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A WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



' ' To the solid ground 

 Of Nature trusts the mind which builds for aye." — Wordsworth. 



THURSDAY, MAY 2, iJ 



THE NEW CODE AND SCIENCE TEACHING. 



THE new Code of the Education Department ^ is now 

 lying on the table of the House of Commons, and 

 never, since the famous proposals of Mr. Mundella, has 

 there been so much stir among those interested in primary 

 instruction as at the present moment. The reason is not 

 far to seek. For some years a Royal Commission has 

 been sitting and taking evidence, and it has produced 

 several bulky Blue-books during the course of the past 

 year. It was known that the Commission was divided 

 into a majority and minority who were strongly opposed 

 to one another on certain questions of policy. This has 

 found expression in lengthy reports and contradictory 

 recommendations ; but, to the satisfaction, if not to the 

 surprise, of educationists it is found that on purely edu- 

 cational matters there is an almost perfect unanimity 

 between the two sections. It was therefore a matter of 

 deep interest to see how, and to what extent, these 

 recommendations, signed by every member of the Com- 

 mission, would be embodied in the proposed Code 

 of 1889. 



At the outset it may be well to remar'i that there are 

 several alterations in this Code which are almost uni- 

 versally allowed to be improvements. But it is conceived 

 in a spirit of compromise, and perhaps no party is entirely 

 satisfied with it. The only point we have to consider is 

 the aspect of the Code towards the teaching of natural 

 science. 



It may be convenient to group our observations under 

 different headings. 



I. The direct changes proposed in the teaching of 

 science. These are almost confined to one or two modi- 

 fications in the geographical schedule, and to a provision 

 that " Scholars of any public elementary school may 

 attend science classes held at any place approved by the 

 inspectors." This may be very useful in towns, espe- 

 cially as it will admit of the formation of central 



' "Code of Regulations, with Schedules, by the Right Honourable the 

 Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council on Education." (Eyre and 

 Spottiswoode ) 



Vol. XL.— No. 1018. 



laboratories or work-rooms similar to the present 

 cookery centres. 



II. The proposed changes which will tend to facilitate 

 the teaching of science. There are four subjects of in- 

 struction which are termed '• class-subjects " : English 

 (including grammar, composition, and repetition of poetry), 

 Geography, Elementary Science (a progressive course of 

 object-lessons), and History ; together with Needle-work 

 for girls. Only two of these class-subjects can be taken 

 for examination, and, under the old Code, " English " 

 must necessarily be one of those chosen. The conse- 

 quence of this is, that " Elementary Science " has never 

 got a footing in our schools, for even where two class- 

 subjects are taken, they are nearly always English and 

 Geography, or English and Needle-work. The supre- 

 macy of English is now to be put an end to, so that any 

 teacher may now take Elementary Science, if he or she 

 should prefer it, and earn a grant. 



The enormous waste of time and patience in making 

 little children, even in our infant-schools, learn the spell- 

 ing of common words, is to be reduced. The inspector 

 is to give no dictation exercises to boys and girls under 

 the second standard. This will give more time for 

 object-lessons and other valuable modes of instruction. 



Some relaxation of the literary requirements are also 

 made in the case of evening schools. 



The present system of payment by results is to be so 

 modified that the cramming in the three R.'s will not be 

 so profitable, and there will be more chance for intelligent 

 teaching. One of the matters also to be taken into 

 account by the inspector in assessing a school, is the 

 provision of " apparatus," though this need not necessarily 

 have anything to do with what scientific men would call 

 by that name. 



These proposed changes are in the right direction, but 

 the value of many of them will largely depend upon how 

 they are understood. There is a singular want of clear- 

 ness in some of the clauses. The annual " Instructions 

 to inspectors " have not been yet drawn up, and indeed it 

 is very improbable that they will make their appearance 

 until after the Code has become law. It is quite possible 

 to take away with one hand what is given with the other. 

 The present agitation is therefore of great importance 



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