•136 



N.I /'/'A'/: 



AlKJIlsr 22, |l)(); 



MKO, limy llrl|> ill rlLllllinU ll'. In l.uil.l u\> .III r.llMlllidlKll 



>rli'i»'i>, Siinii' yi'iiTN liinii' (lifir wii» I'nliililinliiMl in 

 llnixai'U an /^ll^' iiini/iVi' in wlili li ciUuiilliiniil rxpi rinii'iiu 

 wen- irlml, I viHJIi'il llii< wlioi.l In lhi< vi'iir iWSn, miiiI I 

 (Miulil riislly iiolnl In iiiiiiw imiiiiivcniiMiU In |>rlnuiiv I'llnni- 

 liiin wlilrli (imild llli'li \va\ liniii lliiil xclicml lliriiii^ii llii' 

 si'limil- ol lli'l|<iiiMi tinil I'lMiii'i' l<> mil Mwn khiiiIu, iinil, 

 inili'Kil, In iilliiT |iiiiK III Mil' will III. I'loiii ii -,|M'i iiil 

 Ufpini cm SiIku.U in llic Nnilli o( ICiiiciiii', ifii'nllv piili- 

 lislu'il liv Ihr MiLiiil C.I I'dnccillnii, wc- Ic'cirn lliiil in Swcilcn 

 ilic vicliic ul Midi c'\|u.riniriiu U hilly llH•cl^nlM■cl. Wc 

 <tir Icilcl Ihiil In llinl ccinnln " ll wim riirlv li'll lliiil llic 

 iinllcninils In Sialic ScliciciK wiix ol so oirli'l ii Ulncl Ihcii 

 vcinic s|ic'c'liil in'ovislon shoiilil lie iniiili' lor riiirylii); oiil 

 I'cliii'iilioniil i<\|iiMiini'nl»," iiiiil rNpcrlnicnls in innny iliicc- 

 lioiiK liiivr lii'i'ii inmlr, ninlnly 111 |iilvnli' schools, wlilc li 

 ic'c'i-ivic, liowi'vc'i-, s|iiM'liil siilivcnllons Iroin llic Slnlc. \\r 

 (■HllicM (roiii Ihr siiiiic' Kcpoii (hill line Sliilc. rc^jiiicls Ihc- 

 inonov as well cai iircl " il Ihc school oc caslonallv oiIkImuK's 

 new ini'llioils lioni wliiili llic schools can ilciivc picilil." 

 I vcnlinc lo IhInU llial cxpci iiiiciiUil schools nii^hl willi 

 iiclvanlii|{i< l>c< oi'){anisc(l iinilct llic clii'cclinn of sonic of our 

 lai|.<ci' Icii'iil iiiilhorillcs. I'lic ihilchi'il ivoiilil c'ciiiiinlv nol 

 snirci l.y hclnn made the snhjccls of snrh cspci iinrnls. 

 Ihc- iiili'lliHcnt Iciichlnj; which Ihcv woiilil receive feci li 

 Is onlv Ihc inosi ciipiilile leac hers Who shonlil he Iriislecl 

 Willi siu'li cNperiiuenls wonlil more Ihan eonipcnsjili. lor 

 aiiv cliininiilion in Ihe anionnl ol Unowlecl^e which llie 

 chllihcn ini^lll iirc|iiire, and indeed such experlniental 

 Nc'hiiols nn)<lil he mndiiili'd inidei conclllions which wcjuld 

 en!<in'e siiniul inslrin lion. M.inv improved mellioils of 

 leachlnii nre (•oiisliinlly ndvocalcd, hiil fail lo lie iiclopled 

 liecaiise there Is no opporliinilv cd K'^in^ litem a lair (rial. 

