Sept. 29, 1887] 



NATURE 



519 



The return of passes in the scientific specific subjects on the 

 individual examination of children shows again an actual falling 

 off in the total, and either an actual or relative falling ofT in 

 every subject except Mechanics, A. The large increase in the 

 teaching of mechanics is due to the carrying out of the peripatetic 

 method of teaching it by the School Boards of Liverpool 

 Birmingham, Nottingham, and London. The figures are given 

 in the following table : — 



The rapid and serious decrease of attention paid to these 

 science subjects is shown by the percen'^age of children who 

 have passed as compared with the number of scholars that 

 might have taken these subjects, viz. : 



In 1882-83 

 „ 1883-84 

 „ 1884-85 

 „ 1885-86 



29*0 per cent. 

 26*0 ,, 

 22"6 ,, 



19"9 ,r 



and it must be remembered that when children have passed in 

 two of these subjects they count twice over. 



Of course a good deal of scientific instruction is given in 

 many elementary schools under the name of object-lessons, not 

 only in the infants', but also in the boys' and girls' departments ; 

 but this is neither examined 1 y Her Majesty's inspector, nor 

 encouraged by a grant except in the few cases where it comes in 

 as a class subject under the name of elementary science. These 

 object lessons are therefore very apt to be neglected. The same 

 remark applies in the case of pupil teachers. It may be worthy 

 of record that in the pupil-teachers' schools of the London Board 

 natural history and the principles of physics are taught systematic- 

 ally in the junior division, and this year an examination has 

 been held by the Boardinspectors, and certificates of proficiency 

 are to be awarded. 



The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the working 

 of the Education Acts of England and Wales issued their firot 

 Report in August last, from which it appears that two of the 

 points of inquiry bore directly upon the scope of this Committee. 

 The one was, " Elementary Science : to what extent can it be 

 taught in elementary schools?" The other, " Technical Instruc- 

 tion : as grants are made in girls' schools for needlework, why 

 not for mechanical drawing and handicraft in boys' schools ? " 

 Another instalment of the evidence was issued in June last. 



With reference to the first-named subject of inquiry, Her 

 Majesty's inspectors and others who were examined appear 

 not only of opinion that elementary science is of importance, 

 but some maintain, with Matthew Arnold, that '' Naturkunde 

 should be a necessary part of the programme." Most of them 

 agree with the view expressed by this Committee, that the 

 ab. olute preference given to English as a class subject should be 

 abolished, and the choice thrown perfectly open. 



With reference to the second subject of inquiry, the evidence 

 of Sir Philip Magnus, Dr. Crosskey, Mr. Hance (Clerk to the 

 Liverpool School Board), and others is distinctly in favour of it, 

 showing that it is both desirable and practicable. 



It appeared to your Committee that the British Association 

 should contribute its views on these subjects to the Royal Com- 



mission, and they accordingly passed a resolution to that effect. 

 This met with the approval of the Council. Two of the members 

 of the Committee have since given evidence. The Rev. Dr. 

 Crosskey enforced strongly the importance of elementary science 

 and technical instruction, and more recently Sir Henry Roscoe, 

 as the mouth-piece of the Committee, presented a series of the 

 reports of this Committee and a memorial emphasizing the two 

 points of special importance, viz. as to the absolute preference 

 given to English, and as to the want of provision for insuring 

 the instruction of pupil-teachers irr any kind of elementary 

 science. The memorial also repeated their approval of the 

 recommendation of the Royal Commission on Technical Instruc- 

 tion, " That proficiency in the use of tools for working in wood 

 and iron be paid for as a sj>ecific subject, arranT;ements being 

 made for the work being done, as far as practicable, out of school 

 hours. That special grants be made to .schools in aid of collec- 

 tions of natural objects, casts, drawings, &c., suitable for school 

 museums.' 



An important meeting of gentlemen interested in popular 

 education was held at the house of Mr. George Dixon, at Bir- 

 mingham, last November, at which some of your Committee 

 were present. This has led to several courses of action. The 

 resolutions come to at this meeting w ere adopted in the follow- 

 ing form by the School Board for Birmingham : — 



I. That it is desirable that an enabling Bill should be intro- 

 duced into Parliament to give School Boards power to provide 

 and maintain schools in connexion with the Science and Art 

 Department, in which a course of instruction extending over a 

 period not exceeding three years may be given in accordance 

 with its regulations, such schools to be open only to scholars 

 who have passed the sixth standard in public elementary 

 schools. 



IL That in Article 113 of the Code of Regulations of the 

 Education Department, affecting evening schools. Paragraphs- 

 IV., v., and VII. of subsection (b) should be omitted. These 

 paragraphs read thus : — " IV. No scholar may be presented for 

 examination in the additional subjects alone. V. No scholar 

 may be presented for examination in more than two of the addi- 

 tional subjects. VII. Scholars presented for examination in the 

 third or fourth standard, if they take one additional subject, must 

 take English ; if they take two, the second subject must be 

 drawing, geography, or elementary science." 



III. That the words in Article 13 of the Code of Regulations 

 of the Education Department, which exclude scholars who have 

 passed the seventh standard from the number of grant-earning 

 scholars, and also the words in the Instructions to Her Majesty's 

 Inspectors which bear on this part of the said article of the Code^ 

 should be expunged. 



These were afterwards brought before the Education Depart- 

 ment on December 14 by a deputation of the Binningham^ 

 Leicester, and Nottingham Boards, which was unofficially 

 joined by members of the London Board. Two Bills have been 

 brought into Parliament, and have passed their first reading. The 

 one introduced by Sir Henry Roscoe relates to technical educa- 

 tion (day schools), and embodies the substance of the above 

 resolution, No. I. The other is introduced by Prof. Stuart, and 

 relates exclusively to evening continuation schools, embodying 

 the substance of Resolution No. II. Sir Richard Temple, the 

 Vice-Chairman of the London School Board, also propounded 

 a scheme by which technical and commercial instruction might 

 be given in Board schools. Quite recently the Government 

 have brought in a Bill dealing with the same subject, which has- 

 been read the first time. ^ 



In consequence of the Government having given notice of 

 their intention to introduce such a Bill this session, Mr. George 

 Howell withdrew the resolution of which he had previously given 

 notice — " That in the opinion of this House it is essential to the 

 maintenance and development of our manufacturing and agri- 

 cultural industries, in view of the rapidly incre.ising competition 

 of other nations, both at home and abroad, and in consequence 

 of the almost universal abandonment of the system of apprentice- 

 ship, that our nr.tional scheme of education should be so widened 

 as to bring technical instruction, the teaching of the natural 

 sciences, and manual training within the reach of the working 

 classes throughout the country." 



The Brighton School Boaid has opened an "Organized Science 

 School," under the sanction of the Science and Art Department ; 



'This Bill of Sir Wm. Hart Dyke was read a second time with Kttle op- 

 position, though with some suggestions of amendment ; but it had to be 

 abandoned on Aagust 18, on account of press of business. 



