1 REPORT — 1855. 



least to appreciate science ; and when addressed to the real student, lectures 

 are useful aids, particularly in those departments which require experimental 

 illustrations *. 



On this subject, Professor Phillips, whose siiill and experience in imparting 

 oral instruction are so well known and aj)preciated, has forwarded to us the 

 following remarks. He observes, " that success in teaching depends not 

 merely, or even mainly, on the ability of the teacher : it is much more the 

 effect of his standing in the right relation to his audience. For conversational, 

 i. e. tutorial teaching, one class of mind, for public teaching of large au- 

 diences, another is required. Again, a teacher, whether by conversation or 

 lecture, must lead by short strings. You cannot explain the precession of 

 the equinoxes to a man who does not know what the rotation of the earth 



means University men should be employed for University work ; local 



men for local work. No man can take away from others the ignorance 

 which he has never felt, or sympathised with." 



The Professor then proceeds to urge the employment as teachers of per- 

 sons in the same grade of life as those to be taught. 



Sir Charles Lyell contrasts the state of Germany with that of this country 

 in reference to the teaching of physical science. He says, "that in the 

 former country, not only in cities where there are Universities, but almost 

 everywhere in places where there exists a school of considerable size for 

 boys under the usual university age, there is at least one teacher to be found 

 whose business it is specially to give instruction in natural philosophy and 

 history, and who has charge of a collection of natural objects. Frequently 

 these teachers are so much devoted to some one of the branches in which 

 they give instruction, as to be authors of original papers in scientific periodi- 

 cals. So far is this from being the case in England, that I have visited large 

 cities where there are richly endowed ecclesiastical establishments, where I 

 have in vain inquired for a single individual who is pursuing any one branch 

 of physical science or natural history. Hence it happens that if the towns- 

 people, assisted by some of the gentry and clergy of the neighbourhood, 

 establish a museum, they cannot obtain any scientific aid towards its arrange- 

 ment and superintendence." 



Sir Charles suggests that laymen should be almost invariably selected to 

 fill those Professorships which relate to the departments of science repre- 

 sented in our Association. He suggests also, that if provincial lectureships 

 should be established, five or six towns should be first selected, which have 

 exhibited their taste for scientific knowledge by the foundation of museums 

 and the appointment of curators, such as York and Bristol. The Govern- 

 ment might enter into an arrangement with the latter to double their 

 salaries, so as to secure to them a continuation of the local patronage 

 already afforded them, and prevent the new grant from becoming merely a 

 substitute for it. 



Mr. William Tite, M.P., observes : — " The practical course fo be adopted, 

 and which has, 1 believe, to some extent, been carried out by private efforts, 

 or the tardy intervention of the State, seems to me to consist, for instance, 

 in the formation of schools of mining in such places as Cornwall, &c. ; of 

 schools of arts and sciences in such places as Manchester, &c.; of schools of 

 navigation in Liverpool, &c. ; of agriculture in York, &c. Perhaps in all it 

 might be found advisable to found thirty schools or colleges of this descrip- 

 tion, with (it may be) on the average six professors in each. I would pro- 

 pose that these professors should only be appointed after a severe examina- 



* Mr. Ball suggests tliat, on the payment of a small fee, students should have the privi- 

 lege of using the Lecturer's apparatus, and making analyses and experiments. 



