schools, is their freedom from
the burden of extraneous duties, and from the nightmare of external
examinations.

When schools can be more generously staffed, so that, for example,
the number of assistant teachers exceeds the number of classes to be
taught, a good deal will have been done to relieve the strain under
which teachers are at present working.

Finally, when education authorities and the public generally, become
sufficiently enlightened to realise that it is uneconomical to dismiss
a teacher when she marries _i.e._, when by her experience she is
most capable of preparing her pupils for life--then women will be
encouraged to enter the teaching profession, and to realise that they
must equip themselves as well as possible for what is to be their
life-work.

[Footnote 1: In this connection, the work of the Care-Committees, now
an integral feature of the elementary education system, must not
be forgotten. It will be fully considered in a later volume of this
series. [EDITOR.]]

[Footnote 2: The conditions for registration were issued on 22nd
November 1913, after this book had gone to press. [EDITOR.]]

[Footnote 3: _Vide_ Article on Education in Ireland, by May Starkie
in _The New Statesman Supplement_ on "The Awakening of Ireland," 12th
July 1913. [EDITOR.]]

[Footnote 4: Since this paper was written, a fresh report (Code 6707)
has been published by the Board of Education. The statistical tables
do not materially differ from those given above.]

[Footnote 5: On the other hand, the Board seldom proceeds against
teachers who have broken their bond. [Editor.]]

[Footnote 6: The experiment of ending the College course for certain
students at Easter, is now being made. But the movement is too young,
and the Colleges experimenting are too few, to make it possible
to draw deductions. At any rate it looks like a move in the right
direction.]

[Footnote 7: This is a matter, the investigation of which should
be included in Mr Lloyd George's Land Campaign. There is an obvious
connection between the status of the agricultural labourer and the
inefficiency of rural schools. [EDITOR.]]

[Footnote 8: The women members are in a large majority, but, being
women, do not, as yet, possess the vote. Their peculiar interests, of
course, do not obtain representation.]

V

TEACHING IN SCHOOLS FOR THE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY DEFECTIVE

The particular branch of teaching which forms the subject of this
paper