i88 



NATURE 



[December 21, 1893 



in science and in technical instruction generally. The Somerset 

 committee is laying an excellent foundation on which to erect a 

 permanent and comprehensive system of technical education, 

 but some time must elapse before the structure will be seen and 

 properly appreciated by the county. The following extract 

 shows that the committee realises the importance of instruction 

 in elementary science and mathematics : — 



" It is the boys at present at secondary schools who will in 

 ;'me become directors and leaders of industries, agricultural or 

 otherwise, and from whom improvements in our various 

 industries ought to come. The best way to prepare them for 

 their future career, and to equip them for their struggle against 

 foreign competition, is to begin whilst they are still at the 

 secondary schools, and give them a sound general education, 

 including a large proportion of science and mathematics. 

 They will thus learn something of the method of experiment 

 and of the manner in which knowledge is acquired, their powers 

 of observation will be cultivated, and their judgment to some 

 extent trained, and they will learn to see much more clearly 

 than at present the intimate relation between science and their 

 daily life and occupations. 



" It seems certain that the only way in which a real apprecia- 

 tion of the value of technical instruction in agriculture can be 

 created is to provide for the coming generation of farmers a 

 sound training of the character indicated. In this connection 

 it may be well to call attention to a statement made by Prof. 

 Fream, in his report on technical education to the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of England, that his own experience, 

 extending over many years, shows that a boy who is ' fairly 

 competent in mathematical studies,' is as a rule very good 

 material to work upon in giving instrucion in the principles and 

 practice of agriculture. To mathematics, from this point of view, 

 natural science may unquestionally be added. 



"At present it must be admitted that the science teaching 

 in the secondary schools in Somerset has not reached the degree 

 of excellence and thoroughness that is desirable, and in some 

 instances the teaching of mathematics is capable of considerable 

 improvement. There is at present no school in the county at 

 which higher scholarships under the Technical Instruction Acts 

 could fitly be made tenable." 



Staffordshire did excellent work in the cause of technical 

 education before the passing of the Technical Instruction Act, 

 and since then it has taken the initiative in many important 

 developments. Both last year and this, a number of teachers 

 in elementary schools received grants towards the expense of a 

 course of manual instruction in wood-work, metal-work, and 

 cardboard-work at Dr. Goize's institute in Leipzig, and 

 most of them are now conducting classes in the county. This 

 system cannot be too highly commended, and is worthy of 

 adoption by every county ; for by it new methods of work 

 will be learnt, while the insularity that characterises the British 

 workmen will be removed. 



Like many other counties, Oxfordshire has to lament the want 

 of an adequate number of secondary and technical schools. On 

 this account it has been found difficult to arrange for the 

 further education of holders of county scholarships. Notwith- 

 standing these serious defects, however, the committee reports 

 that, taking the county as a whole, secondary and technical 

 instruction is in a state of increased efficiency. In common 

 with other committees, that of Oxfordshire sent in 1892 a 

 number of teachers to attend the summer courses on geology, 

 chemistry, botany, and mechanics, arranged at Oxford by the 

 delegates for the extension of University teaching, and with 

 most satisfactory results. A similar summer course for County 

 Council students was held this year, the subjects and the lecturers 

 being: — Geology, Prof. A. H. Green, F. R.S. ; Practical 

 Physics, Rev. F. J. Smith ; Hygiene, Dr. C. H. Wade ; 

 Chemistry, Mr. J. E. Marsh ; Animal and Vegetable Pests of 

 Crops and Stock, Mr. P. Chalmers Mitchell and Mr. J. B. 

 Farmer. The success of these short courses indicates that 

 it may be desirable for counties to grant scholarships which 

 would enable students to reside in University towns during 

 term, and take advantage of the many facilities for study 

 available at these centres of learning. 



No reference has yet been made to the county boroughs. 

 This survey would not be complete, however, without a few 

 words on the work done in some cities. Oxford city, for instance, 

 has a very strong Technicil Instruction Committee, and the work 

 accomplished during the last session shows a very considerable 

 advance upon that of the previous year. 



