ae 
1905 | Nature Stupy—No. 22. 21 
NATURE STUDY—No. XXII. 
S. B. SINCLAIR, Ph. D. 
THE SCHOOL TIME REQUIRED FOR NATURE STUDY. 
One of the most serious objections urged against the intro- 
duction of Nature Study in Public Schools is that there is ‘‘ no 
time for it.” 
Let us first consider ONE Hour PER WEEK, the amount of 
time required. One of the most historic responsible pronounce- 
ments on the subject, is that made in 1892, in the report made by 
the famous Committee of Ten, p. 139, where the Natural History 
section recommend that ‘‘ No less than one hour per week, divided 
jnto at least two periods per week, should be devoted throughout 
the whole school course below the High School to the study of 
plants and animals : that in this study no text books should be 
used, and that these observation lessons should, as far possible, 
be made the basis of or correlated with work in language, drawing 
and literature.” 
Twenty years ago the writer of this article made a somewhat 
careful observation and study of a number of schools in the United 
States, England and France, in which courses in Nature Study 
similar to those recently prescribed for Ontario Schools had been 
for years and still are in operation. 
Since that time he has had opportunity for more extended 
observation and experiment, and his opinion is that an average of 
one hour of school time per week for Nature Study during the 
entire Public School course forms a satisfactory working hypo- 
thesis. Many of the most successful teachers of Nature Study 
give but few set lessons on the subject and vary the time and 
emphasis to accord with external conditions. For example, in the 
Spring when Nature seems to awaken from her winter sleep, more 
time may be devoted to the subject than during the winter months. 
Then too it is necessary to adjust the lessons to the school room 
conditions. For example, in a large rural school with many 
classes in charge of but one teacher, most of the work must be 
taken with combined classes or incidentally in connection with 
