NA TURE 



117 



THURSDAY, JUNE S, 1879 



SCIENCE TEACHING IN LONDON BOARD 

 SCHOOLS 



T T was a fortunate circumstance that at each of the three 

 i elections of the School Board for London science has 

 been represented. On the first occasion Marylebone gave 

 Prof. Huxley a seat at the board, and at the second and 

 third elections Chelsea has sent Dr. Gladstone as one of its 

 representatives. To the former was due, in great measure, 

 the Code of Regulations in which the subjects of instruc- 

 tion were laid down. To the latter has fallen the task of 

 bringing them into a systematic and practical form. The 

 Committee, of which Prof. Huxley was the chairman, de- 

 termined that there must be given, in infant schools, 

 " object lessons of a simple character, with some such 

 exercise of the hands and eyes as is given in the Kinder- 

 garten system " ; and in boys' and girls' schools, " sys- 

 tematised object lessons embracing in the six school years 

 a course of elementary instruction in physical science, and 

 serving as an introduction to the science examinations 

 which are conducted by the Science and Art Depart- 

 ment." The time-tables of all the schools under the 

 Board are made to conform to these requirements ; the 

 walls of the class-rooms are hung with illustrations in 

 natural history and other diagrams ; and in many of the 

 schools boxes of objects are also to be found. Many of 

 the teachers, especially those trained by the Home and 

 Colonial Society, endeavour to carry out the regulations 

 as fully as practicable; but hitherto the scheme has 

 worked very irregularly, and there has generally occurred 

 a break of continuity on the children passing from the 

 infants' departments to the upper schools. The Board's 

 Inspectors, who are required to report in all cases on 

 object teaching, have often had to bear testimony to this 

 defect. 



In November last the Store Sub-Committee, of which 

 Dr. Gladstone is chairman, prepared a systematic scheme 

 to supply the deficiencies of the former regulations, which 

 has been adopted by the Board. The syllabus is as 

 follows : — 



In/anti' School {Non-Standa>d Childreii). 

 Aim.— To develop in the children's minds an interest 

 in the things round and about them ; to teach the use of 

 all the senses, and form habits of observation ; to im- 

 part a correct knowledge of the commonest things ; to 

 increase the infants' vocabulary and power of expressing 

 themselves. 



Subjects of histrtiction. — Objects illustrative of the 

 three kingdoms of nature — animals, plants, and minerals 

 especially such as the children meet with commonly in 

 their ordinary life. The different parts, qualities, and 

 uses of these objects. 



iWiTrt^AS-.— Diagrams; objects procured by the teacher 

 or supplied from the store, and a small case of apparatus 

 to enable the teacher to perform the simplest operations 

 necessary to illustrate the properties of the objects. 

 Children are to be encouraged to bring the needful 

 objects both in this and subsequent stages. 

 Vol. XX. — No. 501 



Standard I. 



^i,„^ — To carry on the previous training, leading also. 



to the exercise of the judgment, in showing the relations 



of the different parts of bodies, and how their different 



qualities fit them for the uses to which they are applied. 



Subjects of Instruction.— K somewhat more extended 

 series of objects, with fuller information a? to the quali- 

 ties, uses, and history of common things. ■, ^ 



Means. — Diagrams of animated nature, &jc., classified 

 — small cabinet of objects, classified for purpose of com- 

 parison, with simple apparatus as before. 

 Standards II. and III. 

 Aim. — To lead up from the previous training to the 

 "specific subjects" of the Code. 



Subjects of Itistruction. — Series of objects illustrating 

 the most important manufactures. Geographical distribu- 

 tion of products and means of procuring them. Objects 

 for teaching the fundamental notions of matter and force. 

 Means. — Diagrams — same small cabinet as before- 

 Loan collections of objects tracing the raw material to the 

 final product (such as cotton, flax, silk, leather, wool, iron^ 



and clay). 



Standards IV. to VL 



Aim. — To teach the "specific subjects" of the Code. 



Subjects of Instruction. — One at least of the following: — 



Mechanics. Taught by diagrams and working models (on 



loan). 

 Physiology. ditto models (on loan). 



Physical Geography, ditto maps and experi- 



ment. 

 Botany. ditto specimens and mo- 



dels. 

 Domestic Economy, ditto demonstrations and 



experiment. 

 The practical instruction which, during such a course 

 as the above, will be imparted to the children, is alto- 

 gether in advance of what is contemplated by the new 

 code of the Education Department. The Government have 

 provided that an annual grant of 4J-. per subject be given 

 for every scholar in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Standards 

 passing in not more than two of these "specific subjects;" 

 but they give no grant for any of the preliminary teaching 

 which under this scheme is intended to lead up to these 

 studies. This defect in the scheme has been brought 

 before the notice of Parliament year after year by Sir 

 John Lubbock. The London School Board has there- 

 fore decided, on the motion of the Hon. George Brodrick, 

 that an application should be made to the Education 

 Department to get the teaching of the elements of natural 

 science included among the recognised subjects of class 

 examination— history, geography, and grammar; and a 

 deputation will shortly wait upon the Lord President of 

 the Council with that object. 



This will manifestly be a step of very prime importance 

 not only to the School Board for London, but to all those 

 in the Provinces, and to the cause of education in general, 

 as the possibility of thus obtaining a grant tor the teaching 

 in the lower standards will be the most effective stimulus 

 that can be applied. Whatever, however, may be the 

 result of this application, the London Board will not 

 be deterred from fully carrying out the programme 

 they have set themselves ; and they have prepared a 

 circular of instructions to their teachers, full of ex 

 cellent and valuable suggestions, which is to be 



