EEPORT or THE SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEE. liii 



APPENDIX C. 



On the Teaching of Science at Haeeow School. 



From this time forward natural science will be made a regular subject for 

 systematic teaching at Harrow, and a natural science master has been 

 appointed. 



But for many years before the Royal Commission for Inquiiy into the 

 Public Schools had been appointed, a voluntary system for the encouragement 

 of science had been in existence at Harrow. There had been every term 

 a voluntary examination on some scientific subject, which, together with the 

 text-books recommended, was announced at the end of the previous term. 

 Boys from all parts of the school offered themselves as candidates for these 

 voluntary examinations, and every boy who acquitted himself to the satisfac- 

 tion of the examiners (who were always two of the masters) was rewarded 

 with reference to what could be expected from his age and previous attain- 

 ments. The text-books were selected' with great care, and every boy really 

 interested in his subject could and did seek the private assistance of his tutor 

 or of some other master. The deficiencies of the plan, if regarded as a sub- 

 stitute for the more formal teaching of science, were too obvious to need 

 pointing out ; yet its results were so far satisfactory that many old Harro- 

 vians spoke of it with gratitude, among whom are some who have since de- 

 voted themselves to science with distinguished success. 



One of the 7nain defects of this plan (its want of all system) was remedied a 

 year ago, when two of the masters drew vip a scheme, which was most readily 

 adopted, by which any boy staying at Harrow for three years might at least 

 have the opportunity during that time of being introduced to the elementaiy 

 conceptions of astronomy, zoology, botany, structural and classificatory, che- 

 mistry, and physics. These subjects were entrusted to the responsibility of 

 eight of the masters, who drew up with great care a syllabus on the subject 

 for each term, recommend the best text-books, and give weekly instruction 

 (which is perfectly gratuitous) to all the boys who desire to avail themselves 

 of it ; indeed a boy may receive, in proportion to the interest which he 

 manifests in the subject, almost any amount of assistance which he may care 

 to seek. Proficiency in these examinations is rewarded as before ; and to 

 encourage steady perseverance, the boys who do best in the examination du- 

 ring a course of three terms receive more valuable special rewards. 



As offering to boys a voluntary and informal method of obtaining much 

 scientific information this plan (which was originated at Harrow, and has 

 not, so far as we are aware, been ever adopted at any other school) offers 

 many advantages. It is sufficiently elastic to admit of many modifications ; 

 it is sufficiently comprehensive to attract a great diversity of tastes and incli- 

 nations ; it cannot be found oppressive, because it rests with each boy to decide 

 whether he has the requisite leisure or not ; it can be ado2)ted with ease at 

 any school where even a small body of the masters are interested in one or 

 other special branch of science ; and it may tend to excite in some minds a 

 more spontaneous enthusiasm than could be created by a compulsory plan 

 alone. 



We would not, however, for a moment recommend the adoption of any such 

 plan as a substitute for more regular scientific training. Its chief value is 

 purely sup-plemental, and henceforth it will be regarded at Harrow as entirely 

 subordinate to the formal classes for the teaching of science which will be 

 immediately established. 



In addition to this, more than a year ago some of the boys formed them- 



