CLASSICS IN SCHOOLS. 27I 



The first question that occurs to us in this connection is : What 

 is the present state of matters with regard to the study of Classics 

 in our schools ? and the second is : Can that state of matters be 

 regarded as in any way satisfactory ? 



Now, if by Classics we are to understand Greek as well as Latin, 

 I have no hesitation in stating that Greek may be looked upon as 

 a well-nigh negligible quantity, inasmuch as, with the exception 

 of perhaps two or three large schools, Greek can hardly be called 

 a class subject in our schools at all. 



In the Grey College School, at any rate, I have, as a rule, taught 

 Greek out of the ordinary school hours, for two reasons : (i) because 

 there were only a few pupils in each class who took the subject, 

 and (2) because I was only too glad to relieve in this manner an 

 already overcrowded time-table. 



I shall of course be delighted if the testimony of Classical teachers 

 throughout South Africa convicts me of error, but until this hap- 

 pens I shall take it that I am justified in stating that the study 

 of Greek in our Secondary Schools is unsatisfactory ; I do not say 

 as to quality, but as to quantity — i.e., on account of the small 

 number of those who take up the subject, and also on account of 

 the low standard of the Matriculation requirements for the subject. 

 For this reason, in the rest of this paper, my remarks will be con- 

 fined mainly to Latin. 



Now, as regards Latin, those of us who are acquainted with 

 education in South Africa are well aware that the study of this 

 subject in our secondary schools depends entirely on the condition 

 of entrance into the University. If in those conditions there is 

 any uncertainty or want of definiteness, this will lead unavoidably 

 to confusion and disorganisation in our schools. Unfortunately 

 the signs of such a want of a firm and definite policy on the part 

 of the various University authorities are only too conspicuous. 

 While in the Transvaal Technical College Latin is frankly optional 

 in Matriculation, the University of the Cape of Good Hope, though 

 having Latin as a compulsory subject, yet by certain clauses 

 exempts those from Latin who are qualifying for a certificate in 

 Land Surveying, Mining and Engineering. 



The effect of this divergence in the examination requirements is 

 that we have in our Matriculation classes three kinds of pupils : 

 (i) those who take Latin as an ordinary subject, (2) those who 

 leave the subject out altogether, and (3) those — and this is the 

 worst and most embarrassing kind — who take it uj) on the 

 off-chance of passing in it by some stroke of good luck, in which 

 case they will get the full Matriculation certificate, while,- in case 

 they fail in Latin, but manage without it to scrape together the 

 minimum required for a pass, they may still go in for the courses 

 for which exemption from Latin is granted. Now, as I know by 

 sad experience, the presence of such pupils in a class works like a 

 drag on the whole class, as far as the study of Latin is concerned. 

 There is, in my opinion, nothing that hampers the work of these 

 classes more than this want of homogeneousness and single- 

 heartedness among their members. 



The second question I want to ask is : What is the standard in 

 Classics, and more especially in Latin, required for candidates for 



