THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS 443 



Nothing is more certain than that we must make experiments, 

 in order that we may find out ways of rendering our schools 

 efficient. Speaking generally, the present race of Headmasters 

 and teachers is characterised by inability to make experiments 

 — inability to see even that experiments must be made ; you, 

 therefore, who have had some experience of experimental work 

 are the elect upon whom is cast the serious task of saving the 

 situation — of saving the country, as we are obviously at a period 

 of national peril. 



Meetings such as this should be devoted to the discussion 

 of questions of prime importance in school organisation, many 

 of which scream for consideration at the present time. I would 

 suggest that papers on such subjects should be presented by 

 the Association without the names of individual authors being 

 attached to them : if you will allow me to say so, the bill of 

 fare you are in the habit of providing is scarcely worthy of you. 



In this world, people are usually taken fairly at their own 

 valuation— let me urge that it is for you to place a higher value 

 upon yourselves: the time for modesty is gone by ; your mission 

 is clear. I can only trust that I have voiced to you the call of 

 a somewhat inarticulate country and that you will forthwith 

 take up arms and be aggressive in her defence. 



There is danger that as time goes on the evils of unemploy- 

 ment will increase rather than diminish ; the value of ideas, 

 the value of leadership, must in consequence increase more 

 and more as the problems of life grow in complexity. The 

 education of fit men — of men of free and generous mind fit to 

 lead— rests mainly in your hands ; it is for you to rise to the 

 sense of your opportunities and responsibilities : may I add, 

 to set an example as gentlemen in the highest and truest sense 

 of the term. Whatever fault we may find with our system of 

 higher education, it has had one great advantage — our boys 

 have been in the hands of well-bred, well-behaved, clean- 

 minded gentlemen ; the example these have set has been of 

 inestimable value. How great the value is perhaps obvious 

 only to those who know something of modern American 

 schools, which are almost entirely in the hands of women 

 teachers — so that the example of .gentlemen is lacking and 

 little chance given of stemming the tide of commercialism. 



H. E. A. 



