TIME.—Mornings. School to assemble at nine o'clock, and to leave at twelve.

Afternoons. School to assemble at two o'clock, and to leave at four in winter, and five in summer.

MONDAY.

Morning. When assembled, to offer the appointed prayer, after which a hymn is to be sung; then slates and pencils are to be delivered to the
children; after which they are to proceed with their letters and spelling. At half-past ten o'clock to play, and at eleven o'clock to assemble in the
gallery, and repeat the picture lessons on natural history after the monitor in the rostrum.

Afternoon. Begin with prayer and hymn as in the morning; picture lessons on Scripture history to be repeated from the lesson-post, and to be
questioned on them afterwards in the gallery.

TUESDAY.

Morning. Usual prayer and hymn. Letters and spelling from the lesson-posts. Play. Gallery; repeat the addition and subtraction tables.

Afternoon. Prayer and hymn. Multiplication table; the monitor asking the question, and the children answering. Reading lessons. Play. Gallery;
numeration and spelling with brass figures and letters.

WEDNESDAY.

Morning. Prayer and hymn. Letters and spelling. Play. Gallery; master to teach geometrical figures and musical characters.
Afternoon. Prayer and hymn. Practice pence and shilling tables. Play. Gallery; master to give lessons on arithmetic. Extempore teaching on men
and things, &c. &c.

THURSDAY.

Morning. Prayer and hymn. Letters and spelling. Division, weights, measures, and time, from the rostrum. Play. Gallery; same lessons as
Monday morning.

Afternoon. Prayer and hymn. From the lesson-posts epitome of geometry and natural history. Gallery; brass letters and figures. Extempore
teaching on men and things, taking care that all such teaching shall be illustrated by substances.

FRIDAY.

Morning. Prayer and hymn. Letters and spelling. Tables in arithmetic, at the master's discretion. Play. Gallery; lessons on geography, maps,
globes, &c.

Afternoon. Prayer and hymn. Scripture pictures on the lesson-posts, and questions on them in the gallery.

SATURDAY.

Morning. Prayer and hymn. Letters and spelling. Tables of arithmetic from the rostrum. Play. Gallery; lessons on the transposition frame, and on
geometry from the brass instrument. Religious instruction should have a prominent part in the business of every day, and especially so every
Saturday morning.

N.B. If visitors wish any particular lessons to be gone through, and the children appear disposed, the master is not bound to adhere to the above
rules, neither at any other time, if the children appear particularly disinclined.

*****

There are a few other matters, on which, before concluding this chapter, I must speak, as claiming the attention of infant school conductors.
First attend to

CLEANLINESS.

Although we have referred to this before, yet, as it is of considerable importance not only to the children but to those around them, it may not be
amiss to take up a little more of the reader's time, and to state the different plans that have been devised, in order to make the children as clean
as possible. In one case, a trough was erected, and a pipe provided to convey the water into it; but before it had been up a month, it was found,
that instead of answering the end intended, it had quite a contrary effect; for the children dabbled in the trough, and made themselves ten times
worse than they were, by wetting themselves from head to foot; besides which, it frequently caused them to take cold, of which the parents
complained. Some took their children away without notice; others came and gave the master what they called "a good set down." It was,
therefore, thought necessary to forbid the children washing themselves, and to wash all that came dirty. But it was soon found that the dirty
children increased so fast, that it required one person's time to attend to them; besides which, it had another bad effect, it encouraged the
parents in laziness; and they told me, when I complained of their sending the children to school dirty, "That indeed they had no time to wash
their children; there was a trough in the school for that purpose, and the persons who had charge of the school were paid for it, and ought to do
it." In consequence of this, the trough was taken away, and it was represented to the parents, that it was their duty to keep their children clean;
that unless they did so, they would be sent home to be washed; and if they persisted in sending them without being washed, there would be no
alternative left but to dismiss them from the school altogether. This offended some of the parents, and they took their children out of the
school, but many afterwards petitioned to have them readmitted. I mention this merely to prevent others, who may be concerned in the
establishment of infant schools, from incurring an unnecessary expense, and to shew that the parents will value the school equally as well if
you make them wash their children, as if you did it for them.

