228 " EEroET— 1889. 



Professor Armstrong has prepared a certain number of a series of 

 compounds whicli it will be of interest to investigate ; and it is hoped 

 that at the next meeting the Committee will be able to report more fully 

 on the points which they have been called upon to investigate. 



The Committee request that they may be reappointed for another 

 year. 



Second Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor H. E. 

 Armstrong, Professor W. E. Dunstan (Secretary), Dr. J. H. 

 Gladstone, Mr. A. Gr. Vernon Harcourt, Professor H. M'Leod^ 

 Professor Meldola, Mr. Pattison Muir, Sir Henry E. Koscoe, 

 Dr. W. J. Russell (Chairman), Mr. W. A. Shenstone, Professor 

 Smithells, and Mr. Stallard, appointed for the purpose of 

 inquiring into and reporting upon the present methods of 

 teaching Chemistry. 



In a report presented to the Bath Meeting the Committee gave an account 

 of the replies they had received to a letter addressed to the head masters 

 of schools in which elementary chemistry is taught. In this letter the 

 Committee had asked for a report on the chemical teaching, and also for 

 a statement as to the methods which had been found to render the teaching 

 most effective as a mental training. In commenting on these replies the 

 Committee pointed out that the evidence which had been collected waa 

 conclusive in showing that much of the teaching of elementary chemistry 

 is far from satisfactory, and needs to be considerably modified if it is to 

 effect that valuable mental discipline which science teaching can afford. 



The Committee are convinced that the high educational value of in- 

 Btruction in physical science has never been exhibited to its full advantage 

 in most of our educational institutions. Nevertheless there exists already 

 a considerable body of experience which proves that there is no more 

 effective and attractive method of training the logical faculties than that 

 which is afforded by a properly arranged course of instruction in physical 

 science ; by no other means are the powers of accurately ascertaining 

 facts, and of drawing correct inferences from them, so surely developed as 

 they are by the study of this subject. 



Since the last meeting the Committee have been actively engaged in 

 discussing the lines which a course of elementary instruction in 

 chemistry should follow. The Committee were the more inclined to offer 

 suggestions of their own, since they had learnt from the replies made 

 to their letter of last year, by teachers in many of our well-known schools, 

 that not only is the necessity for the adoption of improved methods fully 

 recognised, but that teachers are anxious to receive advice and assistance 

 in introducing them. 



It cannot be too strongly insisted that elementary physical science 

 should be taught from the first as a branch of mental education, and 

 not mainly as useful knowledge. It is a subject which, when taught 

 ■with this object in view, is capable of developing mental qualities 

 that are not aroused, and indeed are frequently deadened, by the 

 exclusive study of languages, history, and mathematics. In order that 

 the study of physical science may effect this mental education, it is 

 necessary that it should be employed to illustrate the scientific method in 

 investigating nature, by means of observation, experiment, and reasoning 



