List of new casts approved by the Science and Art Department, and supplied by Sig. F. Meacci, 53 Cale street, Chelsea, S. W.

XI.-THIRTY-SECOND REPORT

OF THE

SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT

OF

THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.

As this Report is passing through the press the thirty-second annual report of the Science and Art Department (for 1884) comes to hand,* from which only brief extracts can be given.

With the issuing of the "Calendar and General Directory" as a "supplement" to the Thirty-first Report, the form of the report was somewhat changed; the size of page and width of margin being a little enlarged. The present report indicates the continual growth of activity in efforts to promote education in art in all directions.

The thirtieth report was arranged under seven heads, besides a 66 summary," the thirty-second has nine; the additional ones being "Congresses, Conferences, and Exhibitions," and "Lace making in Ireland.'

I.-SCIENCE DIVISION.

II.-ART DIVISION.

AID GIVEN TOWARDS THE PROMOTION OF INSTRUCTION IN ART.

(a) ELEMENTARY ART INSTRUCTION.

20. Elementary day schools. In the year ending August 31, 1884, 778,830 children and pupil teachers were taught drawing, and 500,007 children and 8,363 pupil teachers were examined at the annual examination in 4,506 elementary schools. These numbers, compared with those of 1882-'83, present an increase of 11,636 children and pupil teachers taught, and a decrease of 20 schools and 1,690 children and 1,236 pupil teachers examined. The total amount of the grants on results in these schools in 1883-'84 was £33,129, showing an increase of £4,795 on the amount granted in 1882-83.

*

Thirty-second report of the Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education, with appendices. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty. London: Printed by Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1885, pp. xxvi-342. Price 88. 6d.

TRAINING COLLEGES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-TEACHERS.

23. At the examination of 50 training colleges in November, 3,471 students in training, and 906 teachers and pupil teachers of elementary schools were examined, and 857 of these candidates obtained full certificates for second grade drawing. The total amount granted to the colleges on the results of the examinations was £1,850 as against £1,246 in 1883. This increase of £604 is principally due to payments hav ing been made for the first time on the results of the examinations of last November in drawing on the blackboard.

ART AND SCIENCE CLASSES.

24. The number of art classes examined in 1884 was 490, and the number of students in these classes was 23,745; the corresponding numbers in 1883 having been 499 classes and 26,424 students. The number of works sent up from these classes in April, 1884, was 189,092, by 14,147 students; and 91,138 drawings of buildings and machines were also received for examination from 329 science classes. The second grade examinations in drawing were attended by 12,313 students of art classes, of whom 3,505 were successful and 821 obtained prizes, while 222 students in art classes and 256 students in science classes took prizes for works sent up for inspection. The total amount of the grants to art and science classes on the results of the art examinations was £7,712, the corresponding total of 1882-'83 having been £7,133.

UNAIDED SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE STUDENTS.

25. Examinations in elementary drawing, for prizes and certificates only, were held in 170 schools unaided by payments from the Department. One thousand three hundred and fifty-three pupils of these schools were examined in first-grade drawing, and 2,907 in second grade. Besides these, 6,567 candidates not belonging to any school or class connected with the Department were examined in second grade drawing. Of the total number of 10,827 candidates, on account of whose examination no payments have been made, 3,695 were successful, and 748 obtained prizes at a cost of £318,

(b) ADVANCED ART INSTRUCTION.

SCHOOLS OF ART.

26. Fifteen new schools of art and two new branch schools were established during the year 1883-'84, and the total number of schools of art throughout the kingdom in which instruction was given in advanced and elementary art was 188, with 14 branch classes. The total number of students in these schools and branch classes was 37,033, as against 177 schools, 15 branch classes, and 35,909 students in 1882-23, being an increase of 1,124 in the number of students.

WORKS SENT UP FOR EXAMINATION.

27. At the annual examination in April, 1884, 23,731 students submitted 254,610 drawings or models. The corresponding numbers in 1883 were 22,200 students and 226,415 works, showing an increase in 1884 of 1,531 students and 28,195 works sent In this examination 21,042 students, on account of whose instruction payments were made to the committees of the schools, were of the industrial classes.

up.

NATIONAL COMPETITION.

28. The number of works selected for the national competition was 1,410, composed of drawings from the antique, designs, and studies in light and shade or color; being 484 more than in 1883.

ART EXAMINATIONS.

29. The annual examinations in second grade drawing were attended by 13,372 students of schools of art, of whom 6,235 were successful and 1,924 obtained prizes, showing increases of 640, 163, and 184 respectively. At the local examinations in advanced art 754 papers were worked, of which 303 were successful, 58 obtaining prizes.

FEES PAID BY STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS OF ART.

30. The amount of the fees paid by students in schools of art and of the grants on results paid by the Department in the last three years were respectively as follows:

The reports of the examiners will be found in Appendix B, page 26.

NATIONAL ART TRAINING SCHOOL.

31. In the session of 1883-'84 there were 36 students in training to become art teachers and 21 national scholars in training to become designers or art workmen. These 57 students, most of whom were selected from provincial schools, received allowances to enable them to study in the training school and musuem at South Kensington. The number of students admitted on payment of half fees was 44, and 125 others, including the students in training the national scholars, and 19 men of the corps of royal engineers, received gratuitous instruction.

