Science in National Education 



books so as to extract information from them. 

 The training of the imagination and sympathies, 

 which is the chief use of history, is absent. The 

 boy has no acquaintance with the English lan- 

 guage as used by those who know how to use 

 it, and it is not surprising that, when he attempts 

 to express himself on paper or orally, he has 

 little skill or facility. Were it not that from time 

 to time one sees what excellent work can be 

 done when there is a teacher with knowledge 

 and interest who believes in the importance of 

 what he is teaching, it would be difficult, after 

 visiting many schools, not to lose all faith in the 

 possibility of making literary teaching useful and 

 efficient." 



There are bright exceptions, of course, but the 

 condition of many of the local secondary schools 

 in England is nothing less than a grave national 

 weakness. "It must be remembered," continues 

 Mr. Headlam, "that those who are educated in 

 these schools are those in whose hands will rest 

 the greater part of the local government of the 

 country. From them come the greater number 

 of the teachers and writers for the press. They 

 are allowed to leave school without any adequate 

 training in some of the most important parts of 

 mental activity. While fully recognising that the 

 natural sciences and mathematics must in very many 

 schools have the predominant place, I submit that 

 the neglect of and indifference to other sides of 

 education must have a most harmful influence 

 on the intellect and character of the nation." 



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