MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS 175 



If it is to stand in the non-specialist course, trigonometry 

 must avoid all developments except such as have direct appli- 

 cation to concrete and geometrical situations ; to step beyond 

 this line is to step into the specialist course and there is 

 no time to spare for straying. The amount of trigonometry 

 indicated may be covered in three lessons a week during two 

 terms. 



We now come to mechanics, which is often taught by the 

 physics master. A course of physics is an essential part ot 

 a liberal education ; it is almost safe to say that this fact is 

 recognised practically in public schools and probably still more 

 in other secondary schools. Mechanics always enter into a 

 physics course unless it have been delegated to the mathe- 

 matician ; the question is not whether or no mechanics shall 

 be taught but rather who shall teach it. 



A joint committee of the Mathematical Association and the 

 Association of Public Schools Science Masters recommended 

 in 1909 that " statics be begun in the lower part of the ' upper 

 school ' as a part of the regular mathematical teaching, i.e. it 

 should be taught by the mathematical master during mathe- 

 matical hours." It may be assumed that physics masters would 

 like to surrender mechanics to the mathematician, provided 

 they could be assured on one point — how will the course be 

 begun ? Unless the various laws of statics are induced from 

 experiment, the course is not likely to be of much service to 

 the average boy. The difficulty is that many mathematical 

 masters are unfamiliar with experimental methods ; but a keen 

 man can easily pick up enough to teach statics and he has now 

 the opportunity of attending the course specially designed for 

 mathematical masters held in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cam- 

 bridge during the summer holidays. If there is no mathematical 

 master available of the experimental turn of mind, mechanics 

 might be left to the physics master. But this would be the 

 case in few schools and there should be an increasing supply 

 of men capable of instructing in both mathematics and physics. 

 I am all in favour of amalgamating the mathematics and physics 

 staff. The physics or engineering man, if he be a competent 

 mathematician, will often be a better mathematical teacher 

 than the pure mathematician ; the latter will generally be 

 disinclined to regard his own subject as a tool : he may 

 treat it as self-contained, insular, having no foreign policy. 



