43 395 students who have recently obtained their diplomas in place of a corresponding number of untrained teachers. No new teacher holding only the primary education certificate has been appointed during the present school-year, and the general situation in regard to this matter is that, of 436 teachers employed, 48 per cent, (as against 39 per cent, in the previous year) hold a teaching diploma or the diploma of a higher college or special school; 27 per cent, (as against 34 per cent, in 1908) hold the primary education certificate only, and 18 per cent, (as against 23 per cent, in 1908) hold no certificate at all. It must be mentioned that those who liold no certificate are mostly old teachers who were brought in before certificates existed.

In addition to the Government primary schools there exist many private schools of the same character, and the following tabie show, the number of these institutiums, divided according to nationality :— Nationality of Institution. Number. N unibor of Boys in attendance.

Egyptian American Erencli . Greek . Italian . English . Various.

Total 187 88 78 1.'5 JO 10 7 3'J3 20,64G 4,736 l.iub 2;38tl 1,478 885 81)3 38,605 As only 12 of these establishments are under the inspection of the Ministry of Education, it is not possible to give an account of the quality of the work whicli is beingdone in the schools privately maintained. The statistics of the primary education (Certificate examination appear to indicare that progress is being macle.

The number of candidates for the primary certificate, 4,750 in 1909 as compai-ed witli 4,140 in 1908, shows an increase of 610. Tbe percentage of passes decreased from 42 per cent, in 1908 to 34 per cent, in 1909, the falling oft* being in some degree due to the failure of a large number of private candidates, of whom only lO per cent, passed. 42 per cent, of the candidates from Government schools were successful as compared with 38 percent, from private schools, whicli usually only send up candidates likely to succeed. The number of girl candidates was 40, as compared with 31 in the previous year, and 17 were successful.

The permission granted in 1908 to candidates for the primary certificate to answer all papers, with the exception of the language tests, in Arabic, English or French as they preferred was continued in 1909. Out of the. 4750 candidates, only 61 in geogniphy and 7 in arithmetic selected Itiigllsh or French for answering the questions.

Of the totid number of 1,634 successful candidates in 1909, 1,035, or 63 per cent., are pursuing a further course of study in the secondary schools or abroad ; only 73 have been appointed to the Government service as compared with 166 in the previous year, so that it would seem that the time is approaching when this certificate will no longer be a sufficient qiiolification for an official career.

49. Secondary Education.

During the last two or three years there has been an increasing demand for secondary education, and great difficulty lias been found in providing iideqnate accommodation. The number of students has grown very rapidl}% rising from 1,033 in 1904 to 2,113 in 1908 and 2,243 in 1909, and it has been impo.sslble to increase the miiiiber of classes in the same ratio. Two undesirable i-esiilts have followed : in tin*, first place, the proportion which .should be maintained between the numbers in the clltferent school-years has fluctuated ; and secondly, the size of some of th(‘, classes has passed far beyond the accepted limit. To reduce these incouveniences restrictions liave been placed on the number of new admissions, which amounted in 1909 to 533 as compared with 628 in the preceding year. Notwithstanding this measure, it was, however, still possible to receive all suitable applicants under 17 years of age.

The teaching of mathematics in Arabic has been extended to all the cla.sses of the First and Second Years, and the teaching of arithmetic and geometry in the vernacular has been introduced into the Third Year. It is a veiy satisfactory sign that two [3S4(] E House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.