TRADITION IN EDUCATION 197 



gymnastic, as necessary to the intelligent study of English 

 literature ; but he forgets or neglects the claims of manual work 

 as a potent agent not only in training the mind— rendering it 

 elastic, supple, adaptable and promoting its growth— but also in 

 arousing in the highest degree the qualities of resourcefulness, 

 inventiveness and initiative ; in developing the capacity of 

 meeting change of conditions by new plans ; as offering a 

 valid introduction to much scientific work ; and as being full of 

 appeal to the interest and imagination. The necessity of intro- 

 ducing and developing such work is now acknowledged by 

 practically every one. Originally introduced into schools merely 

 as affording physical training and as a means of imparting 

 dexterity in the use of tools, its place is still often misunder- 

 stood, as one may see it quoted even at the present day as the 

 subject the aim of which is to train the nervous centres of the 

 hands of boys who will not be dependent on manual work as 

 a livelihood ; but judged by all standards, manual work appears 

 to include more than any other all the requisites of a true 

 educational discipline; and a discipline which makes a boy plan 

 and think, which makes him recognise his possibilities, which 

 makes him not only willing but eager to tackle difficulties, is 

 worth all the boasted "culture" which a classical education 

 is said to give. 



Admitting that such work is desirable, will any one be found 

 bold enough to argue that any subject mentioned in the pro- 

 posed curriculum should be omitted as either unnecessary or 

 inexpedient or that the time allotted to any one of them is 

 excessive? And if not, one is entitled to ask what subject or 

 subjects must suffer in order that the claims of a dead language 

 may be considered and it may be treated adequately. When 

 the arguments for the retention of Latin are considered, there 

 is hardly one which does not also apply with overwhelming 

 force to the subjects indicated. If it be agreed that specialisation 

 is undesirable below, let us say, the age of fifteen, ought not a 

 time-table without special bias to deserve as much consideration 

 as is demanded for the time-table of the average classical side 

 in which there is nothing but specialisation of the most pro- 

 nounced type ; which, moreover, is only accepted because it is 

 sanctioned by tradition and demanded by the older universities ? 

 Interest must be awakened before details can be mastered and 

 it is better to do a thing than to learn or read how it has been. 



