158 presibent's address — section e. 



As regards its suitability as a school subject, Mr. B. C Wallis 

 writes^* " For breadth of outlook, for intimate relation with the 

 palpitating human life which surrounds the pupil, for an insight 

 into the wonder-world of inanimate and animate objects, no school 

 subject can compete with geography." 



For the jjrcper teaching of this modern geography in schools 

 the instructors should have covered a much wider range than they 

 themselves seek to teach. It has been writtenf in the- United 

 States : " It OiUglit to be illegal for a teacher to conduct classes of 

 students through the principles of the^ subject witho^ut having had 

 advanced instruction in university or college courses." 



In Australia, though the universities have not in the past pro- 

 vided a training ground in this subject for the teachers, we have 

 long taught geography as a school subject. It is no' wonder that the 

 modern advances in the science of geography have not been fully 

 realized in the schools. 



Wallis remarks J that " geographical insight and outlook are 

 so important to the cultured mind that the absolute minimum of 

 geographical study should carry the pupil to a coimplete, thorough, 

 systematic geographical survey of the whole world." This will, no 

 doubt, be widely conceded, but the question of introducing addi- 

 tional subjects into already overcrowded curricula has toi be faced. 



As Professor J. W. Gregory, § when occupying this Chair some 

 eighteen years ago, said : ' ' The educational problem that is now 

 pressing upon us is the selection of the subjects which are O'f the 

 most educational value." 



The editor cf thei Camhriihje lldtulhool-^ for Tcnrhers\\ has said 

 that " the place of each separate subject in the curriculum has to 

 be justified. Attempts are being made^ to find more rational and 

 more scientific reasons than mere traditio'ii for the order in which, 

 and the methods by which the various paits of a subject should be 

 taught, what parts should be included, and what omitted, and the 

 grounds for their inclusion and omission." 



Changes are slowly progressing in our university curricula in 

 the right direction, and we can confidently look forward toi the 

 value of geographic knowledge becoming more fully recognised. 



Ill passing, it is interesting to^ note that Professor R. D. Salis- 

 bury, in regard to improved curricula, says:1| — What would be the 

 resvilt if those who are interested in education could come de novo 

 to the question of the content of an ideal curriculum of study. It 

 probably is safe to say that one of the results would be a shock to 



* "The Teaehins of rif-qgiaphy," Cambridge Press, 1016. 



t See I. Bowman in "The Trend of Jlodera Geography" by G. B. Roorbach, he cit. 



I The Teaching of Geography, p 126. 



§ Pres. Address, A.A.A.8., Section K., 1903. 



II See S. S. F. Fletcher, p. VI., " The Teaching of Geograpliy" bv B. C. Wallis. 

 H Geology in Education. Science, N.S., 47, p. -325-3.35. 



