584 



NATURE 



[October 15, 1903 



as to the status of the pupil was abolished, the only limit- 

 ation being the status of the school itself. Thus, if a 

 flourishing public school, charging high fees for tuition, 

 were to apply to participate in the grant voted by Parlia- 

 ment, it may be presumed, it would have to be refused. 

 The abolition of the restriction as to the status of the pupils 

 left it open to poorly endowed secondary grammar schools 

 to come under the new scheme. To a good many the 

 additional income to be derived from the grant meant con- 

 tinuing their existence as efficient, and for this reason, and 

 often, I fear, for this reason alone, some claimed recognition 

 as eligible. 



Such is an outline history of the invasion of science in- 

 struction into certain secondary schools— an invasion which 

 ought to be of great national service. In my view no 

 general education is complete without a knowledge of those 

 simple truths of science which speak to everyone, but usually 

 pass unheeded day by day. The expansion of the reason- 

 ing and observational powers of every child is as material 

 to sound education as is the exercise of the memory or the 

 acquisition of some smattering of a language. I am not 

 going into the question of curricula in schools, as I hope, 

 regarding them, we shall have a full discussion. But of 

 this I am sure, that no curriculum will be adequate which 

 does not include practical instruction in the elementary 

 truths of science. The President of the Royal Society, in 

 his last Annual Address, alluded to the mediaeval education 

 that was being given in a vast number of secondary schools. 

 Those who planned the system of education of those times 

 deserve infinite credit for including all that it was possible 

 to include. Had there been a development of science in 

 those days, one must believe that with the far-seeing 

 wisdom they then displayed they would have included that 

 which it is the desire of all modern educationists to include. 

 Observational and experimental science would have 

 assuredly found a place in the system. 



One, however, cannot help being struck by the broaden- 

 ing of views in regard to modern education that has taken 

 place in the minds of many who were certainly not friendly 

 to its development. Perhaps in the Bishop of Hereford, 

 when headmaster of Clifton, we have the most remarkable 

 early example of breadth of view, which he carried out in 

 a practical manner, surrounding himself with many of the 

 ablest teachers of science of the day. There are other head- 

 masters who, though trained on the classical side, have had 

 the prescience to follow in his footsteps, and of free will ; 

 but others there are who have neither the desire nor the 

 intention, if not compelled to do so, to move in the direc- 

 tion which modern necessities indicate is essential for 

 national progress. I am inclined to think that the move- 

 ment in favour of modernising education has been very 

 largely quickened by the establishment of schools of science 

 in connection with endowed schools and the desire for their 

 foundation by the Technical Instruction Committees, who 

 had the whisky money at their disposal, and who often 

 more than supplemented the parliamentary grants which 

 these schools were able to earn. It was the circumstance 

 that the new scheme was issued when many endowed 

 schools were in low water that made it as successful as it 

 has been. 



The number of schools of science increased so rapidly that 

 it appeared there might be a danger of too many of this 

 type being started on sufficient educational 'grounds. 

 Science instruction was carried in them to such an advanced 

 point and so many hours of the week were spent on it that 

 they became in some degree specialised schools. At least 

 eight hours a week had to be devoted to science, ten tc 

 literary instruction, and five to mathematics — any further 

 time available could be spent on any section that was con- 

 sidered desirable. For some pupils the time devoted to 

 science is barely enough, but for others who intend to follow 

 careers in which the literary section should oredominate it 

 appeared that some curtailment of hours in the science 

 section might be usefully allowed, and it became a question 

 how far such instruction might be shortened without im- 

 pairing its soundness. After much anxious thought it was 

 considered that four hours per week, besides mathematics, 

 was the very least time that ought to be devoted to such 

 instruction, and that the latter part of it should be practical 

 work. A scheme embodying this modification was approved 

 by the Lord President and the Vice-President whilst I was 

 Principal Assistant Secretary for Secondary Education, and 



NO. 1772, VOL. 68] 



smaller grants than those for schools of science were 

 authorised in 1901 for those schools which were prepared to 

 adopt it. By the scheme instruction has to be given only 

 in such subjects and to such an extent as is really necessary 

 to form part of that general education of ordinary students 

 who might not have to follow in industrial pursuits. This 

 modified and shortened course has met with unqualified 

 success. Some 127 schools came under the scheme the first 

 year, and I gather that there will be a considerable increase 

 in numbers in the future. The establishment of schools of 

 science and of these schools may be considered to be a great 

 step taken in getting practical instruction in natural know- 

 ledge introduced into secondary schools. The leaven has 

 been placed in some 300 of them, and we may expect that 

 all schools which may be eligible for State aid will gradually 

 adopt one scheme or the other. Though it is said that 

 there is nothing in a name, I am a little doubtful as to 

 whether the earmarking of science education as distinct 

 from secondary education is not somewhat of a mistake at 

 the present day. For my own part, I should like to think 

 that the days have passed when such an earmarking was 

 necessary or advisable. The science to be taught in 

 secondary schools should be part and parcel of the secondary 

 education, and it would be just as proper to talk of Latin 

 and Greek instruction apart from secondary education as it 

 is to talk of science instruction. One of the causes of the 

 unpopularity of the Science and Art Department was its 

 too distinctive name. At the same time it would be most 

 unwise at the present time, when the new Education Com- 

 mittees are learning their work and looking to the central 

 authority for a lead, for the State to alter the conditions 

 on which it makes its grants to these schools. It will re- 

 quire at least a generation to pass before modernised educa- 

 tion will be free from assault. If science instruction is 

 not safeguarded for some time to come it runs a good chance 

 of disappearing or being neglected in a good many schools. 

 As to the schools which have no financial difficulties, it is 

 hard to say what lines they may follow. Tradition may be 

 too strong in them to allow any material change in their 

 courses of study. If it be true that the modern side of 

 many a public school is made a refuge for the " incapables, " 

 and is considered inferior to the classical side, as some say 

 is the case, such a side is practically useless in representing 

 modern education in its proper light. Again, one at least 

 of the ancient universities has not shown much sympathy 

 with modern ideas, and so long as she is content to receive 

 her students ignorant of all else but what has been called 

 mediaeval lore, so long will the schools which feed her 

 have no great inclination to change their educational 

 schemes. 



If we would only make the universities set the fashion 

 the public schools would be bound to follow. The universi- 

 ties say that it is for the public schools to say what they 

 want, and vice versd, and so neither one nor the other 

 change. It appears to me that we must look to the modern 

 universities to lead the movement in favour of that kind 

 of education which is best fitted for the after life of the 

 large majority of the people of this country. If for no 

 other reason, we must for this one hail the creation of two 

 more universities where the localities will be able to impress 

 on the authorities their needs. The large majority of those 

 whose views I share in this matter are not opposed to or 

 distrust the good effects of those parts of education which 

 dat::! from ancient times. The great men who have come 

 under their sway are living proofs that they can be effective 

 now as they have been in times past, but we look to the 

 production of greater men by the removal of the limitations 

 which tradition sets. I myself gratefully acknowledge 

 what the public school at which I had my early education 

 did for me, but I think my gratitude would be more intense 

 had I been given some small elementary instruction in that 

 natural knowledge which has had to be picked up here and 

 there in after life. 



There is one type of college which I have not alluded to 

 before, and that is the technical institutes. These have 

 been fostered by the localities in which they, are situated, 

 and been largely supported by the whisky money, supple- 

 mented by Government aid. I am glad to see that in the 

 last regulations of the Board of Education these colleges 

 will receive grants for higher scientific instruction, and I 

 have no doubt that in the near future such institutions and 

 schools of science will receive a block grant, which will 



