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NA TURE 



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regulations are already discouraging general education 

 and encouraging an unfortunate system of specialisation. 

 II. The proportions of candidates who have chosen 

 one of the branches of experimental science in these 

 examinations show clearly that they are not generally 

 regarded as paying subjects. At Sandhurst especially it 

 is quite evident that there has been no considerable suc- 

 cess in consequence of cramming in this subject. It has 

 plainly not been worth while to cram it, nor to teach it 

 for this examination, except in a few cases. At Woolwich 

 under fairer conditions, it has been chosen by a greater 

 number. Experience shows that in the Woolwich ex- 

 aminations candidates of real scientific ability who work 

 well can do fairly, but only fairly, well, and accordingly 

 ^uch candidates are encouraged in those schools where 

 science is taught to take up experimental science unless 

 they are decidedly strong in some other subject. But the 

 marks they get, even when successful, are not such as to 

 encourage its adoption by any except those of a scientific 

 ability quite above the average, and these do not want 

 cramming. For example, a candidate standing second in 

 order among the experimental science candidates lately 

 obtained only 33 per cent, of the nominal maximum. 

 And in one subject, chemistry, lads of such ability as 

 would give them a fair chance of scholarships at our 

 Universities had they time for sufficiently wide reading, 

 will usually fail to get marks more than slightly exceeding 

 40 to 50 per cent, of the maximum, with the greatest 

 diligence, even though their position on the list of experi- 

 mental science candidates is a good one. These facts, 

 and the absence of any rush on the subject seems quite 

 inconsistent with the charge that experimental science 

 has been a subject in which there has been much suc- 

 cessful cramming — some there has no doubt been in 

 this and in all subjects ; candidates who have first- 

 rate memories, and only moderate intelligence, will from 

 time to time succeed by sheer industry in these and in all 

 other competitions. Probably mathematics and experi- 

 mental science suit these less than any other subject. 



Geography, physical geography, and geology have been 

 selected by rather more candidates both at the competi- 

 tions for Sandhurst and Woolwich. From the nature of 

 this subject it seems not impossible that there has been cram- 

 ming in preparing for it. If so, the evil could surely be 

 met, possibly by the changes proposed in Section III. 

 combined with great care in setting the papers, and by 

 the introduction of a viva voce examination. 



III. As physiology is now extensively studied in the 

 Universities, whence some of the Sandhurst candidates 

 come, and is successfully taught in at least one great 

 school — Eton — it is a question if the time has not come 

 when it should be added to the science subjects examined. 

 And as practical physics is now taught in some schools, 

 and examined at the scholarship competitions at Cam- 

 bridge, it would be a gain if there could be a practical 

 examination for candidates who take up physical subjects 

 .is there is for those who take up chemistry. This would 

 act as a check on cramming, and would encourage stu- 

 dents of a practical turn, and would encourage, as its 

 absence discourages, this valuable branch of work in our 

 public schools. One subject, chemistry, is encumbered by 

 the addition of heat to it. Chemistry would be at least 

 as difficult as the other divisions without this addition ; 



with it, and its practical examination, it is in a most unfair 

 position. It would probably be advantageous to add 

 light to heat, and make them a new division. The scheme 

 would then stand as follows : — 



Division a. — Experimental Science 



1. Chemistry. With a practical examination. 



2. Light and Heat. „ „ ,, 



3. Electricity and Magnetism. „ ,, 



Division 6 



1. Physiology. With some practical work. 



2. Geography, Physical Geography, and Geology. With a viva 



rvcv examination on specimens. 1 

 Candidates might be allowed to take one subject in 

 Division a and one in Division b, which would be in 

 accordance with the present plan at Woolwich, but would 

 give greater choice of subjects. It would also be much 

 fairer to one much-taught subject — chemistry. 



IV. The very small proportion of the candidates for 

 Sandhurst who select experimental science does suggest 

 that in this case too high a standard is perhaps expected 

 by the examiners, though it is probably a question of 

 marks to a great extent. But with this exception, and if 

 that very difficult subject, chemistry, were relieved of the 

 addition of heat, on the whole it does not appear that 

 the standard expected is much too high. It is true that 

 there are other subjects marked more liberally ; yet on 

 the whole a high standard is more in the interests of 

 science than a low one. The latter would encourage 

 superficial teaching, and so lead to the discredit of the 

 subject. Hitherto candidates of good scientific ability 

 have been able to take advantage of their science at 

 Woolwich if well taught, and if proper appliances for the 

 work have been available. There does not seem there- 

 fore much ground for complaint on this score, though 

 there has been a certain want of regularity in the marks 

 awarded to similar boys in different subjects and at 

 different examinations, which would probably be to a 

 great extent removed if two papers instead of one were 

 set on each subject, the papers being as far as possible of 

 different characters. It has, however, been only just 

 possible, even under the Woolwich system, for the scien- 

 tific candidates to take up experimental science with the 

 present standard of knowledge demanded, and a small 

 difference in raising this standard or depressing the 

 marks allotted to it would undoubtedly have very serious 

 effects. The fairest method of allotting marks seems to 

 be that adopted at Woolwich, where mathematics, which 

 are essential, are marked above the rest, and the others 

 are all upon an equal footing, free choice being allowed. 

 To offer 3000 marks for four subjects, 2000 marks for two 

 others, and 1500 for the rest, and to limit the candidates 

 to four subjects, is equivalent to cutting out those for 

 which 1500 are given, especially when it is a condition 

 that of the four subjects selected three shall be taken from 

 those for which 3000 marks are given, and only one 

 at most from all the others. No doubt other plans which 

 would be more satisfactory than that which has been em- 

 ployed at Woolwich could be suggested. But it is certain 

 from past experience that a scheme of examination on the 

 lines of the new regulations will seriously discourage the 

 teaching of science in our public schools, and indeed will 

 tend to narrow the instruction they give in all respects. 



■ Probably if the Geography were dropped and a higher standard of 

 knowledge in the other two subjects were demanded, it would discourage 

 superficiality, the Geography being retained in the preliminary examination, 

 however, as a qualifying subject. 



