186 Third Conference 



beyond this. The enormous extension of the science 

 group of subjects has not rendered it more easy to get 

 the work through in the limited time of a university 

 course; and in the school period so much time is given 

 to Greek, and especially Greek grammar, on the ground 

 that that has been hitherto thought to be almost the 

 only suitable subject on which to train the mind, that 

 little time has been available for getting in a ground- 

 work of natural science on which to proceed at the 

 university. A good deal of modification of curriculum 

 has taken place, it is true, but Greek is still at Oxford 

 a sine qua non for entrance into the university. I have 

 no authority for saying that this conference hopes 

 for the abolition of Greek; though I might urge it. 

 Many do not; but I will go so far as to say that the 

 form in which natural science and Nature-study is 

 now put forward has been so improved that this 

 conference may well accentuate this, and ask for less 

 Greek and more Nature-study or, as I should prefer, 

 ask for a definite system of parallel courses leading 

 up to different degrees at the university, when, of 

 course, Greek would be on the road to one degree, 

 Nature - study on the road to another. I might 

 definitely ask the conference to press forward the 

 contention that Nature-study may take up a position 

 for the start on a science course of equal value and 

 parallel to the position of Greek on the classical 

 course. There must be first secured adequate train- 

 ing of the mind in any case. We contend that Nature- 

 study does afford such training, and more. 



We conceive that Nature in her varied moods is 

 of high value for training the mind, and, in addition, 

 affords opportunity which shall result in quickening 



