-

1st. Each child requires a space of 18 inches for elbow room, when seated at the desk.

2nd. Not more than 8 children should sit on one bench.

3rd. The groups of benches should be separated from each other by intervals of 18 inches, to allow of a passage between them.

It follows, from the first rule laid down, that the length of each desk and bench should be some multiple of 18 inches. If a bench is to accommodate 5 children, its length should be 7ft. 6in. ; if 7 children, it should be 10 ft. 6in. long. To take an instance, a school of 84 children, of a mixed character, will be divided into four classes of twenty one each. Each class will occupy one group of desks; seven children to each bench; therefore each group of benches will occupy 10 ft. 6 in. of the length of the room. Between the 1st and 2nd and 3rd and 4th groups a passage will be required of 18 in. to enable the teacher to pass in and out. Between the two central groups there will only be required a space of 6in. for separation. At such times as the boys and girls are separated, a curtain may divide the room at this point.

On the whole there will be—

ft. in.
4 groups of desks, each 10 ft. 6 in ....... 42 0
2 passages and separation .............. 3 6

45 6

which gives the length required in a room for 84 children. The width, as just given, should not be less than 17 feet; the room will be more airy and convenient if it be wider.

A greater width however than 20 feet would cause an outlay disproportioned to the number that would be accommodated, according to the plan of arrangements given above.

A class-room, if needed, may be attached to this building so as to open into the centre of the room on the side opposite to the desks and benches.

This room should have a gallery, and may be used for an infant schoolroom. A room, 20 ft. x 14 ft., would be large enough for nearly 40 infants.

If it be intended to have the boys and girls kept separate, a movable partition may be substituted for curtain mentioned above; and a separate entrance may be made for boys and girls on each side the class-room.

In all cases a wall or other fence should separate the boys’ and girls’ premises, and offices in the rear of the building.

The position of the door and fireplace must be regulated by the size and circumstances of the building, account being taken of the prevalent winds; care should be taken to promote a uniform diffusion of warmth, and to avoid placing the children in a through draft. It is obvious that in a room whose length is much greater than its breadth a fireplace at one end and a door directly opposite at the other, act very prejudicially to comfort and uniform diffusion of heat. The windows should be placed as high up as possible, and in such a position that the light, if not equally diffused, may be thrown upon the blackboard and the teacher’s face, rather than on the children’s faces. If the children face the light, and no light is thrown from behind, the teacher is at a disadvantage.

In treating the subject of buildings, the Commission would wish to draw attention to the necessity of draining the sites on which they are placed. The ventilation and drainage of the existing schoolroom is very defective in a great majority of instances, in many cases no provision is made for either. The state of the outdoor offices in most schools in the province requires improving; eight schools have no out-door offices at all, in eighteen cases the offices are in unwholesome proximity to the schoolroom, or are insufficient, no separation being made of those for the use of boys from those for the use of girls. This is a point which cannot be too strongly insisted upon, on the ground of common decency. In very few instances has any trouble been taken in fencing and laying out the playground. In one instance the school site is carefully planted with trees and flowers. It is needless to insist on the good effect which the neatness and order of a schoolroom and its premises must have on the minds of children.

VIII.—SCHOOL BOOKS.

The Commission, in answers given to them to the question as to how far diversity of systems and books in use in different schools is an obstacle to a good education being generally obtained, have had a variety of opinions and suggestions offered to them.