January 8, 1903] 



NA TURE 



237 



Coordination of Science Teaching. 

 Frof. Armstrong, F.R.S., took the chair at the afternoon 

 meeting, when Dr. Kimmins read a piper on the coordination 

 and delimitation of science teaching in various grades of 

 schools. He maintained that the aim of rational methods of 

 teaching science was not the acquisition of knowledge, but 

 ra her the training of the intelligence of the child and the de- 

 velopment of certain mental qualities of the highest value. 

 Useful knowledge had been and was still the curse of science 

 teaching. He urged that the adoption of rational methods in 

 science teaching simplified to a remarkable degree the relation 

 and delimitations of such teaching, and instanced the co- 

 ordination in workshop and laboratory instruction which has 

 b;en so effectually secured in London schools. In the dis- 

 cussion which followed, Dr. Forsyth emphasised the need of a 

 s .und general education for all students who intended later to 

 enter technical colleges. 



During the afternoon, Canon Rawnsley read a paper at the 

 Central Higher Grade School on the national import of co- 

 education. 



Elementary Experimental Science. 

 Prof. Smithells occupied the chair at the third meeting, when 

 papers were read by Mr. French, on the teaching of experi- 

 mental physics in its early stages, and by Mr. R. L Taylor, on 

 1 he similar teaching of experimental chemistry. Mr. French 

 described and approved the methods of teaching elementary 

 physics advocated by the British Association committee and 

 now very generally adopted in secondary schools. Mr. Taylor 

 attacked, in a friendly way, the heuristic method of teaching 

 chemistry as advocated by Prof. Armstrong, an admirable 

 method which, he said, had become an undesirable system. A 

 lively debate ensued, in which many speakers, following Mr. 

 Taylor's lead, appeared to strive to accentuate the abuses of 

 the "research" method of teaching chemistry rather than to 

 recognise its many advantages 



Prof. Armstrong, in replying to Mr. Taylor's criticisms, said 

 the question at issue was not merely a difference of opinion. 

 There was a great principle at stake, and that principle was— 

 Were they or were they not to train boys and girls at school to 

 think for themselves, to reason for themselves, to do for them- 

 selves, to be thoughtful, observant human beings throughout the 

 time they were at school, whenever they left 'school, and ever 

 afterwards? The majority of the subjects that were taught and 

 had been taught up to the present day had been taught in an 

 academic, didactic and unpractical way. Britain was what it was 

 because of the individuality of Britishers. Our modern school 

 system was sapping our individuality. It was with the object 

 of avoiding that loss of character that he and others were 

 bringing practical meihods info vogue. 



Prof Smithells, in a very able speech, summarised the dis- 

 cussion, and traced many of the improvements in the teaching 

 of science in England during the last ten years to the advocacy 

 by Prof. Armstrong of rational methods of teaching, but at the 

 same time pointed out there were extravagances in some of 

 Prof. Armstrong's utterances which were, perhaps, inseparable 

 from the work of a pioneer. 



At the Central Higher Grade School during the discussion on 

 the heuristic method, Mr. Lomas read a paper on fitting up 

 school laboratories. 



The Teaching of Nature-Study. 



The concluding meeting of the conference was presided over 

 by Prof Miall, F.R.S. A paper was read by Mr. H. Wager 

 on the methods of nature-study, in which he urged that nature- 

 study in its widest aspects should be regarded as the study of ele- 

 mentary natural science, and should include, in addition to the 

 simple facts of botany, zoology and geology, so much of 

 elementary physics and chemistry as was concerned with the 

 study of air and water, the condensation of moisture, frost, 

 snow, and other simple natural phenomena. The formal study 

 of any branch of science was not implied in it, nor was it desir- 

 able, m the earlier stages, at any rate, that they should be 

 restricted to one branch of science only. The main objects in 

 advocating the inclusion of nature-study in schools were (i) to 

 arouse an interest in natural objects and phenomena, and (2) to 

 develop to some extent the scientific method of dealing with 

 simple problems, by the carelul observation and comparison of 

 tacts and drawing inferences from them. 



