August i6, 191 7] 



NATURE 



48: 



THE REVISIOX OF THE CIVIL SERVICE 

 EXAMIXATIOXS. 



I^HE committee appointed by the Lords Com- 

 missioners of H.M. Treasury to consider and 

 report upon the scheme of examination for Class I. 

 of the Civil Service has repK)rted under date 

 June 20, 1917 [Cd. 8657]. It gives, in the 

 first place, an historical summary showing- the 

 variations in the scheme first adopted when the 

 principle of open competition came into effect 

 in May, 1855. With its apologia for the pre- 

 dominance given to classics we need not concern 

 ourselves in view of the amendments it proposes. 



The revised scheme which it outlines provides 

 for examination in two sets of the subjects. First, 

 a compulsory set, including an essay, and papers on 

 English, contemporary questions, general scien- 

 tific principles and methods, and translation from 

 one modern language (or from Latin, if desired by 

 modern language students); to each of these 100 

 marks is assigned. There is also a compulsory 

 vivd voce examination to test alertness and intelli- 

 gence ; to this 300 marks are assigned. All this 

 seems very reasonable. 



The second set of subjects is optional ; candi- 

 dates may offer (a) languages ; (&) history ; (c) 

 economics, law, etc. ; (d) mathematics and science ; 

 and (e) an additional translation paper in a 

 modern language. 



For the first time the modern languages are 

 placed on a par with Latin and Greek, 200 marks 

 l^ing assigned for translation, etc., and 200 for 

 the history and literature of the country in each 

 case. 



Mathematics gets its proper place; 800 marks 

 are assigned to the subject — 400 for lower and 

 higher mathematics respectively. Science also 

 is similarly treated, the marks, e.g., for physics 

 being equal to those obtainable for Latin, viz. 400. 

 Engineering is, for the first time, brought within 

 the scope of the examination and may also earn 

 400 rnarks. Another important new subject is 

 statistics, which is valued at 100 marks. 



CaTididates offerings science subjects are very 

 lightly required to produce evidence that they 

 have received laboratory training in an institution 

 of university rank ; but there is, of course, to be 

 no laboratory test in the examination itself. 



On the whole the scheme may be regarded as 

 quite satisfactory; it provides opportunities for 

 men trained eflficienth' on varied lines to gain 

 access to the important posts to which these 

 examinations ultimately lead ; and it will now be 

 the fault of the provincial universities if their 

 alumni are not found among those who ser/e the 

 State in this way. And after the scheme has been 

 in operation for some years there should be in the 

 higher ranks a fair proportion of men who have 

 had a good scientific training, while the remainder 

 will not suffer from that complete ignorance of 

 scientific principles and methods which charac- 

 terises most of our existing mandarins. 



Of course, the new scheme will not alter the 

 deplorable system by which service in those depart- 

 ments of the public service not open to public 

 NO. 2494, VOL. 99] 



competition are chosen so very largely from the 

 ranks of classical scholars. It may still be pos- 

 sible, e.g., for an authority on medieval English 

 literature to be primarily responsible for technical 

 education and for there to be no representative 

 of scientific knowledge, training, and education 

 among the highest oflficials of the Board of Educa- 

 tion or among the chief administrators of the 

 funds devoted to scientific and industrial research. 



In an appendix to the report sp>ecimen papers 

 are set forth. The one in general science (for 

 all candidates) is interesting and on the right lines ; 

 it asks for just that amount of general scientific 

 knowledge likely to benefit all public servants ; and 

 a wide choice is to be allowed. Quality in the 

 answers is to be sufficient, and accuracy of state- 

 ment and clearness of expression are to be essen- 

 tials. 



The compulsory paper on social, political, and 

 economic subjects is also on the right lines ; it re- 

 quires a candidate to have some clear ideas as to 

 the way we are governed and as to the questions 

 underlying the proper conduct and development 

 of our trade and commerce. 



The age limits for candidates remain as at 

 present; — twenty-two to twenty-four. This will pre- 

 judice candidates from the provincial universities ; 

 but if it helps to lead to a later age of entry and to 

 make the requirement of a four years' course for 

 an honours degree more general, it will have done 

 useful work. The provincial universities would do 

 well to combine to fix their minimum age of entrv at 

 eighteen, with a standard of educational eflBciency 

 equal to that required from present candidates 

 for the intermediate examination for the initial 

 degrees. 



The committee has done valuable work, and 

 we may be sure that the experience and advice 

 of the two fellows of the Royal Society who were 

 members of it — Sir .\lfred Ewing and Sir Henrv 

 Miers — have contributed in no small degree to 

 the wise decisions which have been taken. 



J. Wertheimer. 



THE NEW EDUCATION BILL. 



MR. FISHER introduced the long-expected 

 Education Bill in the House of Commons 

 on August 10, and it was read a first time. The 

 reforms which the Bill outlines have long been 

 overdue, but they have been delaved by the 

 exigencies of our system of government, with 

 the importance it has attached to the claims of 

 the different political parties, which have year 

 after year placed at the head of the Board of 

 Education Ministers with no knowledge of the 

 educational needs of the country-, little apprecia- 

 tion of the intimate connection between educa- 

 tional eflSciency and industrial and mercantile 

 supremacy, ^nd chiefly concerned Avith securing 

 advantages for the party to which they owed their 

 position. But in Mr. Fisher we have a Minister 

 of Education who is an educationist conversant 

 with every grade of our educational system and 

 dominated by the idea that "education is one of 