 .\s 11 (general rule il is onlv hy ihe eltort ol private in- 

 dlvidiinls or iissoi iiillons lluil chiinKeii In svslcni nic 

 idVeeleil, iiiul lenrhers lire enahled lo esiiipe from the old 

 (■I'ooves on lo new lines of ediicallonal lhou(;hl and pnic - 

 lice. It is not (lilViciilt to refer lo many snccessfiil <-xpeii- 

 menls. 'I'he |.<eneriil Inlrodnclion into our schocds of 

 manual traiiiini^ was Ihc diiccl ii. stilt ol c\|ierimiMils carc- 

 fitllv iuriin^ed and conihnlcd hv a |oinl ( 'ininiillii-e id 

 Ihe Cilv (hiilds and Ihc late I .undoii ' Sc hoed Hoard. Hs 

 pcrimc-nls in lhi> mclliods cd lc>achinn riiysical Science, 

 ('llemislry. and (ieojiiclry have hcen Irii'd, willi resnils 

 that have Ic-il to ihaiiKes which have rcvohitionisecl the 

 teachinti of those sidijects, Ihe iiKe at which (lie slmly 

 (if l.alin sliovild hi commenced with a view to the (general 

 edncalion of Ihe scholar Iuin hcen the Milijecl of frec|iienl 

 trial. I would like to si-e such experiinenis more syslem- 

 aticall\ or)^anised, and I am cpiite cerlaiii lliat Ihc cnrri- 

 ciiliim of oar rural and of our iirlian schools would soon 

 undergo vcmv idiisidcMidile chanijes, if Ihe sii^jjieslions of 

 compelcnl iiiilhorlties could receive ii fair trial under con- 

 ditions thai would leave no inaniicr of doiilil as to ihe 

 character of the results. 



It would seem, therefore', that if oui kuoulcdKc "I II"- 

 fads and principles of education is nol \ci miMmicuiIv 

 ortJanised to eiiahli- iis to determine ii /ii-iari Ihe i-llfe. I on 

 individual or national character of any sii|4^esii.cl diani^es, 

 education is a siihjed thai niav he s'tiidii'd and improved 

 li\ Ihe a|.plic'alicin to it of scicMilillc nwtliod, hy ncc'unile 

 ciliM Tv.iiioii of what is ('oinj' on around us, and hy experi- 

 loiMits ihou^htfully condiided. This is the. jiisiilicalion of 

 Ihe inclusion cd' Ihc sidijc'd anions those Ihal occupy Ihe 

 .itlenlion of a separale sc'clion of this Association. ' Our 

 .liiii here should he lo apply to educational prohlems Ihe 

 well-known canons of scientilic iiu|uiry ; and, seeinjc that 

 the conditions under which alone any invcslination can 

 he concluded are in Ihcmsidves holh nunieroiis unci coiu- 

 plicalcd, il is essential that we should endeavour lo 

 lihcrate, as far as possilile, the discussion cd' the sulijed 

 from all pcditical considerations. Such invcsliHations are 

 necessarily dilVicult. We have to dcti-rmine holh sljilically 

 and dynamically the physical, mental, and moral condilion 

 of the child In relation' to his activities and surroiindiiiKs. 

 and wo have further to discover how hr is inlUienccd hv 

 them, how he can alTcd Ihem, and Ihe character of the 

 trninin>; which will hesi ,.nalile him to utilise his experi- 

 ences, and to add som.ihin^; In ihc Unowlc'dr;e of lo-dai 

 for future service. 



Notwilhstandini' tin. imdcuhlcd prof^rcss wlddi u.- U.nr 



NO. 1973, vol. 76] 



m.idc, il .iimiol he d.'niecl llial ill this ccainlry there slill 

 exists a lar){e anioiml ol eihicalional iinrcsl, of dissalislai'' 

 lion ttdlli Ihi' resnils id om idlorts during the last thirty 

 yearn, 'I'IiIn is pailh due to ihe fact lliiil there is murh 

 loose thinUIn^ anil iininlornied expression ol opInliiM on 

 educalional (picslioic.. No one knows an llllle as not lo 

 hclieve that his own opinion Is worth as niiicli as anolhrr's 

 on mailers nd.iiin^ 10 the education of the people. In 

 Ihls way stalemenls, the value of which has not been 

 li'sled, iiasn ciiirenl as iiNCerlained knowleil){e, and wry 

 ollen Ill-considered leolslatlon lidlows. In litis cuiinlry, 

 too, Ihe dIDiculli ol lireal(lii){ away Iroiii ancient muiles 

 cd Ihoiiuhl is ,1 ^iiMl drawhack lo educational pruureim. 

 Sii);nesllons lor iiiodciale ihail(^e«, wdiii h have heen most 

 carefully considcicd, are deferred and decried II Ihey de- 

 part , lo any ure.il exieiil, from estaldished custom, and 

 the olijection lo 1 han|je very often rests on no historiiiil 

 foundation. Occasionally, loo, llie chiin){e propimad l> 

 itself only a reversion lo a previous praclice, which wn« 

 rudely hroUen h\ tliou)jhtlesN and unscientllic relomifrk. 

