692 REPORT—1885. 
Report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. J. H. GLADSTONE 
(Secretary), Mr. WitLiaMm SHaEN, Mr. STEPHEN BourNE, Miss 
Lyp14 Becker, Sir Jonn Lupzock, Bart., Dr. H. W. CRossKEy, 
Sir RicHARD TEMPLE, Sir Henry E. Roscor, Mr. JAMES HEYwoop, 
and Professor N. Story MASKELYNE, appointed for the purpose 
of continuing the inquiries relating to the teaching of Science 
in Elementary Schools. 
THE principal duty of your Committee is to watch the course of legisla- 
tive action as far as it has any bearing on the teaching of science in 
elementary schools; and naturally the annual modifications of the 
Educational Code claim the first consideration. This year, however, 
these modifications have been exceedingly small, and there is but one 
which affects the teaching of science, and that only indirectly. : 
Drawing has been made a class subject in the schools, and is to take 
its place with English, geography, elementary science, history, and 
needlework (for girls). Grants may be earned for three of these 
subjects. If one only is taken, it still must be ‘English.’ If three of 
these are taken, one of them must be ‘drawing’; but if two are taken, 
the choice of the second subject lies between any of those that come 
after ‘English.’ Hence the addition of drawing reduces the chance of 
either of the scientific class subjects (geography or elementary science) 
being taught in elementary schools. . - 
The Revised Instructions to Her Majesty’s Inspectors issued this year 
contain the following additional clauses on geography, which meet with 
your Committee’s entire approval :—‘ Geographical teaching is sometimes 
too much restricted to the pointing out of places on a map, and to the 
enumeration of such details as the names of rivers, towns, capes, and 
political divisions. It is hardly necessary to say that geography, if 
taught to good purpose, includes also a description of the physical aspects 
of the countries, and seeks to establish some associations between the 
names of places and those historical, social, or industrial facts which 
alone make the names of places worth remembering. It is especially 
desirable in your examination of the Fourth and higher Standards, that 
attention should be called to the English colonies and their productions, 
government, and resources, and to those climatic and other conditions 
which render our distant possessions suitable fields for emigration, and 
for honourable enterprise.’ 
As to the effect of the regulations on the teaching of these class 
subjects, the annual return of the Education Department shows that the 
teaching of geography is actually diminishing in our schools, and that 
elementary science has scarcely gained a footing. The following table 
shows the position of affairs, the figures for 1882-3 being calculated on 
the basis that the departments examined in the last four months of that 
year were 31'1 per cent. of the whole :— 
Class Subjects 1882-3 | 1883-4 | 
se i =e 
Geography . Departments : - - 12,823 | 12,775 
Elementary Science 54 : 4 : , 48 51 
History . 5 s * : - : . 367 382 | 
Needlework . g _ , , 3 : 5,286 5,929 1 
18,524 19,137 
rr 
