208 



NATURE 



[April 14, 1910 



plan, the municipalities, the wealthy industrial and pro- 

 fessional societies, and private benefactors, would come 

 forward to expand it and make it more fruitful. 



Thus we have arrived at the technical university, and 

 in passing I will only remark that up to this level of 

 technical education there is every likelihood of Prussia 

 having shortly to learn a great deal from England. The 

 aspect changes completely, however, when we contemplate 

 the higher branches. In the latter, in Prussia we find 

 thorough organisation and efficiency ; in England we find 

 chaos and waste of energy and money. The explanation 

 is simple : the Prussian technical high schools are national 

 institutions, just sufficient in number for the needs of 

 the whole nation so as to allow of intense specialisation 

 in all branches. The many English institutions attempting 

 higher technical work were founded by private persons, 

 guilds, societies, municipalities, and whosoever liked to 

 distinguish himself in this direction. The national Govern- 

 ment has made the sad mistake of generously supporting 

 all these well-meant efforts, so far with littfe regard, 

 apparently, to the effect of the one on the other. The 

 borough, and even the county, is far too small a feeding 

 area for a modern technical university, with its large 

 staff of specialised experts in all branches, training original 

 workers, carrying out industrial research, and generally 

 permeating the industries with progressive ideas. 



How will it be possible to bring about the forrnation 

 of such efl^icient universities? Without doubt, the difficul- 

 ties of this task are formidable, yet they can be sur- 

 mounted by a strong Minister of Education, and the 

 accomplishment will earn for him the gratitude of genera- 

 tions. 



As an ■ introduction to a discussion on this particular 

 question, one or two suggestions may perhaps be accept- 

 able. Needless to say, decisive steps in the direction 

 indicated must be preceded by an exhaustive inquiry of a 

 Royal Commission into the whole subject. One of the 

 airns of the commission would be to discover a ready 

 means of correlating the work of universities with that 

 of other institutions which, as yet, is non-existent. It 

 may be found desirable that all Exchequer grants for 

 educational purposes, without exception, should pass 

 through the Board of Education in such a manner that 

 the grant becomes an effective weapon of organisation. 

 Another important point to be settled is the number _ of 

 technical universities needed, and their respective feeding 

 areas. I believe that three for England and Wales, one 

 for Scotland, and one for Ireland, or even less, would be 

 found to be sufficient for many years to come. Finally, 

 the most difficult point as to the method of procedure will 

 have to be decided. 



It appears not unhkely that, as a result of the inquiry 

 of the special Royal Commission appointed last year, such 

 amalgamation may soon be brought about so far as 

 London is concerned, and an early extension of the prin- 

 ciple to the provinces would then be within the rangeof 

 probability. The leading institutions at present existing 

 in each university area decided upon would form the con- 

 stituent colleges ; they might have the first and second 

 years' courses in common, which, of necessity, would be 

 generally scientific and educational in character, including 

 such subjects as national economy, industrial history, 

 industrial legislation, patent laws, &c.. but the higher 

 branches would be distributed according to the nature of 

 the institutions and the industrial activities of the districts. 

 Thus the desired concentration of effort and of students 

 would be secured, and, by a process of natural develop- 

 ment, the formation of a large staff of specialists in each 

 branch working in intimate contact with their respective 

 industries. 



Higher technical education in England, if developed on 

 such lines, would have adopted only one important point 

 from the Prussian system, that is, organisation on a 

 national basis, a point which, in my opinion, is indispen- 

 sable to success. Other and less important points of 

 similarity, such as the uniform system of examinations 

 and of legally protected degrees, would come as a natural 

 consequence. In more than one regard, of^ profound 

 importance, however, the English would be far in advance 

 of any existing system, so far as my knowledge goes ; 



XO. 211 1, VOL. 83] 



first, in its democratic principle, culminating in th- 

 character of its students, who, gathered by a process of 

 sifting and selection, represent the genius of the rising 

 generation in whatever sphere it may have been born — 

 a class, not of aristocratic idlers, but of enthusiastic 

 workers. This ideal we shall approach only gradually, 

 3'et it is in sight, and we may accelerate its coming by 

 advocating that the fees of the new universities for all 

 except the scholarship students shall not be kept low, but 

 shall be, at any rate, in proportion to the cost of such 

 institutions. The scholarship students will thus pre- 

 dominate more and more, which makes it possible at the 

 same time to adjust the number of highly trained men to * 

 the needs of the industries. We shall thus avoid excessive 

 supply, which is a social and economic danger, and is a 

 blame often, and not unjustly, attached to the German 

 high schools ; and, finally, the close cooperation of the new 

 universities with the respective industries would be a 

 unique feature. It would be maintained, not only, as iri 

 Germany, through the professors and lecturers, but throuf;h 

 their advisory boards, and, what is perhaps most 

 important, through the students themselves, who have been 

 in contact with practice, not merely for a short term of 

 pupilage like the average German student, but who have 

 passed " through the mill." 



I 



UmVERSlTY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Dr. .Arthur Willey, F.R.S., director of the natural! 

 history museum at Colombo, has been appointed to thel 

 chair of zoology at McGill University, Montreal. 



On Friday, April 22, the Education Bill restricting half- 

 time employment will be considered by the House of' 

 Commons if the Government leave the day free. It is 

 hoped that time will be found for the consideration of, 

 this important and long-delayed reform in the presentj 

 Parliament. 



The London Inter-collegiate Scholarships Board 

 announces that an examination will be held on May 10 1 

 for twenty entrance scholarships and exhibitions of an 

 aggregate total value of about 1500/., open to men and' 

 women, and tenable in the faculties of arts, science, and 

 engineering of University College, King's College, and 

 the East London College. Candidates must have passed 

 the matriculation examination of the University of London, 

 or an examination accepted in lieu thereof, or be able 

 to furnish some evidence of having had a sound general 

 education. Full particulars and entry forms may be 

 obtained from the secretary of the Board, Mr. Alfred 

 E. G. Attoe, University College, Gower Street, London, 

 W.C. 



The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruc- 

 tion for Ireland will in August next award not more than' 

 six industrial scholarships to persons engaged in indus- 

 tries, such as the woollen, linen, leather, and tanninf 

 industries. The object of these scholarships is to enable; 

 selected persons, who must already have been engaged in 

 one of the higher branches of the industry, to take a full 

 course Of instruction in an institution providing special 

 courses of an approved character, with the view of train- 

 ing them for the management of such an industry. Th^ 

 scholarships will be tenable at some higher institution, to. 

 be approved by the Department, in which the industry,' 

 and the principles underlying it, are taught. They will 

 be of the value of Sol. each, and may be renewed for 

 second or a third 3'ear at the discretion of the Department. 

 The Department will also award not more than six com^ 

 mercial scholarships to young men having a sound genera 

 education and some commercial experience. The object _i! 

 to afford facilities for the holders to obtain training It 

 some higher institution, approved by the Department 

 with the view of their employment as teachers of com- 

 mercial subjects in Ireland. The commercial scholarships 

 are of the value of lool. each, and are tenable for tw<r 



