Science in National Education 



For each type of education beyond twelve years 

 of age there is need for increased Government aid 

 in proportion to the real cost of efficiency in each 

 case. The largest grant should be for the " higher 

 secondary," in view of the greater costliness of the 

 course which would have to be provided for the 

 comparatively small number of more advanced 

 students. 



In the sphere of public elementary education, 

 it is of urgent importance that the size of the 

 large classes should be reduced. A teacher who 

 has fifty or sixty pupils to teach at one time 

 cannot meet their individual needs. The excellent 

 " Suggestions for the Consideration of Teachers and 

 others concerned in the work of Public Elementary 

 Schools," recently issued by the Board of Educa- 

 tion, 1 cannot for the most part be put into practice 

 unless the classes are made smaller. The " Sug- 

 gestions" also presuppose a high level of culture 

 and of educational skill on the part of the whole 

 body of teachers. The changes which have been 

 made during the last two years in the regulations 

 for the training of pupil teachers will secure for 

 a very large number of the future teachers the 

 advantage of a longer course of general education 

 than has been hitherto possible. In due time 

 this change will bear good fruit in the work of 

 the schools. But the large classes will have to 

 be done away with if the country is to get what 

 it needs from its system of public elementary 

 education. " The value of any act of the teaching 

 1 Wyman & Sons, 1905, Cd. 2638. 8d. 

 TI 5 