The plan that we have acted upon to enforce cleanliness, is as follows: As soon as the children are assembled in the school, the monitors cause
them to hold out their hands, with their heads up; they then inspect their hands and their faces, and all those who are dirty are desired to stand
out, to be examined by the master, who will easily perceive whether they have been washed that morning; if not, they are sent home to be
washed, and if the mother has any sense of propriety, she will take care that it shall not often occur. But it may be found, that some have been
washed, and been playing with the dirt, when coming to school, which some children are very apt to do; in this case they have a pat on the hand,
which generally cures them. There is much trouble at first, to keep the children quite clean; some of their parents are habitually dirty, and in such
cases the children will be like them; these will, therefore, require more trouble than others, but they will soon acquire cleanly habits, and, with
proper management, become as cleanly as any of the other children. As soon as a child is taken into the school the monitor shows him a
certain place, and explains to him, that when he wants to go into the yard, he is to ask him, and he will accompany him there. Of course there
are separate accommodations for each sex, and such prudential arrangements made as the case requires, but which it is unnecessary further
to particularize.[A]

[Footnote A: This is a subject of the highest importance in moral training, and deserve the serious attention of committees as well as teachers:
inattention to these matters, may demoralize every child that enters the school. In many schools throughout the country I have seen great want
of attention to this subject, the seats were too high, the circular holes too large, causing fear on the part of the infants, and also bad habits. The
seats should be the same height as the seats in the school—six inches, and nine inches high, the diameter of the holes seven inches and nine
inches—the teachers should constantly visit these places, inculcate habits of delicacy and cleanliness. Such habits formed in childhood are
never forgotten. Superfine dressy teachers, will be too proud, and too high, to attend to these things—but the judicious mother or matron will at
once see their importance and act accordingly—"as the twig is bent the tree's inclined."]

2. NEVER FRIGHTEN CHILDREN.

It is common for many persons to threaten to put children into the black hole, or to call the sweep to take them away in his bag, when they do
not behave as they ought; but the ill effects of this mode of proceeding may be perceived from the following fact. I knew a child, who had been
to one of those schools where the children of mechanics are usually sent, called dames' schools, which was kept by an elderly woman, who, it
seems, had put this child into the coal-hole, and told him, that unless he was a good boy, the black man would come and take him away; this so
frightened the child, that he fell into a violent fit, and never afterwards could bear the sight of this woman. On the mother getting the child
admitted into our school, she desired me to be very gentle with him, relating to me all the above story, except that the child had had a fit. About
a fortnight after the admission of the child, he came running one day into the school, exclaiming, "I'll be a good boy, master! master! I'll be a
good boy." As soon as he caught sight of me, he clung round, and grasped me with such violence, that I really thought the child was mad; in a
few minutes after this he went into strong convulsions, and was such a dreadful spectacle, that I thought the child would die in my arms. In this
state he remained for about twenty minutes, and I fully expected he would be carried out of the school a corpse. I sent for the mother, but on
her arrival I perceived she was less alarmed than myself; she immediately said, the child was in a fit, and that I had frightened him into it. I told
her that she was mistaken; that the child had only just entered the school, and I was ignorant of the cause of his fright; but several of my little
scholars soon set the matter to rest, by stating the particulars of the fright, which they observed when coming to school. It seems that a man
was in the street, who sweeps chimneys with a machine, and just as the little fellow passed him, he called out, "Sweep;" this so alarmed the
child, that he thought the man was going to take him, and was affected by his fears in the way I have stated. The child, however, getting better,
and the mother hearing what the children said, begged my pardon for having accused me wrongfully, and then told me the whole particulars of
his first fright and the woman and the coal-hole. I had the greatest difficulty imaginable to persuade him, that a sweep was a human being, and
that he loved little children as much as other persons. After some time, the child got somewhat the better of his fears, but not wholly so. He had
but one fit afterwards. This shews how improper it is to confine children by themselves, or to threaten them in the manner described. Many
persons continue nervous all their lives through such treatment, and are so materially injured, that they are frightened at their own shadow.

