858 REPORT— 1901. 



Section L.— EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE. 



President of the Section — The Riglit Hon. Sir John E 

 GoBST, K.C., M.P., F.1J.S. 



TIIUB.8DAY, HEPTEMBEIi. 12. 



The President delivered the following Address : — 



The iuTitatiou of the British Association to preside over the Section of 

 Education, established this year for the first time, has been given to me as a 

 representative of that Government Department which controls the larger, but 

 perhaps not the most efficient, part of the Education of the United Kingdom. The 

 most suitable subject for my opening Address would therefore seem to be the 

 proper function of National Authority, whether central or local, in the education 

 of the people ; what is the limit of its obligations ; what is the part of Education 

 in which it can lead the way ; what is the region in which more powerful influ- 

 ences are at work, and in which it must take care not to hinder their operation ; 

 and what are the dangers to real education inseparable from a general national 

 system. I shall avoid questions of the division of functions between Central and 

 Local Authorities, beset with so many bitter controversies, which are political rather 

 than educational. 



Li the first place, so far as the mass of the youth of a country is concerned, the 

 Public Instructor can only play a secondary part in the most important part of the 

 education of the young — the development of character. The character of a people 

 is by far its most important attribute. It has a great deal more moment in the 

 affairs of the world, and is a much more vital factor in the promotion of national 

 power and influence, and in the spread of Empire, than either physical or mental 

 endowments. The character of each generation depends in the main upon the 

 character of the generation which precedes it ; of other causes in operation the 

 effect is comparatively small. A generation may be a little better or a little worse 

 than its forefathers, but it cannot materially differ from them. Improvement and 

 degeneracy are alike slow. The chief causes which produce formation of character 

 are met with in the homes of the people. They are of great variety and mostly 

 too subtle to be controlled. Religious belief, ideas, ineradicable often in maturer 

 life, imbibed from the early instruction of parents, the principles of morality current 

 amongst brothers and sisters and playmates, popular superstitions, national and 

 local prejudices, have a far deeper and more permanent effect upon character 

 than the instruction given iu schools or colleges. The teacher, it is true, exercises 

 his influence among the rest. Men and women of all sorts, from university pro- 

 fessors to village dames, have stamped some part of their own character upon a 

 large proportion of their disciples. But this is a power that must grow feebler as 

 the number of scholars is increased. In the enormous schools and classes in which 

 the public instruction of the greater part of the children of the people is given 

 the influence on character of the individual teacher is reduced to a minimum. The 

 old village dame might teach her half-dozen children to be kind and brave 



