OcTOBER 9, 1902] 
NATURE 
599 
bricks without straw ; they have little to write about under 
ordinary school conditions. The subject is also one, I believe, 
which must be taught incidentally, at least during the earlier 
years, and chiefly in connection with the experimental work ; in 
fact, to make this last the training it should be an absolute 
record of all that is done, must be properly written out, and 
while the work is being done too. Many teachers, I know, shy 
at this, and say that it is their business to teach ‘‘ Science,” 
and not literary style ; but they are wrong, and must inevitably 
accept the burden if they are to succeed in teaching ‘‘ Science” 
atall. An experiment, like an act, “‘ hath three branches ”— 
to conceive, to do, to utilise; a clearly defined motive must 
underlie it; it must be properly executed ; the result must be 
interpreted and applied. It is only when the motive is clearly 
written out that it is clearly understood—that the meaning or 
intention of the experiment is clearly grasped; and this is 
equally true of the result. Of course, it is necessary to proceed 
slowly and not to demand too much from beginners; but it is 
surprising how the power grows. Drawing, of course, must be 
included under the second R ; but this also may with advantage 
be taught incidentally, and only receive individual attention at a 
later stage, when those who show aptitude in the incidental work 
have been selected out for higher instruction. 
The third R must be held to cover, not merely the simple rules 
of arithmetic and all that is necessary of formal mathematics, 
but also measurement work. Mathematics claims to be an 
exact subject, and therefore must be treated exactly and made 
the means of inculcating training in exactness, and not on paper 
merely, but in fact. Moreover, physical science reposes on a 
basis of exact measurement, so that the introduction of experi- 
mental work into schools involves the introduction of measure- 
ment work as a matter of course. 
The fourth R—Reasoning—will necessarily be taught in 
connection with every subject of instruction, not specifically. It 
is introduced as marking the absolute need of developing 
thought-power ; and, in point of fact, should be put before all 
others in importance. 
Under such a system as I suggest, the time of study would be 
spent in two ways—in reading and experimenting. But what- 
ever we do, let us be thorough ; the danger lies in attempting too 
much, too many things. Each step must be taken slowly 
and warily, and a secure position established before going 
further. 
Ireland is fortunate at the present time in that far-reaching 
changes are being introduced into its educational system. <A 
body of men are engaged in this work who are, I believe, in 
every way specially qualified to promote reforms and earnestly 
desirous of developing a sound policy. The Irish race have rich 
powers of imagination such as no other section of the nation 
possesses, and it is only necessary that these powers be trained 
to considered and balanced action to make the Irish capable of 
deeds before which the splendid achievements of the past will 
appear as nothing. Of course, the development of a true policy 
must come about slowly, and we must not be too impatient of 
results, but give every encouragement and all possible support 
to those engaged in the work. It is before all things necessary 
to remember that the school is a preparation for life, not for the 
inspector’s visit; in the future, the inspector will act more as 
adviser and friend, let us hope, than as mentor. 
Turning to my own subject, the pyogrammes laid down for 
primary and intermediate schools appear to me to be well 
thought out and full of promise; the only fault that I might be 
inclined to find being that perhaps they are somewhat too 
ambitious. But very able men are directing the work, and they 
should be able to see that thoroughness is aimed at before all 
things. Nothing could be more gratifying than Mr. Heller’s 
statement in the Report for 1900, ‘* that the Irish teachers as a 
whole seem to possess a great natural taste and aptitude for 
science and the method of experimental inquiry.” May they 
seek to set the example which is sorely needed to teachers in 
‘other parts of the kingdom. I fear there has been a good deal 
of hand-to-mouth teaching in the past; to avoid this, the 
teacher should not only have a carefully drawn-up scheme of 
work, but should keep a diary in which the work accomplished 
each week is carefully recorded. In this way the weaker 
teachers will check any tendency they may have to relax their 
efforts, and inspectors will be in the position to understand at 
once what progress is being made. Education, unfortunately, 
as subject to booms as the money market is; just now the 
«« Nature-study” boom ison. We must be very careful not to 
NO. 1719, VOL. 66] 
let this carry us away ; whatever is done must be by way of real 
Nature-study, and must have very simple beginnings. In most 
of the work that is being boomed, the presence of the eternal 
book is only too evident, and such teaching must be worthless. 