It is also productive of much mischief to talk of mysteries, ghosts, and hobgoblins, before children, which many persons are too apt to do. Some
deal so much in the marvellous, that I really believe they frighten many children out of their senses. I recollect, when I was a child, hearing such
stories, till I have actually been afraid to look behind me. How many persons are frightened at such a little creature as a mouse, because the
nature of that little creature has not been explained to them in their infancy. Indeed, children should have all things shewn them, if possible, that
they are likely to meet with: and above all, it should be impressed upon their minds, that if they meet with no injury from the living, it is most
certain the dead will never hurt them, and that he who fears God, need have no other fear. It is also common with many persons, to put a
disobedient child into a room by itself. I cannot approve of this method, as the child is frequently frightened into quietness without improving
his temper in the least; if it be day time it is not so bad, but if it be dark, the consequences are often serious, and materially injure the
constitution of the child. The more I reflect upon this subject, the more do I see its impropriety. I would rather use the rod, in moderation, and
mercy. I am sure it is better for the disobedient and unruly child, and more according to the dealings of the Creator with us all. I can truly say my
punishments, which have not been slight, have done me good. As children we cannot see these things; as men and thinkers, we can. Yea! and
kiss the rod.

3. GUARD AGAINST FORGETFULNESS.

The circumstance I am about to mention, shews how necessary it is to teach by example as well as precept. Many of the children were in the
habit of bringing marbles, tops, whistles, and other toys, to the school, which often caused much disturbance; for they would play with them
instead of attending to their lessons, and I found it necessary to forbid the children from bringing anything of the kind. After giving notice,
therefore, two or three times in the school, I told them that if any of them brought such things, they would be taken away from them. In
consequence of this, several things fell into my hands, which I did not always think of returning, and, among other things, a whistle belonging to
a little boy. The child asked me for it as he was going home, but having several visitors at the time, put him off, telling him not to plague me, and
he went home. I had forgotten the circumstance altogether, but it appears the child had not; for some time after, while I was lecturing the
children upon the necessity of telling truth, and on the wickedness of stealing, the little fellow approached me, and said, "Please, sir, you stole
my whistle." "Stole your whistle!" said I; "did I not give it you again?" "No, teacher, I asked you for it, and you would not give it to me." I stood self-
convicted, being accused in the middle of my lecture, before all the children, and really at a loss to know what excuse to make, for I had mislaid
the whistle, and could not return it to the child. I immediately gave the child a halfpenny, and said all I could to persuade the children that it was
not my intention to keep it.

However, I am satisfied that this trifling mistake of mine did more harm than I was able to repair during some time; for if we wish to teach
children to be honest, we should never take anything from them without returning it again. Indeed, persons having charge of children can never
be too cautious, and should not, on any account whatever, break a promise; for experience has taught me that most children have good
memories, and if you once promise a thing and do not perform it, they will pay very little attention to what you say afterwards.

4. OBSERVE PUNCTUALITY.

A little girl, whose mother was dead, was often absent from school. She was never at a loss for excuses, but from their frequency I was at last
induced to suspect their truth. None of the children knew where she resided; so I was obliged to send the eldest boy in the school home with
her, to ascertain whether or not her stories were true. I gave the boy positive directions to make haste back; but, much to my surprise, I saw no
more of him for six hours. When he returned, he told me that the little girl refused to shew him where she lived; and had taken him so far, that he
at last determined to leave her, but could not find his way back sooner. In the evening I went myself, according to the direction I had entered in
the admission-book, but found that the family were removed, and the persons in the house could not tell me where they had gone to reside. I
saw nothing of the child for the five following days, when a woman who had the care of her and her little brother in arms, came to inquire the
reason why the girl came home at such irregular hours, stating, that sometimes she came home at half-past eleven, at other times not till two,
and sometimes at three in the afternoon: in short, often an hour after school was over. I told her that the child was frequently absent, and that it
was five days since I had seen her. The woman appeared quite surprised, and told me, that she had always sent the child to school at the
regular time; that when she came home before the usual hour, she said her governess had sent all the children home a little sooner; and if she
came home after the time, then she said that there had been some ladies visiting the school, and that the children had been kept for their
inspection.
Here I must acknowledge, that I have frequently detained children a little while after school-hours, when we have had visitors, but since it
furnishes the children with an excuse for going home late, I think it would be better to discontinue the practice; and would hint to those ladies
and gentlemen who feel inclined to visit such schools, that they should come between the hours of nine and twelve in the forenoon, or two and
four in the afternoon. I have only to observe, that the child I have been speaking of came to the school very regularly afterwards.

