46 



NATURE 



[September 20, 1917 



trusted that the Board would see that the necessary 

 reforms were carried out ; yet nearly six years have 

 elapsed since this second report was published 

 before anything in the nature of effective 

 measures is taken, due, doubtless, to the energy 

 and enterprise which Mr. Fisher is bringing to 

 his arduous task. It is true that in July, 1914, 

 a circular was issued, No. 849, giving effect to 

 many of the recommendations of the Consulta- 

 tive Committee and inviting criticism and sug- 

 gestions thereon, but leaving the important 

 matter of finance undecided. The Board, how- 

 ever, announced in a later circular, No. 933, 

 issued in December, 191 5, that, in view of the 

 situation caused by the war, its proposals em- 

 bodied in Circular 849, in so far as they would 

 involve expenditure by the Board, must remain 

 in abeyance, which meant the virtual withdrawal 

 of the proposals for reform. 



Recently, however, under the aegis of the present 

 President of the Board of Education, we have 

 the issue of Circular 996, in which the Board 

 definitely stated that It would bring into actual 

 operation, with due financial arrangements, its 

 scheme of July, 1914, Circular 894, on August i, 

 and that from that date the Board would 

 undertake the functions and responsibilities of 

 a co-ordinating authority for secondary-school 

 examinations with the assistance of a body of 

 persons to be called "The Secondary-School 

 Examinations Council." The circular stated that 

 the council would be comprised of nine repre- 

 sentatives of the various university examin- 

 ing boards, four of the local authorities, four of 

 the Teachers' Registration Council, and one of 

 the standing committee which, it was proposed, 

 should be formed from the various professional 

 bodies, with a suggestion that the number might 

 be increased by representatives of other standing 

 committees, such as the chambers of commerce, 

 interested in the council's work. The Board 

 itself will be represented at the council meetings 

 by such of its officers as it may choose to appoint 

 to attend as assessors, who will have the right 

 to speak, but not to vote. 



This circular marks an important step in the 

 endeavour to bring order into the chaos which 

 now besets and gravely hinders the work of the 

 secondary school in respect of the numerous and 

 often conflicting external examinations to which 

 its pupils are subject in the endeavour to pro- 

 ceed to the further studies for which it is the 

 necessary preparation, and in so far as it suc- 

 ceeds in this it is a step to be commended. It 

 is now generally accepted by those competent to 

 judge and by all but interested persons and 

 bodies that the proper work of the secondary 

 school is to promote upon the basis of liberal 

 studies the formation of character, the develop- 

 ment of the imagination, and the due training 

 of the intellectual faculties. The new Advisory 

 Council does not appoint its own chairman, who 

 is the nominee of the Board. Clauses 7 

 and 8 define the responsibilities and functions of 

 the council, and give power to the officers of the 

 NO. 2499, VOL. 100] 



Board who attend its meetings to require when 

 they think fit that questions of principle or policy 

 shall be referred to the Board. 



The importance of this Advisory Council 

 would appear to indicate that the representation 

 of the universities should have been direct and 

 not through the medium of their examination 

 boards, and it would appear that neither in the 

 case of the professional bodies concerned nor in 

 that of the teachers is the representation 

 adequate to the important interests involved. 

 Surely so grave and dignified a body should have 

 been left free to nominate its own chairman with 

 the approval of the Board. The constitution of 

 the new committee would appear to make it 

 largely subservient to the Board and to deprive 

 it of that independent character which the 

 importance of its responsibilities demands. 



It is surely worthy of consideration whether 

 the time has not arrived with regard to the 

 secondary schools, of which more than 1000 are 

 approved as efficient by the Board, for a further 

 step to be taken, thoroughly safeguarded by a 

 sound and effective system of inspection, which 

 would have the important effect of tending to 

 extend the school life, now lamentably low, and 

 raising the quality of the instruction. We refer to 

 the introduction of the principle, first, that the 

 school should be recognised by the university 

 within the area of which it is situated as fully 

 complying with a recognised standard as to its 

 staffing, equipment, and the duration and quality 

 of its courses of study; and, secondly, that the 

 scholars passing satisfactorily through its 

 courses year by year shall at the close of the final 

 year be entitled to a certificate and be qualified _ 

 to proceed to higher and more specialised studies 

 in any university of the United Kingdom in any 

 of its faculties, and shall also be eligible for 

 entrance to the examinations leading up to mem- 

 bership of the various professional bodies and 

 societies. • - 



LOCVSTS.^ 

 'X'HE International Institute of Agriculture, 

 ^ Rome, has issued a memoir summarising 

 published and communicated information relating 

 to locusts ; this has been compiled by Prof. 

 Trinchieri, not only from literature', but also from 

 information obtained by direct inquiry from 

 countries adhering to the institute. The memoir 

 will be valuable to all who have to do with fight- 

 ing locusts, and the information collected is put 

 in a form readily accessible and easily consulted. 

 One criticism is possible, and it is one important 

 to working entomologists : the term "sauterelles," 

 or "locusts," has not been clearly defined to 

 mean species that have the habit of migrating in 

 swarms only; and while some countries have in- 

 cluded non-swarming " gras"?hoppers " [e.g. all 

 the^ Phasgonuridae), others have deliberately 

 omitted all but the real "swarm-migrating " 

 locusts. There are probably not more than six- 



1 "La Lutte centre les Sauterelles dans les divers Pays." (Rome 

 Institut International d'Agricnlture, 1916.) 