 The opposition whidi was so l<in)< raised to Ihe estahllsh- 

 iiienl of loi.il iiniversilles win* lart<ely due lo want ol 

 knowledfjc on Ihc sidijecl ; and cerliiinly Ihe creation, some 

 seventy years nun, of a leaihln^J I'niversily in London was 

 actually hindered lhroii){li a mere prejudice, which hroadei 

 views as lo the real purposes id Universily teaching and 

 liiller informalioii on llic ciiiirse of Univemlty develop 

 iiieni would have removed. 



There never was a time perhaps when It was mine 

 necessary than now Ihal education should bn rcfjarded 

 ilispasslonalidy, apart from political Idas, as n matter of 

 vital Interest to the people- as a wdiole. I'.ducallon nowa- 

 days is a ipicslion which alTecIs not only the lile of a 

 few (irivllened, selected persons, hut cd the entire hody id 

 citizens. The pro^jress tlial has hcen iiiade clurinK llie lasi 

 few veins in nalionallsln^J our education has heen very 



rapid. Il may he that It has I n too rapid, that siilVu'lenl 



Ihoii^lht has nol li 1 ^iveii lo llie altered social and 



Indiisliial condilioiiM wdiich have to he considered. We 

 have wilnesscd a slronn desire and a successful effort lo 

 multiply Secondary and 'rechnical Schools and to iinen 

 more widcdy the portals of our I'nivcrsilies. The object 

 of Ihe desire is nood in itsidf. .As lhi> people ^jrow in 

 ktiowded^|c. the- demand for hijjher education will increase ; 

 hut the serious cpiestion lo he considered is whether thi- 

 kind of ecfiicalion which was supplied in schools, fouiuled 

 cifnturles a(.;ii lo meet rei|uireiiieiils very dilTerenl from 

 our own, is i'i|iially well adapted to the cciiidilions which 

 have arisen in a stale of siiclely haviii|4 idlier needs and 

 new ideals. \'cry rinhlly our stndeiils in training for the 

 profession of teachers are expected to study the writinfis 

 of l.ocUe, Koiisscaii, Milton, Montaigne, and others; hut 

 iniinv are apt to overlook the fact that these writers had 

 in view a dirfereni kind of education frian that In which 

 iiiodern leachers are en^;ii>;eil, and llial tlicdr suKHesticais. 

 excellent as many of Ihem are, were mainly applicahle to 

 Ihe instriidlon to he ^Ivcn hy a tiiloi In his private pupil. 



and had lilllr Iiieiice lo the leachin){ of the 



cdiildren ol iln- piMipl. in .,, hools expressly ornanlsed lor 

 Ihe educ.ili.iii nl ilii iii.ioi . Only recently have we come 

 to realise lli.il .1 demiicialic system of education, a syiileiii 

 intended lo provide an inlidlediial and moral training' foi 

 all cili/ens ol llii. Slale, and so ol^;allised that, apart from 

 any consideration ol social position 01 pecuniary nieanii, it 

 alTords facilities for Ifie full devidopment cd capacity and 

 skill wherevci llicy may occur, iiiusi he i-sseiiliidh 

 dil'ferenl In its alms and methods Irom that under which 

 iiianv of Us now livinji have heen trained, Il has also 

 heen' hroiiuhl home to us ihal the marvidlous chlln^;es in 

 our environnicnl. in the conditions under which we live 

 and work, whcilin in ihe Held, the laclorv, or Ihe olVicc-, 

 have necessilMlicI 1 niicspniidinn changes in Ihe education 

 lo he provided as a prc-paialion hir the si-vi-ial dilTerenl 

 pmsuils in which Ihe people jjenc'ially are occupied. Vcl . 

 nolwilhslaiidinn llusi. jjrcal forces wdiich have liroken in 

 upon and disluihcd our former ideals, forces the slrennih 

 and lar-ieai liin(4 cITects of wdiich we readily admit, we 

 slill hesiiale lo face- the newly arisen circiimstanres and 

 h> adapl our educalional work' to lis vastiv extended arci 

 of opcr.ilion .Old In llie allcred loiidiliniis .md rec|iiin 



