June 8, 1916] 



NATURE 



305 



(i) Science is National Education. 



We, the undersigned, submitted to you in March last 

 a brief memorandum in support of a memorial which 

 had then recently appeared on "The Neglect of 

 Science." We believe that you will welcome a further 

 statement from us as to what, in our opinion, the 

 Government could do in regard to this important sub- 

 ject, and we have, therefore, tried to indicate some 

 of the ways in which, in our opinion, the Government 

 might render a service to the nation on this matter. 



We assume it to be accepted that it would be an 

 advantage to the country if more trained men of 

 science could be found in our public services, and that 

 it is desirable that a larger proportion of boys and 

 young men than at present shall have instruction of 

 the best kind in science, as an essential part of their 

 education. It is needless to say that we do not under- 

 rate the importance of the teaching of languages and 

 other subjects as part of a good educational curri- 

 culum, nor do we believe that an education which 

 includes good teaching of science need be a narrow 

 education. 



What seems to be primarily needed is that at this 

 critical time in our history the Government, through 

 some of its leading members, shall speak plainly to 

 the country on the question of national education, and 

 shall guide and instruct the public in a matter where 

 there is still so much lethargy, misconception, and 

 ignorance. There have been many reports by associa- 

 tions and societies, and advisory bodies, and depart- 

 mental committees, and Royal Commissions. A strong 

 lead from the Government itself, or a Ministerial 

 Committee announcing a policy and offering guid- 

 ance, would now be of the highest value. We do not 

 pretend to indicate what that policy or that guidance 

 should be, but we wish to mention some matters which 

 appear to demand early attention. 



A large body of opinion at Oxford arKl Cambridge, 

 and in the countr\- generall}', is in favour of altering 

 the conditions of entrance to these universities. It 

 has been clear for a long time that to effect reform 

 in this and other matters an alteration in the method 

 of their government is required. And yet generation 

 follows generation and nothing is done. Is it not 

 desirable that, at any rate immediately after the war, 

 the legislative changes which are desirable shall be 

 introduced into Parliament by the Government? The 

 influence of the old universities through their endow- 

 ments and their examinations upon the schools is very 

 far-reaching. For this reason the question is of real 

 importance. No reasonable person can think that the 

 study of languages, including the ancient languages, 

 by those who are most able to profit by them will 

 really suffer by reform in this direction. 



As regards those public schools where classical 

 education occupies an important or preponderating 

 position, information is needed as to tEe extent to 

 which school scholarships on entrance to the schools 

 and later are ^ven for successes in which knowledge 

 of Latin and Greek plays a predominating part. It 

 would appear desirable that the boys with brains 

 should be attracted to the modern as much as to the 

 classical side of the schools, as far as the use of the 

 endowments is concerned. At the present time, how- 

 ever, it is the fact that many of the best boys at the 

 public schools are practically forced to the classical 

 side, and it is often only in exceptional cases, as where 

 a far-seeing parent has intervened, that a clever boy 

 has been allowed seriously to study science. If the 

 Government has not full power to obtain the necessary 

 information on the above-mentioned and other rele- 

 vant matters, it seems desirable that the requisite 

 power should be obtained. 



NO. 2432, VOL. 97I 



In the past a considerable proportion of the cleverest 

 boys in these schools, and in the preparatory schools 

 which lead to them, have been taught classics from 

 an early age, and because many boys with brains who 

 succeed in after life have been educated in this way, 

 it has been assumed that a classical education is more 

 likely to make a mart successful in the public service 

 and in other branches of life than is a modern or 

 scientific education. We believe this assumption to 

 be quite unfounded. The important matter is to allot 

 to boys an education according to their capacity'. 

 There is no doubt at all that an enormous amount of 

 time is at present wasted in trying to teach certain 

 types of boys Greek. The effort in these cases is not 

 only of very little value, but, in our opinion, is posi- 

 tively detrimental. In any event a knowledge of 

 Greek literature or culture is notoriously not obtained 

 by merely acquiring an enforced smattering of the 

 Greek language, and the time thus wasted might well 

 be turned to better purpose. Many boys, to whom 

 Greek, and often Latin, too, are completely distaste- 

 ful, might find in the more practical training of the 

 laboratory and the workshop (which should be coupled 

 with thorough instruction in English subjects, mathe- 

 matics, and a modern language) an outlet for faculties 

 which an education of a predominantly literary char- 

 acter will never effectively develop. 



There is no doubt that at some of the public schools 

 careful attention is given to the provision of teaching 

 of science. The difficulty that often arises is that, in 

 a school where classical teaching predominates, con- 

 flicting claims, which cannot be met, are made by 

 parents or by outside examinations on what is called 

 the modern side, and confusion of aim results. The 

 excellent training of our officers in the Nav}' at 

 Osborne and Dartmouth offers an example of concen- 

 tration of aim which is worthy of careful attention. 



If a Government Committee could report exactly 

 how matters stand in these respects at our public 

 schools, even without any power whatever to make a 

 change, we believe it would have a considerable effect 

 on public opinion. 



We viewed with great satisfaction the appointment 

 last summer of a Special Committee of the Privy 

 Council (of which you are chairman) to aid Industrial 

 Research with the help of an Advisory- Council, and 

 of other committees which contain men of eminence 

 in science and industry. We hope that the grant of 

 money in Parliament for this purpose will not be 

 stinted, and that the sum of 40,000/. allotted for this 

 vear will be considerably increased, for our own 

 experience in connection with both science and tech- 

 nology shows how much has yet to be done by the 

 nation in this direction. 



We desire to lay very great stress upon the import- 

 ance of immediately devising means for sending a 

 larger supply of able young men who have been 

 thoroughly educated in science as part of a well- 

 considered curriculum to our universities and colleges. 

 This would provide among men of business, or men 

 in public careers, a larger proportion of individuals 

 trained in scientific methods, which is generally recog- 

 nised as of great importance. In our own experience, 

 now that many leaders of industry are realising the 

 value of science, we have found, when asked bvthem 

 to supply the young and promising men that they 

 require, that it has been sometimes impossible to 

 answer their call simply because of a shortage of 

 properly trained men. 



There are a large number of boys and young men 

 of real ability to be found in our State-aided secondary 

 schools, our technical schools and classes, and our 

 evening schools. What is needed is that these shall 

 have better opportunities of being well taught, and 



