l'Ki:Sll)iiNTlAL ADUKliSS — SECTION D. 85 



been considcral^le discussion as to the advisability of a uniform 

 elenientary school curriculum for the whole Union. 



There is, 1 think, a ureat deal more to be said for more 

 flexibility in this res])ect. and for adapting the school course to 

 the environment of the ])U])ils with a special vocational bias, 

 from the lower standards upwards. To illustrate this point. A 

 school at the sea-coast, say at Alnizenberg. where there is a 

 marine station, could utilise the enxironment for interesting the 

 puj)ils in marine zoology. Another country school could easily 

 familiarize its pupils with the insects of the neighbourhood, 

 which have jjroved to be either beneficial or harmful. May 1 

 throw out the suggestion that our scientitic men should arrange 

 for a series of elementary text-books suitable for the lower 

 standards in our schools? Indeed, a great deal of elementary but 

 accurate information on local botany and zoology can be im- 

 parted through ordinary " school readers." Perhaps this Asso- 

 ciation might take this matter into consideration. We know 

 how much has already been achieved in botanical study through 

 the fact that most High Schools for Girls make a speciality of 

 botany in the Matriculation course. To-day we owe the excel- 

 lent work of lady experts in the (Government service and in 

 the University colleges to this fact. 



But w'hy begin and end with botan}' ? Zoology others as 

 engrossing a sphere of investigation. Why should not a school 

 on the coabt take it up as regards marine animals? Take, again, 

 the question of the de\eIopment of electrical energy from water 

 |X)wer. There is no doubt of an enormous de\elopment in the 

 future along this line throughout the world. In the South of 

 France, owing to the shortness of coal during the present war, 

 numerous munition factories have spnmg up at the base of the 

 French Alps, and incredible quantities of shells are manufac- 

 tured by power derived from the glaciers, to which the French 

 point with pride as their " white coal." It may be argued that 

 in this country there is not much potential energy in our streams. 

 There are, however, districts where this is available, such as the 

 Knysna, the Transkei, the Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester dis- 

 tricts ; and there is the water power of every irrigation settle- 

 ment. There are portions of the Free State along the Drakens- 

 berg. and of Natal, and of the Northern Transvaal. There are 

 parts of Switzerland where small farmers have their own electric 

 installations : the same is the case, T believe, in Norwa}-. Is it 

 not ])ossi1>le that the school course at stich jjlaces shall bear 

 as much as ]x>ssible in this direction? 



Closely connected with the c|uestion of industrial instruc- 

 tion is that of bri)igin(/ vz'cry child of school-going age into the 

 school. The task is not so sim])le even in the case of large 

 centres. Take this as the experience of the Cape Division School 

 Board. In 1906. when the Board came into existence, we found 

 6.754 children in the schools, and for the most part in unsuit- 

 able buildings : the average number of ]jupils for the quarter 

 ending Ueceml)er 31, 1<;|6, was 15.602. At the ])resent moment 