At the third-grade examinations in art held in 1884, 31 certificates were obtained by students of the school qualifying them to earn payments from the Department as teachers in schools of art. In the national competition 3 gold, 20silver, 23 bronze medals, and 82 prizes of books were awarded to students of the school, and 97 thirdgrade prizes for works sent in for examination.

The total number of students was 721, of whom 324 were males and 397 females, being an increase of 11 on the number in the previous year, and the fees received amounted to £2,802 12s. 6d., the day students paying £2,539 88. 6d. and the evening students £263 48., being a decrease of £185 28. 3d. on the amount received in the previous year 1882-'83.

TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS INSTRUCTED.

34. The grand totals of persons taught drawing, painting, or modelling through the agency of the Department have been as follows during the last three years: 1882, 909,216; 1883, 843,135; 1884, 851,805.

COMPARATIVE STATISTICS SHOWING RAPID DEVELOPMENT.

In a former report, the twenty-first (1874), the total number of persons taught drawing in 1855 was given as 29,498; 18,988 of these were in elementary schools. In 1860 the total was 89,481; of these 74,267 were in elementary schools; in 1870, totals, 187,916; 147,243 in elementary schools. In 1873 totals, 290,176; of these there were in elementary schools 237,733.

Four sheets of "graphic curves" are given; these, as well as the views and plans of the American museums, in Appendix M, are a new feature in these reports.

CURVES ILLUSTRATING AID TO SCIENCE AND ART INSTRUCTION.

36. The graphic curves which accompany this report have been prepared to show the annual rate of increase during the last twenty years of the number of students under instruction in Science and Art, with the corresponding increase of expenditure. In the expenditure are included payments on results, prizes, building grants, and grants towards fittings and apparatus.

The first diagram gives the total grants and total number of students, while the succeeding diagrams give the number of students and the amount of the grants in schools of science, in schools of art, and art classes, and in elementary schools.

It will be apparent from these curves that the rate of increase of the expenditure has not been as great as the rate of increase of numbers of persons under instruction, and, secondly, that whenever the gradual rise of standard in examinations has

been at all rapid, and the payment per student under instruction thereby much reduced, the rate of increase has diminished, and even, in one or two instances, been stopped altogether, showing that the present rate of aid is not more than is necessary, and could not be materially reduced without at once most seriously crippling, if not destroying the means of Science and Art instruction of the industrial classes in the country.

The first sheet of "graphic curves" shows, exclusive of pupils in elementary schools, 22,754 students in science and art in 1864; 102,514 in 1874, and 140,695 in 1883. There was a continuous though not uniform increment each year; 1874 was the first year in which the number of students reached 100,000. The grants began with £12,729 in 1864, reached £64,416 in 1874, and £88,227 in 1883.

The second sheet of "graphic curves," shows 4,666 students under instruction in "science" in 1864; 53,050 in 1874; 74,886 in 1883. Grants in 1864, £3,560; in 1874, £38,106; in 1883, £57,041.

The third sheet of "graphic curves" gives similar statistics for the schools of art, art classes and training colleges. In 1864, number of students, 18,000; in 1874, 49,000; in 1883, 65,000. Grants in 1864, £9,000; in 1874, £24,000; in 1883, £33,000.

The fourth sheet of "graphic curves" gives the statistics of the ele mentary schools. In 1864 there were about 95,000 pupils; in 1874, 230,000; in 1883, 845,000. Grants in 1864, £1,000; in 1874, £17,000; in 1883, £31,000.

The opening of the new gallery of antique casts, August 7, 1884, in the South Kensington Museum is recorded; also the acquisition of valuable objects from the sale of the Castellani collection in Rome, for the South Kensington, Dublin, and Edinburgh Museums; also the proposed gift by Lady Schreiber of an historical collection of English pot tery, enamels, etc., comprising some 1,200 examples of the work of all the more important factories. The widow of George Cruikshank has given a valuable collection of that artist's works to the National Art Library.

Satisfactory progress is reported in the introduction of the electric light in some of the galleries of the Museum, in the Art Schools, the Reading-rooms of the Library, and in the Bethnal Green Branch Mu

seum.

ART REFEREES.

The formation of a general "Committee of Advice," composed of the gentlemen announced as the "Committee of Art Referees" in the calen dar of 1885 (for list of names see page 737 of this Report), with one additional member, viz, Sir A. Henry Layard, G. C. B., D. C. L., is announced. The authorities do not, however, intend to preclude themselves from employing special experts as referees as occasion may arise.

Additions are reported to the India Museum and to the picture gal leries, while the circulation of art objects, by loan to the provincial museums, exhibitions, schools of art, etc., has "been actively carried on." Twenty-three museums have been thus aided; five of these occupy new buildings opened during the year 1884.

The receipt by the Bethnal Green Branch Museum of many valuable art loans during the year is recorded.

LIST OF MUSEUMS SUPPORTED BY THE STATE.

As indicating the scope of the Science and Art Department, the following list is inserted of the "museums in connection with the Science and Art Department, supported by the State."