PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION D. 51 



environment, of industrial conditions, of language, and of future 

 vocation, all is wrong. The essence of education is variety 

 and individuality. A child, a school, an inspector's circuit, a 

 school board district, and a province, should have individuality, 

 real and vital; and should guard and develop it. Rigid unifor- 

 mity of method and of organisation may be appropriate to some 

 state functions, but it is the death-knell of sound education. 



Having this warning in mind, we must first consider how 

 far the ceneral authority should control the character and form 

 of the education given in the schools. Its first duty would be 

 to define clearly what may be expected from the primary school 

 course, and what from the secondary school course, and in the 

 term secondary school I include technical as well as general 

 institutions ; it would also decide the delicate question of the 

 relation between the two. This would involve prescribing the 

 subjects to be taught and the ground to be covered at the two 

 stages. How far the central authority should develop detailed 

 curricula in the various subjects, is an important point, and one 

 about which there is considerable difference of opinion, even 

 among those who profess education. On the one hand, there 

 is the view that requirements should be laid down in detail by 

 the central authority, and should be generally adhered to ; while, 

 on the other hand, there are the advocates of freedom for the 

 individual teacher to develop the details of his own course. 

 There is no doubt that such freedom is a desirable thing in 

 itself, because it stimulates professional interest, and because it 

 leads to that variety whose importance has just been emphasised. 

 One must keep one's feet on the facts, however, and it is un- 

 questionable that full and final responsibility for the develop- 

 ment of curricula cannot with safety be left to individual teachers. 

 In many cases their professional capacity and experience are 

 low, and in most cases a broad and just estimate of educational 

 values cannot be expected. It is certain that for a considerable 

 time to come, responsibility for the organisation of curricula 

 would rest with the central authority. In order, however, to 

 encourage professional initiative, the practice of recognising 

 schools as eligible to submit alternative curricula might be intro- 

 duced from the first. 



It is important to remember also that the primary course 

 must of necessity be to a large extent the same for all. It deals 

 mainly with essential instruments of knowledge and intercourse, 

 such as reading, writing, and computation, and requirements here 

 are clearly defined by experience and tradition. As regards 

 formative subjects, such as religious and moral instruction, 

 geography and nature study, history and the elements of citizen- 

 ship, a certain amount of latitude with regard to choice of sub- 

 ject-matter could be permitted. The secondary course would 

 present far greater variety. What we might call the general 

 cultural form of secondary education which aims at matricula- 

 tion, would of necessity follow well-marked lines ; though, within 



