Science in Public Affairs 



hope (unless he becomes a headmaster) ever to 

 earn ^300 a year. The vast majority receive 

 between 150 and 200. They have no pensions 

 on retirement, no allowances in case of prolonged 

 illness. Those who realise the difficulty of their 

 work, and the devotion with which so large a 

 number discharge their duties, cannot but feel 

 indignation at the unworthy return which is made 

 for their services, and a strong hope that some- 

 thing may be quickly done to place the scale of 

 salaries upon an entirely new basis. As a result 

 of the quite inadequate remuneration now given to 

 assistant masters in the local secondary schools, the 

 supply of competent recruits for the profession is 

 running seriously short. Unless steps are taken in 

 the early future to make the calling of secondary 

 schoolmasters more attractive to properly qualified 

 men, we shall have few local secondary schools of 

 anything like the intellectual efficiency which is 

 the secret of the power of the German higher 

 schools and of the competence of German industry 

 and commerce. To put our English local secondary 

 education into a state of real efficiency will cost 

 about a million a year. No other million of public 

 funds would be more profitably spent. Directing 

 brain-power is as necessary to the national safety 

 and welfare as is a strong navy. And to secure 

 directing brain-power it is indispensable to have 

 well taught and intellectually vigorous secondary 

 schools. 



Thirdly, we have been prone in England to 

 overlook the importance of a good general 



no 



