546 



NATURE 



[August 31, 191 6 



the earliest opportunity for strengthening the higher 

 parts of selected secondary schools, or that some similar 

 expedient be adopted for the same purpose. For this 

 purpose we suggest as a beginning the sum of 

 loo.oool. a year. 

 VVe recommend : — 



(7) That the State provide maintenance grants to enable 

 selected scholars to continue their secondary education 

 from the age of sixteen to that of eighteen or nineteen. 

 For this purpose we consider that 90,000!. would be 

 required in the third year. 



(8) That the State provide about 250 scholarships 

 every year for students from secondary schools who 

 intend to pursue scientific or technical subjects at the 

 universities. That these scholarships be allotted to tfie 

 several universities and awarded by the universities. 

 We estimate the cost of this provision at the annual 

 sum of 67,500!. Should the second alternative recom- 

 mendation in (26) below be adopted, a further sum of 

 about io,oooZ. would be needed for the additional cost 

 of such of these scholarships as may be held at Oxford 

 or Cambridge. 



(9) To encourage local authorities to develop their 

 schemes of scholarships from secondary schools to the 

 universities, and with special reference to increased 

 provision of scholarships for women, we recommend 

 that a special grant-in-aid of 25,000!. be made. 



(10) For scholarships to the universities from senior 

 technical schools, and for candidates who have obtained 

 part-time instruction in scientific and technical subjects 

 while pursuing their vocation, we recommend for the 

 present that the annual sum of 27,000!. be granted. 



We recommend : — • 



(11) That, on the application of a scholar and on the 

 recommendation of some professor who is willing to 

 undertake his or her training in scientific or tech- 

 nological research, the prolongation of a scholarship 

 for a year after the conclusion of a degree course be 

 favourably considered, and the cost of such a system 

 be defrayed from national funds. 



(12) That after such prolongation for one year the 

 scholarship be capable of prolongation for another year 

 on the certificate of the professor that the scholar shows 

 aptitude for research, and is willing to pursue research 

 under his guidance in some specified branch of science 

 or technology, the cost being met from national funds. 



We consider that for the purposes of recommenda- 

 tions (11) and (12) the annual sum of 20,000!. would 

 be sufficient at the inception, and we recommend that 

 in so far as these prolongations are defrayed from 

 national funds the regulation of such prolongations 

 be entrusted to a Central Committee nominated by 

 the Board of Education. 



Value of Scholarships to Universities. 



We recommend : — 



(13) That the value of a scholarship to a university 

 granted by the Government or by a local authority be 

 60!., and that all university fees and dues be defrayed 

 in addition by the Government or the authority, except 

 in the case of scholars who also hold a scholarship 

 at Oxford or Cambridge or some other emolument. 



(14) That the sum payable annually by virtue of the 

 scholarship be withheld or reduced if the Government 

 or the local authority be satisfied that the scholar or 

 his parents or his guardians can themselves afford to 

 defray the whole cost, or part of the cost, of his 

 university education. 



Duration of Scholarships. 



(15) That the normal duration of a scholarship to a 

 university be three years, subject to residence, good 



NO. 2444, VOL. 97] 



conduct, and satisfactory reports on the scholar's 

 work. 



(16) That (subject to the same conditions) the 

 scholarship be prolonged for one year when the normal 

 university course for that scholar is four years. 



(17) That a scholarship to the university once 

 awarded by a local education authority should not 

 be dependent on the continued residence of the holder 

 or his parents or guardians in the area of the awarding 

 authority. 



Methods of Award of Scholarships to Universities. 



(18) That every local authority offering scholarships 

 from secondary schools tenable at a university entrust 

 to some university the award of such scholarships. 

 That Government scholarships be allotted to the several 

 universities and be similarly awarded. 



(19) That such award be made accordmg to the 

 responsible judgment of a board of about five award- 

 ing examiners, after consideration of the marks allotted 

 and the reports made by the examiners in the several 

 subjects, after interviewing selected candidates, after 

 such further scrutiny of the written work as may seem 

 to the board desirable, and after weighing in cases of 

 doubt such further evidence as may be made admissible 

 by the regulations. 



(20) That evidence of general education up to an 

 adequate standard be required as a qualification for 

 appointment to scholarships from secondary schools to 

 universities. 



(21) That a serious test in EngHsh be imposed on 

 all candidates in such competitions, and be taken into 

 account in the award of scholarships. 



(22) That subjects be grouped for purposes of exam- 

 ination according to some reasonable principle so as 

 to discourage excessive specialisation on the one hand, 

 and heterogeneous study on the other. 



(23) That the examination be designed to encourage 

 an adequate breadth of study, but that nevertheless 

 the boards of examiners have fulf discretion to recog- 

 nise either exceptional merit and promise in one sub- 

 ject, or general excellence over a wider range, as they 

 think fit. 



(24) That, in view of the special need of encourage- 

 ment for scientific and technological studies, scholar- 

 ships be awarded somewhat more readily to candidates 

 who intend to pursue such studies than to others. 



(25) That no examination for scholarships from 

 secondary schools to universities be regarded as satis- 

 factory in which more than two hundred candidates 

 are examined in one batch. 



(26) We recommend to the attention of the local 

 authorities the practice of the London County Council 

 in awarding senior scholarships without further written 

 examination to those who have won open scholarships 

 by the award of the colleges of Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge; and to the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge 

 we recommend that they should seek powers to grant 

 a proportion of scholarships on their own foundations 

 to such Government or county scholars as, having 

 received the grant of a scholarship by the aw'ard of a 

 board of examiners acting for some university, have 

 (without further examination) proved to the satisfac- 

 tion of the college that they would benefit by educa- 

 tion at Oxford or Cambridge. 



Or, as an alternative, that all scholarships to Oxford 

 and Cambridge, whether granted by the Government 

 or bv a local authority, or by a college so far as 

 college statutes permit, shall be of such value as to 

 cover all strictly necessary expenses of residence, main- 

 tenance while residing, and education, subject to the 

 provisions of recommendation (14) above. 