The city of Liverpool possesses a scheme of technical instruc- 

 tion that connects educational institutions from the elementary 

 schools up to the University by means of scholarships and free 

 studentships, and is thus a true educational ladder. The 

 technical instruction is controlled by a sub-committee of the 

 Liverpool Library Museum and Arts Committee. Before this 

 sub-committee came into power, much of the work of technical 

 instruction previously carried on in the city was supported by 

 voluntary contributions, but these were largely withdrawn as 

 soon as public money became available for the purpose. Owing 

 to the loss of income due to this cause, and that which has re- 

 sulted from the withdrawal of grants by the Department of 

 Science and Art, and the City and Guilds of London Institute, 

 a large portion of the funds set apart by the Council for pur- 

 poses of technical instruction has to be used in supplying 

 these deficiencies. But in spite of this, new branches of work 

 have been developed, and in a very short time the whole scheme 

 of the sub-committee will he in successful operation. A nau- 

 tical college has been established, and from the last report of the 

 head-master, Mr. James Gill, it appears that an astronomical 

 observatory is to be erected in the schoolyard, which will serve 

 to create a greater interest in nautical astronomy and the 

 almanac by reference to the aspects of the heavens, revealed by 

 the telescope, and the astronomical methods of measuring time. 

 For completeness of equipment and suitability for the work of 

 technical and scientific nautical instruction, the college com- 

 pares favourably with any of the same kind in the world. 



The borough of Bootle has the distinction of being the first 

 to take advantage of the Local Taxation Fund for tech- 

 nical instruction. The instruction provided in the borough is 

 of the right kind, and should lead to good results. 



The first report of the Technical Instruction Committee of 

 Plymouth shows that progress is being made. That the demand 

 for technical instruction is increasing in this borough is evidenced 

 by the fact that though a fine school was opened last year, the 

 building will have to be extended in order to provide the neces- 

 sary accommodation for students. 



It is beyond the scope of this article to refer to the numerous 

 institutes and schools, such as those of ]\Ianchester, Bir- 

 mingham, Bradford, Bristol, and Bolton, that existed before 

 1889, and made provision for technical instruction. The 

 towns that possess these old-established educational agencies 

 are necessarily far ahead of those that have only recently 

 had the importance of technical instruction thrust upon 

 them. It will have been gathered from the foregoing de- 

 scription that the greatest need felt by newly-constituted 

 authorities is for technical and secondary schools. Not until 

 this want has been supplied, either by subsidising existing schools 

 or building new ones, can many of the County Councils hope to 

 !-ee the fruits of their labours. The policy of withdrawing 

 grants for elementary instruction in science, recently taken by 

 various examining authorities, has been the means of raising 

 the standard of efficiency in counties where science classes 

 have been held for many years. In some counties, however, 

 the committees have not realised that it is their duty to 

 provide elementary scientific instruction ; for they are using 

 their funds almost entirely in supplying instruction in in- 

 dustrial "dodges.'' On the other hand, it is becoming re- 

 cognised that science students must possess a more extended 

 knowledge of mathematics than they usually have before any 

 great advance can be made. No unbiassed observer can deny 

 that the progress reported up to now has generally been in the 

 right direction. Mistakes have, of course, been made, but the 

 committees are usually not slow in seeing their failings, and 

 rectifying them. In a few years, when the distrust and suspicion 

 which hampers the work in some counties has been broken 

 down, we shall have the nucleus of a system of education such 

 as exists in Germany, France, and Switzerland, and shall begin 

 to reap the benefits that accrue from it. R. A. Gregory. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



Bulletin of the New Vo7-k Mathematical Society, vol. iii. 

 No. 2 (November, 1893, New York). — " Lachlan's Modern 

 Pure Geometry" (pp. 33-36) contains a review, by Prof. F. 

 Morley, of Dr. Lachlan's treatise. It mainly points out what 

 the writer considers to be defects in the author's programme, 

 but closes with the hope, since Dr. Lachlan shows so much 

 power in handling his subject, that he will " throw examination 



NO. I 260. VOL. 49] 



