R. M. I. Boys.

R . M . I . BOYS . of

ry ^ HE fourth annual examination e pupils in I the School at Wood Green was held in October last , the work being entrusted to the Cambridge University Syndicate , the same as was done on previous occasions . The Examiner ' s report has just been received by the Institution , and is as follows : To the Secretary of the Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate of the University of Cambridge . Sir , —I have the honour to lay before the Syndicate the following Report of my recent Examination of the Royal Masonic School , Wood Green .

REPORT . The number of boys in the School was almost exactly the same as last year , namely 256 , instead of 253 . These were presented for examination in ten Divisions , of which the lc ^ svor five wore examined orally in all subjects , except Arithmetic , and the upper five were examined by means of printed

papers of questions and written answers , the answers being in the first , instance marked by the School Staff and subsequently inspected by me and examined for the purpose of this Report . The subjects of written examination were Scripture , English Grammar , Literature , English History , Geography , Latin , French , Arithmetic , Algebra , Euclid , Theoretical Chemistry .

WRITTEN EXAMINATION . SCRIPTURE . —( II . Samuel , I . Kings , St . Mark ) . In tbe upper classes there were some good papers and many that satisfied the examiner , although the work , as a whole , was somewhat disappointing . I may add , however , at once , that this was the only subject in which I found any falling-off from last year ' s standard . The lower classes , who had confined themselves to I . Samuel and St . Mark , did better in proportion than the classes above , and gave no occasion for general fault-finding .

ENGLISH G RAMMAR was a satisfactory subject all through the School , and in the higher forms the work was not only good , but particularly even . ENGLISH C OMPOSITION was tested with satisfactory results , by essaywriting among the seniors , and by letter-writing among the juniors . LITERATURE . —Forms V and IVA had read Shakespeare ' s " Tempest " to

much good purpose , since all were able to give an excellent account of the plot , and to explain very fairly the meanings of archaic words . On the other hand , the classical allusions were but imperfectly explained , and the quotations asked for were not well remembered . The lower forms had read , with considerable appreciation , either the whole or a part of Scott ' s " Lady of the Lake . "

ENGLISH H ISTORY . —Forms V and IV had studied the Stuart period , and I was glad to find , at the top of the School , both a good general knowledge of facts , and also some more intimate acquaintance with Acts of Parliament and the constitutional history of the time . The lower forms sent up many good sets of answers on the outlines of their somewhat wider period . GEOGRAPHY . —Form III , in its two divisions , did a very fair paper on the general outlines of the world .

LATIN . —Form V . In translating from the set subjects—Horace's " Odes , " Book 1 , and Cicero ' s "Pro Murena" —only one boy failed , while several did distinctly well ; and I thought it very creditable to the class that no boy gained less than 48 to 50 per cent , on a general grammar paper . Form IVA obtained excellent marks for Cfesar translation , and a high average for accidence . The lower classes showed much more inequality .

FRENCH . —Form V translated readily and well from About ' s " Le Roi des Montagues , " and less well , though without any failures , from Moliere ' s " L'Avare . " In grammar and accidence the whole class reached a very creditable standard . Form IVA sent up good translation and satisfactory grammar , while the junior forms did fairly well , good and bad being very evenly balanced .

ARITHMETIC—Forms V and IVA took a general' paper of a searching character . The average work of Form V was excellent , five boys out of nine securing unusually high marks ; while in Form IV also the results were , in many cases , very satisfactory . The work of the rest of the school , which showed in this subject the usual variety—of strength and weakness—has been very fairly estimated in the mark-lists , and calls for no special comment .

ALGEBRA . —Form V ( to Progressions ) . A good average standard was reached , which might have been still higher , had not one really first-rate paper been counterbalanced by one bad failure . Forms IV and III attempted , with good success , papers adapted to their respective standards . EUCLID . —Form V took a paper on the First Six Books with Riders , and so answered it as to secure an average of more than half-marks . Form IV had read books I , II , and showed , in the Upper Division especially , a very sound acquaintance with the text .

THEORETICAL CHEMISTRY . —Of nine boys in Form V one gave excellent answers , and six others very satisfactory ones , to an ordinary paper on the non-metallic elements . The same question-paper being offered to Form IVA , seven boys out of seventeen answered it with very fair success , and the rest without any discredit .

ORAL EXAMINATIONS . I visited the School on Tuesday , 26 th October , and two following days . Arriving between nine and ten in the morning , I was taken first by the Head Master into the large school-room , where I found the Euclid and Geography papers being worked by the Upper Forms in silence and perfect order . I then went successively to Forms Illc , IIA , HB , IA , IB , and examined them orally in all their subjects , . with results that I proceed to give .

FORM IIIC read and recited very fairly , as a class , though some boys needed prompting , and some were inclined to go too fast . Other English subjects were good , especially Grammar , which had been carefully taught , and a good beginning made with analysis . In Latin and French I supplemented my oral examinations by requiring certain sentences to be produced in writing , and in this exercise I was well satisfied with the way in which the class as a whole acquitted itself .

FORM IIA . —The Reading aloud was better here than in the class above . The Recitation also was very fair , and , in some cases , distinctly good . Scripture , Geography and English History were all satisfactory subjects , and English Grammar would have been satisfactory also , if the parsing of words had proved as good as the analysis of sentences . FORM IIB , consisting mainly of the weaker ones who had been weeded out from the class above , read and recited pretty fairly , answered simple

R. M. I. Boys.

questions on Scripture , English History and Grammar , and altogether did as well as could be expected of them . .. ; .. ¦ FORM IA did well , according to the ages of the boys , in all their subjects , showing much intelligence and doing great credit to their teacher . FORM IB read intelligently and knew their Recitation well , though they

delivered it at much too great a rate . They professed but little in the way of Grammar , yet they evidently were being skilfully introduced to the subject . In Geography they could give definitions and were familiar with the outlines of Great Britain , whilst in Scripture and English History they showed a fair amount of knowledge and answered brightly .

I concluded my work by an inspection of the writing and drawing books throughout the Lower School . A good style of handwriting was being taught , and Drawing ( a new subject ) , had been well begun . The discipline of the School , so far as it came under my notice , was excellent .

SUMMARY . A satisfactory Examination was passed , showing a general improvement since my last visit . I was pleased at finding Theoretical Chemistry added to the syllabus and a laboratory for practical work substantially fitted , furnished and ready for use . *

I have the honour to be , Sir , Your obedient Servant , ( Signed ) T . J . SANDERSON , M . A . ( Late Fellow of Clare College , Cambridge . ) BRINGTON RECTORY , HUNTINGDON , 13 th November 1897 .

Certified as correct , J . H . FEATHER , M . A ., ' Assistant Secretary to tho Syndicate 17 th November 1897 .

An appendix to the Report gives the average age of the Boys in the respective forms , as follow : Form V ( 9 boys ) , average 16 years 3 months ; IVA ( 17 ) , 14 years 9 months ; IVB ( 33 ) , 13 years 11 months ; IIIA ( 29 ) , 13 years 5 months ; IIIB ( 31 ) , 13 years 2 months ; IIIc ( 32 ) , 12 years 7 months ; IIA ( 32 ) , 11 years 11 months ; IIB ( 14 ) , 12 years 4 months ; Preparatory School—IA ( 31 ) , 10 years 5 months ; IB ( 26 ) , 9 years 1 month .

On Friday , 17 th inst ., the annual ball for the Masonic juveniles was held in the Albert Hall , Lancaster , the same committee as for the Masonic ball being responsible for the arrangements . There were upwards of 300 present , and dancing was indulged in from six o ' clock till one , the young folks spending an enjoyable evening .

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