tion Act, with its power for levying a local rate, was passed in the same year, and the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act, granting money from the Treasury, followed the year after 1.

The purpose of the Welsh Act was declared to be to make provision for the intermediate and technical education of the inhabitants of Wales and the county of Monmouth 2.

Intermediate education is defined by the Act as 'A course of education which does not consist chiefly of elementary instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but which includes instruction in Latin, Greek, the Welsh, and English language and literature, modern languages, mathematics, natural and applied science, or in some of such studies, and generally in the higher branches of knowledge.'

In every county and county borough in Wales and in Monmouthshire a Joint Education Committee was constituted, three members being nominated by the county or borough council and two by the Lord President of the Privy Council: any of the Assistant Charity Commissioners had a right to attend the meetings but not to vote. Each Committee was required to report to its council, but was not otherwise subject to its control, except in limitation of rate.

The original powers of the Charity Commission were suspended, except with the consent of the Education Department; the powers of the Education Committees were given to them originally for three years, but have been continued by the Expiring Laws Continuance Acts. Their function is to prepare a scheme or schemes for their own county, alone or in conjunction with their neighbours, specifying the local educational endowments which ought to be employed and recommending, if they chose, to their council a payment out of the county rate, not exceeding d. in the pound. The scheme is to be submitted to the Charity Commission, has always been drafted by them, and,

1 Vide p. 182.

2 Monmouthshire is largely Welsh-speaking, and it is claimed as practically a Welsh county.

if approved, goes forward as if it had been an original scheme under the Endowed Schools Acts. If there is any difference of opinion, the local scheme and that of the Charity Commissioners are both submitted to the Education Department for selection.

The Treasury makes a grant to meet all local contributions, the amount for each county not exceeding in the aggregate the sum payable in pursuance of the Act out of the county rate. The Imperial contribution depends on the efficiency of the schools, as testified by such annual inspection and report as the Treasury may require.

Except in the case of cathedral schools or others excepted from the Endowed Schools Act, 1869, every scheme must provide that no catechism or denominational formulary shall be taught to any day scholars in schools receiving aid, and that times for prayer or religious worship or lesson shall be arranged conveniently for the withdrawal of a day scholar therefrom.

Administration of Schemes.

'The duty of the Joint Education Committee is confined to the framing of schemes; it has no administrative functions. The funds and schools are administered by governing bodies constituted by the several schemes. The only requirement of the Welsh Act, besides those contained in the Endowed Schools Acts with regard to the religious opinions of governors, is to the effect that the County Council is to be "adequately" represented on the governing body of any school receiving aid from it.'

Constitution of Governing Bodies. In the county boroughs the scheme is administered by a single governing body. In the counties there is a division of administrative functions between a county governing body and local governing bodies for particular districts or schools. In every county the County Council nominates at least a bare majority of the county governing body, which also contains in every case representatives of some one of the three Welsh University Colleges. The remainder of the body is composed of representatives of the local governing bodies and of co-opted

members. The size of the county governing body varies, but is seldom more than thirty or less than twenty members. The local governing body ranges in size from eleven to sixteen members, and generally contains representatives of the County Council, the county governing body, the local government authority, and the elementary schools.'

'On both the county and the local body women are eligible, and in many cases provision is made for ensuring their presence.'

Technical Instruction Acts in Wales1. In many counties the Joint Education Committee was nominated by the County Council to act also as its committee under the Technical Instruction Acts, with a view to avoid friction, or conflict, or overlapping of schemes. Power is taken in every scheme under the Welsh Act to add to local governing bodies any number of governors required, in order to allow of aid under the Technical Instruction Acts being given to a school 2.'

The harmonious working of the Joint Education Committees was secured in the first instance by the attendance at them all of the same Assistant Charity Commissioner, who thus acted as an informal channel of communication and means of comparison between them. It was found expedient also to organize Conferences of the several Committees, which in turn led to the preparation of a scheme for the establishment of a Central Welsh Board for Intermediate Education; to provide, along with some minor matters, for the examination and inspection of all intermediate schools regulated by schemes under the Act *.

The work of schools and instruction given to adults, even when it is of a secondary nature, are regarded as different in

1 The Technical Instruction Acts apply to Wales and Monmouthshire as well as to England, and have been put into force side by side with the Welsh Intermediate Education Act.

2 Bryce Report, v. pp. 50-51.

3 Report of Elgin Committee, Scotland: P. P., 1892, xli, Q. 692, Q. 704, Q. 706.

Bryce Report, v. 51.

5 Education, July 9, 1898, p. 16.

kind, and superintended generally by different county committees.

In 1892 the Lords of the Treasury published regulations as to the inspection and examination of these schools, sanctioning the conduct of them by such a Board, which, however, could not enter upon its functions before 1897.

Inspection in the meantime was conducted by Assistant Charity Commissioners, and examinations were held by various persons and bodies selected by the governors and approved by the Charity Commission.

In 1897 the Central Welsh Board for the Inspection and Examination of County Schools examined eighty schools, containing 6,427 children', employing one Chief and one temporary Inspector for the purpose. The examination of pupils for certificates has been deferred till 1899.

'There are now in Wales ninety-five secondary public schools, of which nine only are not regulated by schemes under an Act; while of the other eighty-six, sixty-nine are altogether newly founded under the Welsh Act of 1889.' Of these eighty-six county schools, nineteen are for boys only and nineteen for girls only, forty-two are dual, and six are mixed schools 2.'

Fifty-nine of these schools had in 1897 an attendance of about 5,000 pupils, who paid about £22,000 in fees, in addition to the general income of £43,019 *.

The whole public income of the Principality for secondary and technical education amounted in 1897 to about £92,000, £38,000 being Customs and Excise money under the Act of 1890, £20,000 was raised by rates under the

1 As against 3,367 in 1896.

2 The Record of Technical and Secondary Education, 1898, pp. 77, 159; ; Charity Commission, Forty-fifth Report, p. 24.

3 The Record, ibid. p. 77.

Technical Instruction Acts, and the remaining £34,000 was produced in equal moieties by rates under the Welsh Act of 1889 and by the corresponding contribution from the Central Government'.

The Science and Art Department offers its grants to Wales on the same terms as to England.

Training of Secondary Teachers. Wales has not failed to pay attention to this important point. The three University Colleges all make provision for training secondary teachers, in addition to normal Departments for elementary teachers. Bangor and Cardiff require them to be graduates, or at any rate to possess a really high qualification. At Bangor the practice is in the County Council Schools.

1 The Record, ibid. p. 70.