35^ Report S.A.A. Advance.men r of Science. 



chemistry, as instanced li\ the manufacture ot aniline dyes and many 

 other vahiable products, coal-tar. the manufacture of pottery of the 

 finer kinds, and the manufacture of optical j;lass. all owing in a great 

 measure to the deficiency of the educational .system in England. 

 Summing uj) the evidence the Committee stated that they were con- 

 vinced that the main cause of our relative failure in the chemical and 

 optical iiKkistries were : - 



1. The lack of scientific training of the manufacturers them- 



selves, and their consequent inabilitv to recognise the 

 importance of scientific assistance. 



2. The defective condition of our secondarv education. 



',. The lack of a sufficient supply of young men trained in 

 scientific principles and methods, and the a])plication of 

 science to particular industrial processes. 

 4. The lack of anv Institution prcniding advanced techno- 

 logical training which is sufficiently endowed to enal)le it: 

 to give an equal attention to poor graduates and varied 

 work. 

 The ('(jmmittee further stated that the curriculum ha.s been so 

 hampered by the exigencies of examining authorities, and examina- 

 tions, that the teacher had been compelled to devote undue atten- 

 tion to storing the minds of the students with facts for reproduction, 

 at the expense of the time which should be devoted to stimulating 

 their reflective powers, and making them think. The cause of the 

 want of vitality in our scientific industries is due to the defect in 

 secondary education and the lack of adequate provision for training 

 and research. 



The fliplomatic and consular rejjoris jjublished from time to 

 time by the Foreign Office estimate the whole value of German che- 

 mical industries at not less than fifty millions sterling per annum, 

 and that these have sprung up chiefly m the last thirty years, and 

 that they are largely founded upon basic discoveries made by English 

 chemists, and that the reason they were n(jt taken advantage of in 

 England was due to the want of education among our .so called 

 educated classes, and also among the workmen upon whom th<jse 

 dei)end. The terms of this repoort must cause serious reflection — 

 the whole of our .system of education wants correction. Too much 

 stress is laid upon mechanical memorj- and the answer of ])reconcerted 

 questions. The first thing should be to encourage the child's power 

 of observation and of forming jufigments, to teach him to get to 

 the bottom of things and never to be .satisfied with sui)erficial know- 

 ledge and the mere an.swering of parrot questions ; care should l)e 

 taken. To ground him in sound knowledge of principles and habits 

 of careful exactness in his work, then to develop independent thought 

 and action, by which he can later further advance his knowledge in 

 any special l)ranch. having made himself acquainted with the most 

 detailed information available of the jtarticular profession he is about 

 to take up. All that can i>e done in the educatirmal institution is 

 to impart a thorough grounding in the principles of science and theii 

 logical application. The specialization must come later. All the 