Prof. Weiss afterwards suggested that some portion of public | 

 NO 1/3 2. VOL. 0; J 



parks should be made available for nature-study. He disagreed 

 with Mr. Wager, who had deprecated the employment of dia- 

 grams and museums, and said he could not but think that there 

 were many objects from which lessons could usefully be learnt 

 without having the living animal before them. They should 

 first go to the living objects, but useful illustrations could be 

 drawn from other countries, and where they had opportunities 

 they should use them. 



During the concluding afternoon, Mr. W. C. Fletcher, of 

 Liverpool Institute, read a paper on the teaching of geometry, 

 in which he generally supported the, recommendations of the 

 British Association committee. 



The next conference will be held at Leeds. 



A. T. S. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 The annual meeting of the Association of Science Masters 

 in Public Schools will be held at the University of London on 

 January 17. 



We learn from the Times that the Treasury has given its 

 assent to the scheme by which Reading Corporation acquires 

 the site and buildings of the University College at a cost of 

 50,000/. The college, in exchange, obtains a much larger site 

 on the London Road, whereon it is intended to erect a handsome 

 pile of college buildings. 



From a letter which Sir Michael Foster has addressed to Sir 

 John Rotton, it appears that an election of a new member for the 

 University of London may not be necessary. This news will be 

 received with great satisfaction by most of the electors, for the 

 University has in Sir Michael Foster a representative of the 

 high intellectual standard demanded of an academic con- 

 stituency. Since expressing the wish to resign his seat, the 

 circumstances which suggested that course have, most for- 

 tunately, changed, and he now desires to know whether the 

 graduates wish him to remain their member or not. 



Candidates for the Andrew Carnegie research scholarships 

 to be awarded by the Iron and Steel Institute must send in 

 their applications, on a special form, before the end of February 

 to the Secretary of the Institute, 28 Victoria Street, S.W. The 

 object of this scheme of scholarships is not to facilitate ordinary 

 collegiate studies, hut to enable students, who have passed 

 through a college curriculum or have been trained in industrial 

 establishments, to conduct researches in the metallurgy of iron 

 and steel and allied subjects, with the view of aiding its advance 

 or its application to industry. There is no restriction as to the 

 place of research which may be selected, whether university, 

 technical school or works, provided it be properly equipped for 

 the prosecution of metallurgies! investigations. Last year the 

 Andrew Carnegie gold medal was awarded to Dr. J. A. 

 Mathews, New York, and scholarships, each of the value of 

 100/., were awarded to O. Boudouard, Paris; W. Campbell, 

 New York ; A. Campion, Coopers Hill ; P. Longmuir, Man- 

 chester ; E. Schott, Berlin ; and F. H. Wigham, Wakefield. 



Prof. Robertson, the Canadian Commissioner of Agricul- 

 ture and Dairying, recently made a visit of investigation 

 and observation to a portion of the State of Ohio, where re- 

 markable progress has been made in the improvement of rur il 

 schools by the plan known as that of consolidation. Instead of 

 having a great number of small school districts, each with iis 

 own little school, these districts are united in one, and a large 

 central school meets the needs of the whole area. The children 

 are conveyed to and from the central school by means of vans 

 at the expense of the rates. Prof. Robertson sums up some of 

 the advantages afforded by the consolidation of rural schools 

 and the free transportation of pupils. It results in the attend- 

 ance of a larger number of the children in the locality, it brings 

 about a more regular attendance of pupils of all grades of ad- 

 vancement, it ensures teachers of higher qualifications and longer 

 experience in rural schools, it creates conditions for a proper 

 classification of pupils and provides the beneficial influences of 

 fairly large classes of pupils of about equal advancement. It 

 makes it convenient for boys and girls in rural districts to obtain 

 a high school education without leaving home, and leads to the 

 erection of better school buildings and more satisfactory equip- 

 men'. It mikes it practicable for rural sch >ols to teach nature- 