There is another subject too important to be passed without notice; I mean the punctual attendance of the pupils. If the teachers are firm, and
determined, to secure this, it can be done. In Ireland, where the value of time and punctuality is least understood, the thing was accomplished,—
whilst no better lesson can be given to those who have to work for their daily bread, than punctuality. If a child cannot attend school at nine,
how can it attend work at six in the morning? Be firm, and the object is gained.

5. BE STRICTLY ACCURATE IN YOUR EXPRESSIONS.

One day when the children were assembled in the gallery, having none of their usual lessons at hand, I took from my pocket a piece of paper,
and promised them that if they would answer me every question I put concerning the paper, I would at last make a paper boat. I proceeded in
the following manner: "What is this?" "What colour?" "What is its use?" "How made!" "What made of?" &c. These questions being answered
according to their different views, and having folded the paper into a variety of forms, and obtained their ideas upon such forms, I proceeded to
fulfil my promise of forming it into the shape of a boat; but the children, seeing me at a loss, exclaimed, "Please, sir, you can't do it;" which
proved the fact, as I had forgotten the plan, and was obliged to make the confession. "Then, sir," rejoined one of the boys, "you should not have
promised."

In the course of my observations I had frequently enjoined the children to make every possible use of their thinking powers, but it appears I had
at the same time forgotten to make use of my own, and consequently had been betrayed into a promise which I was not able to perform.

I remember some other instances:

One of the children happened to kick another. The injured party complained to the person who then had the charge of the school, saying,
"Please, sir, this boy kicked me." It being time for the children to leave school, the master waved his hand towards the gate through which the
children pass, thoughtlessly saying, at the same time, "Kick away;" meaning that the complainant was to take no more notice of the affair, but
go home. The complainant, however, returning to the other child, began kicking him, and received some kicks himself. A friend was present, and
seeing two children kicking each other, he very naturally inquired the reason. "Please, sir," replied the children, "master told us!" "Master told you,"
says the gentleman, "that cannot be; I'll ask him." He accordingly inquired into the truth of the affair, and received for answer, "Certainly not."
"Yes," said the child, "you did, sir; did not I tell you just now that a boy kicked me?" "Yes," says the master, "you did." "Then, please sir," says the
child, "you told me to go and kick away!" The master immediately recollected that he had said so.

This fact shews how improper it is to say one thing to a child and mean another. These children were under the influence of obedience, and in
the light of truth, and being in that light, they could see from no other, and very naturally concluded the master meant what he had said.

One day some visitors requested I would call out a class of the children to be examined. Having done so, I asked the visitors in what they would
wish the children to be examined; at the same time stating that they might hear the children examined in natural history, Scriptural history,
arithmetic, spelling, geography, or geometry. They choose the latter, and I proceded to examine the children accordingly; beginning with straight
lines. Having continued this examination for about half an hour, we proceeded to enter into particulars respecting triangles; and having
discoursed on the difference between isosceles triangles and scalene triangles, I observed that an acute isosceles triangle had all its angles
acute, and proceeded to observe that a right-angled scalene triangle had all its angles acute. The children immediately began to laugh, for
which I was at a loss to account, and told them of the impropriety of laughing at me. One of the children immediately replied, "Please, sir, do you
know what we were laughing at?" I replied in the negative. "Then, sir," says the boy, "I will tell you. Please, sir, you have made a blunder." I, thinking
I had not, proceeded to defend myself, when the children replied, "Please, sir, you convict yourself." I replied, "How so?" "Why," says the children,
"you said a right-angled triangle had one right angle, and that all its angles are acute. If it has one right angle, how can all its angles be acute?" I
soon perceived the children were right, and that I was wrong. Here, then, the reader may perceive the fruits of teaching the children to think,
inasmuch as it is shewn that children of six years of age and under were able to refute their tutor. If children had been taught to think many
years ago, error would have been much more easily detected, and its baneful influence would not have had that effect upon society which at
this day unfortunately we are obliged to witness.