Let the teachers remember that the great object in view is to 
acquire the art of experimenting and observing with a clearly 
defined and logical purpose. If they once learn to experiment 
properly, all else will follow. The inspectors must give 
constructive help to the work; they too must be students and 
labourers in the cause of progress, not mere commentators. 
And there will be a great opportunity for experts to assist who 
can be helpful to schools. Every school should be provided 
with a workshop, simply equipped with flat-topped tables, in 
which all the subjects which are taught practically can be taken. 
Elaborately fitted laboratories are not only unnecessary, but 
undesirable ; the work should be done under conditions such as 
obtain in ordinary life. A due proportion of the school time 
must be devoted to experimental studies ; no difficulty will arise 
when it is seen that so much else is taught incidentally ; and 
that this is the case must be carefully borne in mind in arranging 
the curriculum—otherwise there will be much overlapping and 
waste of time. Lastly, every effort must be made to keep down 
the size of the classes. I trust that in Ireland the girls will 
receive as much attention as the boys. Experimental teaching 
is of even greater value to them than to boys, as boys have more 
opportunities of doing work which is akin to it in the world. 
The work done by girls should of course bear directly on their 
domestic occupations. 
If we are to improve our schools, the teachers must be trained 
to teach properly—or rather, let me say, must be put in the 
right way to teach, because practice and experience alone can 
give proficiency. This is the most difficult of all the problems 
to be faced in providing for the future. It is the one of all 
others to be thought out with the greatest care, and in solving 
it the help of all who can help must be secured. No amount 
of didactic teaching will make teachers; the training must be 
practical. To graft on the ordinary training a course of 
lectures on the theory and practice of teaching plus a certain 
amount of practice in a school is not enough. How can we 
attempt to teach the theory and practice of teaching when we 
are agreed that we do not know how to teach most subjects? 
How can a master of method instruct us how to teach sub- 
jects of which he has only heard? It cannot be done ; in point 
of fact, we are talking about the thing—beating about the bush 
—instead of treating the problem as one which can only be 
solved by experiment. Toteach method, you must know your 
subject ; one man cannot know many subjects. Of course there 
are quite a number of good general rules to be learnt, but the 
application of these must rest with the specialist ; and the only 
proper way of giving training in method is to teach the subject 
in the way it seems desirable that it should be taught. The end 
result of training should be the @evelopment of a spirit of abso- 
lute humility—of the feeling that no task is so difficult as that of 
teaching properly, no career in which finality is more impossible 
to attain to, no career which offers greater opportunity for 
perpetual self-improvement. The effect of the narrow and 
unimaginative system in vogue to-day is to send forth a set of 
young persons who arrogantly consider that they are ‘‘ trained ”’; 
if they would only think of the amount of preparation involved 
in training for athletic competitions, or in training race-horses 
even, they would entertain more modest views and be aware 
that they have everything to learn when they commence their 
work. The Beckmessers reign supreme in our training colleges 
of to-day ; they must be got rid of, and true modest experts 
introduced in their place. The test of efficiency must be a real 
one, not that of a mere final examination. The inspectors 
must see to it that the instruction is given always with a view 
to the fact that the students are to become teachers, which at 
present seems to be the last consideration bornein mind. Every 
effort must be made to secure a higher class of student for the 
training colleges ; a fair secondary training ust be znsisted on. 
A narrow spirit of trade unionism pervades the primary school 
system at the present time, and School Boards and managers of 
Pupil Teachers’ Centres make no effort to secure the assistance 
of secondary teachers. 
My receipt for a training college would be: Develop thought- 
power and ‘individuality; develop imagination. Teach what- 
ever will do this most effectively, and let special subjects be 
studied in the way that may best be followed in teaching them 
subsequently. 
