The Teaching of History

ous nations. This preliminary period generally lasts for two years. Then, because our work is centred round the development of the nation, the children in the third year restrict their attention more or less to their own country. No attempt is made in the third year to teach an outline of English history, the aims of the teacher being to arouse interest in some of the chief characters and events and to provide a foundation of facts which can be filled in as the study of history proceeds. , So far there is a fair amount of unanimity amongst teachers. But in the fourth year the work becomes more systematic and detailed, and we are confronted with a serious problem of arrangement. Shall the scheme for the upper part of the school be a periodic one, in which the whole of our national history is divided into three or four periods, one of which is studied in each year ? Or shall we take the children through the whole field during each year, selecting those topics which are suited to the mental development of the class ? It will probably be found that a scheme whichcombines the advantages of both these methods of arrangement will give the best results. The concentric plan, consistently adhered to, has serious drawbacks. In one year it is impossible to study profitably topics selected from the whole period from the landing of Julius Caesar to the death of Edward VII. There is a lack of concentration, a 'scattering of energy. The time is too short for the children eith...