At another time I was lecturing the children in the gallery on the subject of cruelty to animals; when one of the little children observed, "Please,
sir, my big brother catches the poor flies, and then sticks a pin through them, and makes them draw the pin along the table." This afforded me
an excellent opportunity of appealing to their feelings on the enormity of this offence, and, among other things, I observed, that if the poor fly
had been gifted with the powers of speech like their own, it probably would have exclaimed, while dead, as follows:—"You naughty child, how
can you think of torturing me so? Is there not room in the world for you and me? Did I ever do you any harm? Does it do you any good to put me
in such pain? Why do you do it, you are big enough to know better? How would you like a man to run a piece of wire through your body, and
make you draw things about? Would you not cry at the pain? Go, then, you wicked boy, and learn to leave off such cruel actions." Having
finished, one of the children replied, "How can any thing speak if it is dead?" "Why," said I, "supposing it could speak." "You meant to say, sir," was
the rejoinder, "dying instead of dead."

It will, of course be understood that in this case I purposely misused a word, and the children being taught to think, easily detected it.

6. WATCH AGAINST THE ENTRANCE OF DISEASE.

It may, probably, be considered presumption in me, to speak of the diseases of children, as this more properly belongs to the faculty; but let it be
observed, that my pretension is not to cure the diseases that children are subject to, but only to prevent those which are infectious from
spreading. I have found that children between the ages of two and seven years, are subject to the measles, hooping cough, fever, ophthalmia,
ringworm, scald-head, and in very poor neighbourhoods, the itch—and small-pox. This last is very rare, owing to the great encouragement given
to vaccination; and were it not for the obstinacy of many of the poor, I believe it would be totally extirpated. During the whole of the time I
superintended a school, I heard of only three children dying of it, and those had never been vaccinated. I always made a point of inquiring, on
the admission of a child, whether this operation had been performed, and, if not, I strongly recommended that it should be. If parents spoke the
truth, I had but few children in the school who had not been vaccinated: this accounts, therefore, for having lost but three children through the
small-pox.

The measles, however, I consider a very dangerous disorder, and we lost a great many children by it, besides two of my own. It is preceded by a
violent cough, the child's eyes appear watery, and it will also be sick. As soon as these symptoms are perceived, I would immediately send the
child home, and desire the parents to keep it there for a few days, in order to ascertain if it have the measles, and if so, it must be prohibited
from returning to school until well. This caution is absolutely necessary; as some parents are so careless, that they will send their children when
the measles are thick out upon them.

The same may be said with respect to other diseases, for unless the persons who have charge of the school attend to these things, the parents
will be glad to get their children out of the way, and will send them, though much afflicted, without considering the ill-effects that may be
produced in the school. Whether such conduct in the parents proceeds from ignorance or not, I am not able to say, but this I know, that I have
had many parents offer children for admission, with all the diseases I have mentioned, and who manifested no disposition to inform me of it.
The number of children who may be sick, from time to time, may be averaged at from twenty to thirty-five, out of two hundred, we have never
had less than twenty absent on account of illness, and once or twice we had as many as fifty.

Soon after I first took charge of the establishment, I found that there were five or six children in the school who had the measles; the
consequence was, that it contaminated the whole school, and about eight children died, one of my own being of that number. This induced me
to be very cautious in future, and I made a point of walking round the school twice every day, in order to inspect the children; and after the
adoption of this plan, we did not have the measles in the school.

The hooping-cough is known, of course, by the child hooping; but I consider it the safest plan to send all children home that have any kind of
cough; this will cause the mother to come and inquire the reason why the child is sent home; and it can be ascertained from her whether the
child has had the hooping-cough or not.

With respect to fever, I generally find the children appear chilly and cold, and not unfrequently they are sick. I do not, however, feel myself
competent to describe the early symptoms of this disorder, but the best way to prevent its gaining ground in the school is to send all the
children home who appear the least indisposed.