XVI. SOUTH AFEICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



the Tudor period. Henry VIII. founded ten grammar schools, 

 Edward VI. twenty-seven, Mary and Elizabeth between them thirty. 

 But, in addition to the famous old foundations, quite a number of 

 very successful public schools have been founded in England within 

 the last fifty or sixty years. Marlborough, founded in 184.3, may be 

 cited as a type of these latter. So that in talking about the possi- 

 bility of establishing schools in South Africa of the English public 

 school pattern we are not simply proposing to copy what the scornful 

 would call an effete type of the Middle Ages ; we are proceeding on 

 lines which, as a matter of fact, many of the most modern educa- 

 tionists still regard as the wisest and safest lines to follow. 



Sometimes it is argued that the whole question of higher 

 education should be left in abeyance until the elementary schools 

 have been placed on a satisfactory basis. To those who hold this 

 view it may be replied without much fear of contradiction that 

 primary education is only efficient in countries where university 

 education is widely developed. Thus Scotland, so long and 



honourably distinguished by its excellent schools, had four univer- 

 sities at a time when its population did not exceed the present 

 European population of South Africa, and we have not yet got one ; 

 the University of the Cape of Good Hope being mainly an examining 

 and degree-giving body. Forty years ago Prussia had seven 

 teaching universities, when England had only three ; and Germany 

 has as many more to-day, in addition to the various kinds of tech- 

 nical and other high schools which promote teaching and research 

 work of a university character. There are already several institu- 

 tions in South Africa entitled to rank in this category, but nearly all 

 of them are suffering from the backward condition of secondary 

 education, and have to form special classes for students who have not 

 yet passed the matriculation examination, and who, properly speak- 

 ing, ought still to be attending a secondary school. Should we, 

 then, postpone the establishment of one or more teaching universities 

 until secondary education has made greater progress ? I am con- 

 vinced that both undertakings should proceed simultaneously, and 

 I believe the experience of other countries will be found to confirm 

 the wisdom of this course. At the period of Prussia's history to 

 which I have just referred, there were 65,000 pupils in the public 

 higher schools, as against only 15,000 pupils receiving secondary 

 education in England ; but then the seven Prussian universities 

 had long been established, and the prosperous condition of the 

 secondary schools in that kingdom was directly attributable to the 

 influence of the universities in setting a high standard of leaving 

 examinations. 



In making these comparisons with older countries, we must bear 

 in mind the exceptional racial character of the population of South 

 Africa. I had intended saying something upon the question of 

 native education, but I have trespassed too long on your patience 

 already. I will only remind you that in the State-aided schools 

 of the Cape Colony more than half the children belong to the native 



