646 SCIENCE ^PROGRESS 



applied science. Lord Sydenham referred to the manner in which our country 

 had permitted itself to become dependent on Germany for the products of our 

 own discoveries and raw materials, but was perhaps hardly fair in his remark that 

 while "helium gas had been discovered in this country it had been left to America 

 to show that it could be produced in quantities which might enable the airship to 

 become a great weapon of war." In the first place, it is understood that this 

 helium is produced from certain of the vast stores of natural gas which exist in 

 America and not in England, and, in the second place, even on a war basis, the 

 cost of a large airship filled with the gas would be almost prohibitive. 



The report of the discussion on the Teaching of Physics in Schools, organised 

 by the Physical Society last June, serves once more to focus attention on the 

 necessity for the revision of the methods of teaching science at present in vogue 

 if the science course is to be of real value in our scheme of general education. 

 Present-day courses are, for the most part, based on the syllabus drawn up in 

 1895 by a Committee of the Incorporated Association of Head Masters. This 

 syllabus was adopted as a basis for the Oxford and Cambridge Local Examina- 

 tions, and practically all other examinations of a like standard throughout the 

 country. As is well known, it lays overwhelming stress on laboratory work of 

 a quantitative character which requires a very large proportion of the time allotted 

 to physics for its execution. It ties the teacher down in his descriptive lessons 

 to what may best be described as the grammar of the subject, and never allows the 

 unfortunate learner a glimpse of the wonderland beyond. Moreover it sends him 

 forth from school without any knowledge of the common scientific things around 

 him. There is a general consensus of opinion that this state of affairs must be 

 altered, and its alteration becomes the more urgently necessary now that science 

 is being made a compulsory part of the school curriculum. Further, the principles 

 which must govern the new methods are not in dispute. Up to the age of sixteen 

 the science course should be general and descriptive, the laboratory work taking 

 a smaller (but not less essential) proportion of the time. The syllabus should 

 be on the lines indicated in the "' Science for All " scheme drawn up by the 

 Association of Public School Science Masters : the practical work for the most 

 part qualitative, more especially in the earlier stages. The First or General 

 Schools Examination would terminate this part of the work and, for the majority, 

 the school career as well. Those who intend carrying their science further must 

 then set to and learn the fundamentals of the subjects they propose to study, be 

 they " drudgery " or not. A year so spent should bring the standard up to that 

 of the Matriculation Examination. It seems to need to be emphasised that this 

 examination is intended as, an entrance to a university course ; its syllabus is, 

 therefore, properly drawn up by the university authorities, who do " know what 

 future work is required of the student," and rightly demand a sound knowledge of 

 the fundamental principles of science. These are not essential in an examination 

 intended to hallmark the close of a school career. At present the attainment of a 

 certain standard at the General Schools Examination serves as an exemption from 

 matriculation (at least at the University of London). This could no longer be the 

 case, as far as science subjects are concerned, if the plan advocated above was 

 adopted ; but partial exemption could be granted if it were considered to be 

 desirable. In any case, we are at a parting of the ways ; the general course 

 which alone is suitable for all is quite inadequate for the intending specialist. 

 Finally, it may be pointed out that statistics show that the average age at 

 matriculation is about seventeen years, so that, on the whole, no time would be 

 lost by the separation of the two examinations. 



