38 LITE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. I 



on June 21 and July 12, and passed without any material 

 alterations or additions. They were very much the same 

 as existed in the best elementary schools of the period. 

 Huxley's chief interest, it may be surmised, was in the 

 subjects of instruction. It was passed that, in infants' 

 schools there should be the Bible, reading, writing, arith- 

 metic, object lessons of a simple character, with some such 

 exercise of the hands and eyes as is given in the Kinder- 

 garten system, music, and drill. In junior and senior 

 schools the subjects of instruction were divided into two 

 classes, essential and discretionary, the essentials being 

 the Bible, and the principles of religion and morality, 

 reading, writing, and arithmetic, English grammar and 

 composition, elementary geography, and elementary social 

 economy, history of England, the principles of book- 

 keeping in senior schools, with mensuration in senior 

 boys' schools. All through the six years there were 

 to be systematized object lessons, embracing a course of 

 elementary instruction in physical science, and serving as 

 an introduction to the science examinations conducted by 

 the Science and Art department An analogous course of 

 instruction was adopted for elementary evening schools. 

 In moving " that the formation of science and art classes 

 in connection with public elementary schools be encouraged 

 and facilitated," Huxley contended strongly for it, saying, 

 " The country could not possibly commit a greater error 

 than in establishing schools in which the direct applica- 

 tions of science and art were taught before those who 

 entered the classes were grounded in the principles of 

 physical science." In advocating object lessons he said, 

 " The position that science was now assuming, not only 

 in relation to practical life, but to thought, was such 

 that those who remained entirely ignorant of even its 

 elementary facts were in a wholly unfair position as 

 regarded the world of thought and the world of practical 

 life." It was, moreover, " the only real foundation for 

 technical education." 



