XVII TECHNICAL EDUCATION 433 



ject in the world subservient to an introduction to 

 the principles and greater truths of natural know- 

 ledge. It is in that way that your science must be 

 taught if it is to be of real service. Do not suppose 

 any amount of book work, any repetition by rote of 

 catechisms and other abominations of that kind 

 are of value for our object. That is mere wasting 

 of time. But take the commonest object and lead 

 the child from that foundation to such truths of a 

 higher order as may be within his grasp. With 

 regard to drawing, I do not think there is any 

 practical difficulty ; but in respect to the scientific 

 object lessons you want teachers trained in a man- 

 ner different from that which now prevails. 



If it is found practicable to add further training 

 of the hand and eye by instruction in modelling or 

 in simple carpentry, well and good. But I should 

 stop at this point. The elementary schools are 

 already charged with quite as much as they can 

 do properly ; and I do not believe that any good 

 can come of burdening them with special tech- 

 nical instruction. Out of that, I think, harm would 

 come. 



Now let me pass to my second point, which is the 

 development of technical skill. Everybody here is 

 aware that at this present moment there is hardly 

 a branch of trade or of commerce which does not 

 depend, more or less directly, upon some depart- 

 ment or other of physical science, which does not 

 involve, for its successful pursuit, reasoning from 



