440 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



course of instruction be broadened and made thoroughly 

 practical. 



To some my programme may appear to be too ambitious ; 

 others will think one or other of its sections narrow. It is put 

 forward only as a mere skeleton, to give emphasis to my 

 contention that we must lay a broad foundation in school. 

 Many probably will object to teaching the rudiments of so 

 many branches of science and will contend that one treated 

 fully is of more disciplinary value — they will not be prepared 

 to undertake the task, being specialists. To these I would 

 say, that every person of intelligence, in these days, must 

 be something of a geologist, something of a physicist, some- 

 thing of a chemist, something of a biologist — to the extent 

 of being able to appreciate common natural objects and com- 

 mon natural phenomena : nothing less can count as culture, 

 nothing less will serve the ordinary requirements of life. 



I am not placing experimental science in advance of other 

 subjects but merely asking that it receive proper considera- 

 tion and that its paramount importance as a means of 

 forming character be recognised. My desire is to see propor- 

 tionate attention paid to all necessary subjects of instruction : 

 at present our schools and our universities are the seats of 

 rankest specialisation, altogether illiberal in their tendencies, 

 in no sense schools for masters but the homes of slaves. 



I do not suppose for one moment that even when the 

 best of systems are in operation in our schools and the 

 best of teachers are engaged in them, that we shall succeed 

 in carrying very many beyond a moderate degree of efficiency — 

 the material will not allow of more. Intelligence — real intel- 

 ligence — is born not made : at no time more than at the 

 present has it been necessary to appreciate the truth of this 

 axiom, for it is beyond question demonstrated scientific truth. 

 I know, however, from experience, that results can be obtained 

 far in advance of those to which we have long been accustomed. 

 Far fewer will be sickened of learning, far fewer will be 

 deprived of their mental independence by dogmatic teaching 

 and by over-teaching — the two vices which are the most 

 potent cause of breakdown in the schools of to-day and the 

 reason why so little real progress is made. 



Necessarily I shall be told that there is not time lor a course 



