286 



NATURE 



[July 23, 1903 



possible to summarise the number of important papers that 

 were read upon the housing question, child-study, port 

 sanitation, and other subjects. Dr. Hope, the local secre- 

 tary, is to be congratulated upon the arrangements made, 

 and it is hardly necessary to add that Liverpool extended 

 a hearty welcome to the delegates and members of the 



congress. 



R. T. Hewlett. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



A REPORT on the scheme for the establishment, in London, 

 of an institute for advanced technological instruction and 

 research, recently put forward by Lord Rosebery, was pre- 

 sented to the London County Council on Tuesday. It will 

 be remembered that the offer was made of land, buildings, 

 and equipment required for such an institution to the value 

 of 500,000/., with the promise to secure other funds for both 

 capital outlay and maintenance, provided that the council 

 would express, in general terms, its willingness to con- 

 tribute, when the buildings were equipped and ready to be 

 opened, a sum of 20,000/. a year towards the maintenance 

 of the educational work. In referring to these proposals 

 in our issue of July 2 (p. 203), we pointed out the import- 

 ance of coordinating the work of such an institute with 

 that of the University of London, and expressed the opinion 

 that the development of both was a national concern, and 

 ought not to depend upon the contributions of the County 

 Council. We are glad to see that the committee of the 

 council appointed to consider the scheme regard substantial 

 assistance from the State as an essential condition of sup- 

 port, and think the council should not lend any encourage- 

 ment to the idea that the whole of the cost of maintenance 

 could be provided from London sources. The following 

 recommendations of the committee were adopted by the 

 council at Tuesday's meeting : — (a) That the council ex- 

 presses its high appreciation of the important pro- 

 posal contained in Lord Rosebery 's letter, and would 

 cordially welcome the establishment of further provision 

 in London for advanced technological teaching and re- 

 search, (b) That the council, in response to the request 

 contained in Lord Rosebery 's letter, places on record 

 its opinion that, when the land, buildings, and equip- 

 ment for the proposed additional technological teaching and 

 research are provided to a value of not less than 500,000/., 

 the council will be well advised to contribute, out of the 

 moneys annually placed at its disposal under the Local 

 Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act of 1890, a sum not 

 exceeding 20,000/. per annum towards such part of the 

 work as falls within the statutory definition of technical 

 education, subject to the following conditions : — (i) That a 

 scheme be prepared to the satisfaction of the council for 

 the constitution of the governing body and the adequate 

 representation of the council thereon ; (2) that financial 

 arrangements adequate to the whole maintenance of the 

 proposed work are made to the satisfaction of the council ; 

 {3) that, in view of the national scope and utility of the 

 proposed work, substantial contributions towards main- 

 tenance be made from funds of a national character ; (4) 

 that due provision be made in the scheme to prevent over- 

 lapping and secure coordination of the work already carried 

 on by the university colleges, polytechnics, and other science 

 and technological institutions, and the proper connection 

 of the whole with the university ; (5) that a sufficient number 

 of scholarships, including free places, be placed at the dis- 

 posal of the council ; (6) that it be considered whether other 

 counties and boroughs should not be invited to contribute 

 towards the maintenance, receiving in return the right to 

 send their picked scholars for instruction under the proposed 

 scheme. 



The Board of Education have issued new regulations for 

 the instruction and training of pupil teachers and students 

 in training colleges. In a preface by Mr. Morant it is 

 stated that the " regulations are intended to secure for the 

 pupil teacher a more complete and continuous education, 

 and to make the period of service in an elementary school 

 a time of probation and training rather than of too early 

 practice in teaching." Pupil teachers admitted on and 

 after August i, 1904, must not be under sixteen years of 



NO. 1760, VOL. 68] 



age, except in rural districts, where the limit will be 

 fifteen. After August i, 1905, pupil teachers will not be 

 permitted to serve in a public elementary school more than 

 half the time the school is open, and they will be required 

 to receive half-time instruction in an approved pupil teacher 

 centre throughout their engagement. The Board of Educa- 

 tion desires to encourage plans for educating pupil teachers 

 with other scholars, and urges local educational authorities 

 to arrange, by means of an adequate scholarship system or 

 otherwise, that all the best candidates for pupil teacherships, 

 whether boys or girls, should receive a sound general 

 education in a secondary school, with schoolfellows intended 

 for other careers, before they commence service in any 

 capacity in an elementary school. There is already in 

 existence a number of well-equipped and well-staffed pupil 

 teacher centres, the best of which have more than fulfilled 

 the purpose for which they were originally recognised by 

 the Board. The new regulations should assist in develop- 

 ing corporate school life in such centres, and also in im- 

 proving other less satisfactory central classes ; they mark 

 a very decided step in advance, and show an exact appreci- 

 ation of the shortcomings of the pupil teacher system as 

 it has existed until now. 



A SCHEME whereby pupils in schools in different parts of 

 the Empire may be put in communication with one another, 

 with the view of exchanging observations, specimens and 

 ideas, has been drawn up by the League of the Empire, 

 and promises to be of great educational value. The com- 

 mittee recommends that linked-schools and members should 

 first exchange maps of their respective districts, and where 

 possible, photographs or drawings of their houses, of the 

 school house, grounds and surroundings. It is suggested 

 that nature calendars should be kept, essays written on 

 common trees or other plants, and notes made on the habits 

 of birds or other animals, or on industrial processes or 

 natural products in the neighbourhood of the schools — all 

 with the view of exchanging them with schools in other 

 parts. Personal observations are to be insisted upon, so 

 that the descriptions will be twice blessed — those who make 

 the observations by exercising the best of their faculties, 

 and those who receive the results by gaining knowledge 

 of natural conditions beyond their individual view. 

 Specimens are also to be exchanged for school museums. 

 Already there are nearly two thousand members in corre- 

 spondence all over the Empire exchanging specimens and 

 letters, and the number will doubtless be greatly increased. 

 Particulars of the scheme may be obtained from Mrs. Ord 

 Marshall, hon. secretary of the central committee, 11 Dart- 

 mouth Street, Victoria Street, London, S.W. 



To prevent misunderstanding, Mr. C. McDermid, secre- 

 tary of the Bessemer Memorial Fund, has issued a letter 

 in which the relationship between the scheme for the 

 Bessemer memorial and that put forward by Lord Rosebery 

 is described. The persons responsible in each case have 

 been in close consultation throughout, but the two schemes 

 will continue for the present to be directed separately, 

 though they will be controlled by joint trustees. For the 

 purposes of the advanced metallurgical training and 

 specialised research works which are to form the Bessemer 

 memorial, it is proposed that London shall be regarded as 

 the centre for the metallurgy of copper, silver, gold, &c., 

 Sheffield as the centre for steel, and Birmingham^ as the 

 centre for cast and wrought iron and alloys. It is intended 

 that the post-graduate scholarships shall, in part, be inter- 

 national. It is hoped that the committee will be able to 

 submit the complete scheme in October. 



Dr. W. Schlich, principal professor of forestry in the 

 Royal Indian Engineering College, Coopers Hill, has been 

 appointed honorary professor of forestry at the Royal Agri- 

 cultural College, Cirencester. Mr. McClellan, jun., who 

 was recently appointed professor of forestry and estates 

 management at the college, has, during the past four 

 months, been gaining experience of continental forestry, 

 and with Dr. Schlich has made a six weeks' tour through 

 specially interesting forest districts in Germany. 



Mr. H. W. Richards has been appointed principal of the 

 Brixton Technical Institute of the London Technical Educa- 

 tion Board. The Board has made the following appoint- 

 ments in connection with the Paddington Technical 



