MR. PEASE'S OPENING ADDRESS 235 



to say that we have now 230 of these institutions in our 

 country which are doing most, beneficial work. We are 

 also endeavouring through the schoolmasters, through the 

 directors of education, and through the local education 

 authorities, to interest the whole of the rising generation 

 in this subject in perhaps the best possible form. I have 

 here a circular, of which I may be allowed to read, perhaps, 

 three paragraphs, which we have issued to all the local 

 education authorities: 'The Board are anxious to direct 

 the attention of members of local education authorities, 

 of managers, and of teachers of public elementary schools 

 throughout England and Wales to the great importance 

 of increasing and improving the present inadequate pro- 

 vision in our schools for instructing girls in the care and 

 management of infants. ... If girls and women could 

 be taught how to take care of infants we might hope to 

 diminish not only the high rate of infant mortality, but 

 also the large amount of unnecessary ill-health and physical 

 suffering caused by neglect in infancy and childhood. Edu- 

 cation is concerned with the bodies as well as the minds 

 of the scholars, and a practical knowledge of the common 

 conditions which affect health and physical efficiency is as 

 necessary a part of the purposes of a school education 

 as intellectual attainment. Some such teaching ought 

 certainly to be provided for girls by the local education 

 authority." And we end our circular to all these school 

 authorities throughout England and Wales in these 

 words: "This teaching in infant management should 

 be available for all girls during their last year (at least) 

 in the elementary schools. Girls who are dull and back- 

 ward in their ordinary school lessons will often respond 

 to teaching of this kind in a remarkable way, and thus not 

 only will they enjoy and profit by the lesson itself, but the 

 mere fact of discovering that in this respect they are equal 

 to, or even better than, girls whom they have been accus- 

 tomed to regard as superior to them in all ways, will fre- 

 quently exert a most happy and beneficial effect upon their 

 general intelligence. They will learn, with their brighter 

 comrades, that intellectual attainment is not the only issue 

 of true education, and that in learning the art and practice 

 of infant care they are helping to secure for themselves 

 their true place in the future of the State." Well, I wish, 

 if I may, in conclusion, to pay my tribute to the voluntary 

 workers of this country who help our education authorities. 

 It is mainly done by women who are not seeking any 

 notoriety for themselves, but for love of the children be- 

 come members of after-care committees in connection with 



