838 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION I. 



metrical calculation in a few days in order to qualify himself 

 for the position of mate, sought the assistance of a private 

 teacher, who hoped to be able to let him see clearly the use 

 of logarithms and simple formulae, but was staggered on 

 finding his pupil ignorant of the process of simple subtraction. 

 Not only to technical school students, but to all who grow up 

 to be men and women, the knowledge acquired in primary 

 schools will be found of great value. Those who become 

 medical students will enter upon their professional training 

 much more intelligently through having already gained a 

 preliminary acquaintance with anatomy and physiology. 

 Those who become agriculturists or horticulturists will find 

 what they already know of physics, chemistry, and biology 

 of great advantage ; and even in the absence of teachers 

 they will be able by the aid of books, with observation and 

 experiment, to make headway in acquiring more knowledge 

 as they find it needful. Even those who become tradesmen, 

 without a previous training in technical schools, will be found 

 much more efficient through having had a good primary 

 school training before apprenticeship. Those, too, who join 

 the ranks of what is commonly called unskilled labour, will 

 be found more efficient labourers through having learned 

 something of mechanism and statics. It is not uncommon 

 to find strong men, ignorant of the properties of the lever, 

 spending their strength to little purpose by applying it near 

 the fulcrum. But it is unnecessary to enumerate in detail 

 all the advantages that might be expected from the elements 

 of science being taught effectively in primary schools. I 

 will only add that housewives and domestic servants would 

 be more likely, with a knowledge of hygiene, to keep their 

 houses wholesome, and to cook better dinners after having 

 learned the chemistry of the kitchen. Also that mothers, 

 who know something of physiology, would be less likely to 

 make such mistakes as are now only too common in the 

 feeding and clothing of children. 



Having thus roughly sketched what is desirable, and ought 

 to be found practicable, with regard to science in primary 

 schools, I feel it incumbent on me to give an account of what 

 we are doing in that direction in Tasmania. But I enter on 

 this part of my paper with a considerable degree of reluc- 

 tance. The account to be given is not a cheerful one ; and 

 no one likes to incur the obloquy commonly thrown upon an 

 " ill bird.' 



The great majority of primary schools in Tasmania are 



