510 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



work of the modern side ought to be much the higher, but it is always 

 badly done because the atmosphere is altogether bad. 



It may be said that I am only destructive in my criticism of public 

 schools. I think it will be found that I am also constructive, although 

 I acknowledge that my sketch needs much filling in. "Well, can much 

 more be done in an address lasting one hour ? I will now try my hand 

 at a little filling in. I have no objection to the existence of classical 

 schools something like the present for boys who are fond of classics. 

 The average boy will not be asked to attend such a school. I feel sure 

 that much greater attention ought to be paid to the teaching of English 

 composition, to English poetry and prose, and to English subjects gen- 

 erally. I also feel sure that much attention ought to be paid to natural 

 science. And surely it can do no good for the classical masters to go 

 on sneering at natural science subjects and calling them "stinks" as 

 they do now. 



I want, however, to speak more particularly of a much higher kind 

 of school, which will educate the boy usually called clever and also the 

 boy usually called stupid. As I have already remarked, I think that 

 these names may sometimes be redistributed. 



The school is one for boys from eleven to sixteen years of age. It 

 ought in no way to be connected with any classical school. English 

 subjects will predominate, but teaching in Latin and Greek and modern 

 languages and other alternative subjects will be provided, although they 

 will not be forced upon any boy. The masters who teach English ought 

 to know enough Latin and Greek and Celtic and Old English and mod- 

 ern languages to be able to illustrate the derivation of English words 

 through their roots. And they must be well read in English subjects and 

 fond of English literature. They will make the boys fond of reading Eng- 

 lish, and encourage them to find out what they like best. Some boys will 

 take to history and philosophy, some to poetry and imaginative litera- 

 ture. Every boy ought to get the best chance of developing his facul- 

 ties. It may be asked — if we can not make the average boy spend or 

 waste twelve hours a week on Latin, what are we to do with him ? At 

 all events, now, we keep him doing something, even if it is only marking 

 time. My answer is, you think only of his putting in time ; well, then, 

 let him put in his time at work that interests him; any work of that kind 

 must be educative under an intelligent master who can help him in his 

 studies if it induces him to look up information for himself. Thus, 

 when reading travels or history, he will use the globe and raised maps 

 and read geography, and hunt up plans of battlefields. Think of the 

 things that a boy used to be punished for doing, and let him do those 

 things under wise direction. I used to be punished for reading Scott 

 and Cooper. Nowadays prizes are given to boys for their knowledge of 

 Ivanhoe or Quentin Durward. Expand this into a system. A boy who 

 loves to browse over Chambers' English literature ought to be guided 



