Dec. 25, 1884] 



NA TURE 



177 



tor, or small towns near to one another (as in Lancashire 

 and Yorkshire, or in the Black Country), may unite for 

 the same end. 



Application of the Itinerant System of Science- 

 Teaching in Birmingham. — It was in June 1880 that 

 I received my present appointment from the Birmingham 

 School Board. Since that time the work in which I have 

 been er.gaged has received the unanimous approval of 

 the Board, but I ought especially to acknowledge the 

 encouragement received from the Chairman — Mr. George 

 Dixon — and from Dr. Crosskey, and the valuable 

 advice given by the able and experienced Clerk 

 to the Board, Mr. G. B. Davis. 



Three assistants have been appointed, with a 

 junior laboratory assistant, and two youths who 

 work the two hand-carts which we now employ. 

 The regular science staff thus includes seven 

 individuals, whose salaries amount to 750/. per 

 annum. In connection with the new Icknield 

 Street School an admirable laboratory has been 

 erected, at a cost (with fittings) of 1450/., in- 

 cluding a lecture theatre to seat eighty, a chemi- 

 cal laboratory and store-room, and a demon- 

 strator's room (Fig. 2). About 400/. has been 

 expended in the purchase of apparatus. 



There are now thirty schools under the Bir- 

 mingham School Board, attended by nearly 40,000 

 children. 



In each of the thirty boys' departments Me- 

 chanics is taken as a specific subject by every boy 

 in the Fifth and higher Standards ; six depart- 

 ments take magnetism and electricity as a second 

 specific subject. 



In each of the thirty girls' departments Domes- 

 tic Economy is taken as a specific subject by 

 every girl in the Fifth and higher Standards ; 

 three departments take animal physiology as a 

 second specific subject. 



At the request of the teachers a few Fourth 

 Standard children of exceptional ability are al- 

 lowed to attend the science-lessons, since it is 

 found not merely to do them good mentally but 

 to induce them to remain longer at school. 



The total number of children now receiving 

 instruction in science in the Birmingham Board 

 schools is, in round numbers : — 



Mechanics 2400 boys 



Magnetism and Electricity ... 300 ,, 



Domestic Economy 1800 girls 



Animal Physiology IOO ,, 



In the framing of the syllabuses a wide inter- 

 pretation has been given to these subjects ; thus 

 under the head of domestic economy as much 

 elementary chemistry and physiology are taught 

 as will enable an intelligent girl to comprehend 

 the familiar facts of home life. 



As a rule two science-teachers and two youths 

 go with each hand-cart, so that the lessons to 

 boys and girls go on simultaneously in each 

 school. By this plan each hand-cart can visit 

 four schools (eight departments) daily, while with 

 a single teacher only two schools (four depart- 

 ments) could be visited. 



The same lesson is given to class after class throughout 

 the week. It is previously very carefully prepared by the 

 science-demonstrator, is written out in full by him, and the 

 experiments are tried over and the apparatus packed on 

 Saturday morning, so that everything is ready for the 

 start on Monday morning. 



In each science subject there is but o?ic stage taught in 

 each school. Children entering on the subject join in at 

 the second or third stage, as the case may be, so that all 

 the children in any one department form one class, work- 

 ing at the same stage of the same subject. This plan 



simplifies the work wonderfully, and it is found in practice 

 that the science subjects taken may be as conveniently 

 commenced at any one of the three stages into which 

 each is divided in the Code as at any other. Each stage 

 stands quite by itself, and each may be considered in 

 turn as forming an introduction to the other two. 



Results of the Science-Teaching in Birmingham. 

 — The visits of the science demonstrator have been wel- 

 comed both by the teachers and children of the Board 

 schools. The teachers have earnestly co-operated in the 



work, and much of its success is due to their efforts. With 

 the children, the science-lessons have proved extremely 

 popular. There is invariably a good attendance on the 

 day of the science-lesson. Among the boys the half- 

 timers then muster strongly, often getting leave to come in 

 for that lesson only, and sitting with bare arms and rolled- 

 up aprons, just as they have run from their work. In the 

 same way big girls, who cannot escape from tyrannical 

 babies, beg leave to bring their charges into the class- 

 room ; and I know of many a case where " mother " has 

 beer, persuaded to change her "washing-day" because it 



