THE SCIENCE OF EDUCATION 515 



a few of the older pupils at such schools should as external students be ex- 

 amined for degrees by distant universities, which in such a case, are merely 

 outside examining bodies. I can see the gradual increase in impor- 

 tance of such secondary schools leading to the establishment of some- 

 thing higher — namely, colleges of university rank — and I can see such 

 affiliated colleges becoming universities themselves perhaps after a 

 period in which two or more of them federated themselves as universi- 

 ties. But I say that there ought always to be some examination ma- 

 chinery by which a student who is too poor or who through any other 

 circumstance is unable to attend a university college may be encour- 

 aged to study by himself, by having his attainments tested. 



In this address I have said nothing about the education of women. 

 I have always advocated higher education for girls, but it is surely 

 wicked to teach girls as if they were boys. Men are concentrative, and 

 they specialize ; women observe more and more about many things, and 

 they really have more capacity for acquiring mental power. Until quite 

 recently girls were saved from stupidity, but the high schools are now 

 giving a crammed knowledge of facts and of the opinions of the tribe, 

 so that girls and women are ceasing to think for themselves. The edu- 

 cation of men is in a bad way, but that of women is becoming much 

 worse. 



I think that in this address I have put forward no idea that I have 

 not already published time after time in the last thirty-five years. I 

 put these views forward again because, after much thought and much 

 experience, I still think them to be correct, and I feel sure that they 

 must prevail. But I must confess that it is only a very hopeful man who 

 can peg away at a thankless task as Dr. Armstrong and I have been 

 doing so long. 



