694 



NATURE 



[July 29, 1920 



established in aid of boys and girls of ability to obtain 

 an education beyond the primary stages, and to assist 

 adults in their studies in art, science, and technological 

 subjects in day and evening institutions ; and the 

 Board, having regard to the importance of educating 

 the future leaders of industry and commerce, not only 

 aided in the establishment of the London School of 

 Economics, but also made grants of i7,oooL a year in 

 1903-4 to institutions and schools of the University 

 of London. This policy has been greatly developed 

 since 1904, when the Council became the local 

 authority for all forms of education. Some measure 

 of the expansion of the work undertaken in the 

 polytechnics may be seen on a comparison of the 

 student-hours worked in the departments of engineer- 

 ing, mathematics, physics, and chemistry in 1900-1 

 and in 19 19 (November), from which it appears that 

 the hours in 1900-1 were 268,344 ^"d in 1919 

 795,000. 



The growth of expenditure in polytechnics, technical 

 institutes, schools of art, science, art, and commercial 

 centres, and in ordinary evening classes is indicated 

 by the following figures : — In 1904 the expenditure 

 was 369,400?., and in 1919-20 (estimated) 822,514!. 

 Twenty-six special institutions for art, technical, and 

 domestic subjects are now wholly maintained by the 

 Council, and twenty-nine others are aided by annual 

 grants. Twelve polytechnics and colleges receive 

 annual subsidies ranging from 400L to 3500!., amount- 

 ing in the aggregate to 23,250/., whilst the block 

 grant made to ten polytechnics and colleges in 1911-12 

 of 86,381/. was increased in 1919-20 to 139,950/., 

 exclusive of 6o,oooZ. in respect of war bonus and 

 improved salary scales. In 1919-20 an equipment 

 grant was also made to these institutions of 13,900/. 

 The Council in 19 18 introduced a new scale of 

 salaries for principals and other teachers in technical 

 institutions, whereby the minimum salary for prin- 

 cipals in the lowest group was fixed at 440/'. and the 

 maximum in the highest group at 1250/. The 

 salaries for heads of departments range from 440/. 

 to 840/. (men) and from 340/. to 640/. (women), and 

 whole-time lecturers' salaries are fixed from 225/. to 

 490/. (men) and from 180/. to 340/. (women). The 

 Council works in close association with the University 

 of London, to which it gives annual grants-in-aid, 

 which at the present time amount to about 47,000/. 

 This includes provision for nineteen professorial chairs 

 in languages and literature, mathematics, science, 

 education, and economics. The Council also main- 

 tains a school of the University, the London Day 

 Training College, at an annual cost of 10,000/., and 

 is spending in 1919-20 about 13,000/'. in aid of uni- 

 versity students, mainly in London, Oxford, and 

 Cambridge, which altogether brings up the annual 

 -expenditure in support of university education to 

 about 70,000/. Capital grants have further been made 

 at various times in aid of certain schools of the Uni- 

 versity for the erection and improvement of buildings. 

 Thus grants were made to University College and to 

 Bedford College each of 30,000/. Land of the value 

 of 66,700/. was also assigned at a peppercorn rent for 

 the new building of the London School of Economics. 

 The grant to the Imperial College of Science and 

 Technology has been increased from: 5000/. in 1908-9 

 to 13,000/. in 1918-19. 



Many of the reforms foreshadowed by the Educa- 

 tion Act, 19 18, have already been anticipated, such, 

 for example, as the reduction in the size of classes, 

 the establishment of central schools, the promotion 

 of physical training, and the provision of maintenance 

 allowances. The raising of the school age to fourteen 

 /)/m5 and the reduction aforesaid will necessitate the 

 provision of school-places for 120,000 children, 32,000 



NO. 2648, VOL. 105] 



of which have been already provided, and will entail 

 the appointment of 200 new teachers each year for ten 

 years. Nineteen per cent., or some 14,000 children 

 between eleven and twelve years of age, are fitted 

 for some special type of scl^ool, and the Council has 

 therefore decided to increase the number of central 

 schools already provided from 60 to 100, and to 

 lengthen the course in such schools to five years. 

 Thus some 80 per cent, of the children remain to be 

 dealt with until they reach the limits of the compulsory 

 age, and measures are being taken to ensure the most 

 enlightened treatment of such children in regard to 

 both their physical and intellectual training such as 

 prevails in the secondary schools. The attendance at the 

 secondary schools in London ranges from 1-3 per 1000 

 in Shoreditch to 188 per 1000 in Lewisham. Addi- 

 tional accommodation is urgently needed, and the 

 Council proposes therefore to build four entirely new- 

 schools and to rebuild or enlarge seventeen more. 



It is anticipated that the new scholarship scheme 

 of the Council and the better conditions of service will 

 attract more candidates to the teaching profession. 

 The report of the Board of Education for 1918 shows 

 that in England only 150 men and 4000 women com- 

 pleted courses of training as teachers, whereas in 1914 

 the corresponding figures were about 2000 men and 

 3600 women. The annual requirements of London 

 alone will in the near future be at least 1200, 

 and with the view of meeting in part this 

 demand the Council proposes to build three new 

 training colleges for 750 students, which proposal will 

 involve a capital expenditure of some 600,000/'. The 

 Council aims ultimately at securing a university course 

 for all teachers. A much enlarged scheme of main- 

 tenance scholarships is submitted, the ultimate gross 

 cost of which, including the cost of examinations, is 

 estimated to reach about 1,178,000/. in 1931, made up 

 of 730,000/. for education and 448,000/, for main- 

 tenance. 



The day accommodation in the present polytechnics, 

 in the various institutes, and in schools for special 

 trades is about 2500, and it is proposed to increase it 

 to 5600. K large amount of original research has 

 been undertaken in the institutions both before and 

 during the war in the domains of chemistry, physics, 

 and engineering, and notably in the industries of 

 photo-engraving, lithography, and tanning. This has 

 led the Council to provide additional facilities to meet 

 the requirements of research. Close consideration has 

 been given to problems arising out of the powers and 

 duties imposed by the Act in respect of adolescents 

 engaged in employment. Provision is to be made 

 next October for about 15,000 young persons, and an 

 equal number will then be added to the total enrol- 

 ment each succeeding three months for a period of 

 two years. The number will then be 120,000, and in 

 1928, when those aged from sixteen to eighteen come 

 under the Act, the number will be doubled. Mean- 

 while, it is proposed to establish as a first provision 

 twenty-two day continuation schools at a cost on 

 capital account of 131,000/. and of 116,500/. for main- 

 tenance. The scheme when fully matured is estimated 

 to cost for the two age-groups 14-15 and 15-16 

 1,000,000/. annually, and when five years later the 

 age-group 16-18 is dealt with the cost may be doubled. 

 The movement of adult education by the W.E.A. has 

 the fiill sympathy of the Council, which proposes to 

 support it through the University of London. 



Pending the re-organisation of the University of 

 London, the system of annual grants, which amount 

 to 46,813/. to the University and non-incorporated col- 

 leges, will remain as at present. By the Act of 19 18 

 local education authorities may aid any investigation 

 for the advancement of knowledge in or in connection 

 with an educational institution. London, bv reason of 



