ON TEACHING CHEMISTRY. 251 



With the object of presenting in an available form information as to 

 the position occupied by chemistry in Board and other Public Element- 

 ary Schools, which are controlled either by the Education Department, 

 Whitehall, or the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, tho 

 Committee now present a report on the subject which has been prepared 

 by Professor Smithells. A consideration of this statement will show that, 

 as in the higher grade public schools, with which the Report of the Com- 

 mittee last year was chiefly concerned, the condition of the teaching in 

 public elementary schools is far from satisfactory. As a rule chemistry 

 is not taught on the proper lines. The pupils frequently receive the same 

 kind of instruction in chemistry as they would at a later stage if they 

 were preparing for a professional or technical career ; consequently the 

 subject has failed to provide that mental education which it should bo the 

 main object of elementary teaching to develop. It appears, too, that in 

 many of these schools 2:)hysical science has not hitherto been regarded as 

 a necessary part of the educational scheme. It is essential that this state 

 of affairs should be altered, and that physical science should occupy a 

 more favourable position in the Education Code, and that its teaching 

 should be more thoroughly controlled. 



It is to be hoped also that the Education Department, as well as the 



|Science and Art Department, South Kensington, will take steps to 

 arrange a more efficient mode of inspecting science teaching than that 

 it present in vogue, which can only be regarded as satisfactory from a 

 purely statistical standpoint. Under the present system little or no 

 control can be exercised over the science teaching, since the Whitehall 

 [nspectors are, as a rule, not qualified to form an opinion as to its value. 

 There would seem to be no difficulty in obtaining the services of properly 

 jualified jiersons to act as additional inspectors for the purpose of re- 



' porting on the character of the science teaching. It is probable that 

 many of the professors and lecturers in University Colleges, and other 

 educational institutions, might be willing to take part in such inspection, 

 and it would thus become possible to maintain a high standard of excel- 

 lence in the teaching. 



The Teachinr/ of Chemistry in Piihlic Elemeiitai'y Schools} 

 Drawn up by Professor Smithells. 



In view of the rapid increase in the teaching of chemistry in connection 

 with public elementary schools likely to take place, chiefly on account of 

 the establishment of the so-called ' Higher Grade Board Schools,' and in 

 view of the strenuous attempt that is being made to extend the teaching 

 of science subjects by a separate Act dealing with technical instruction, 

 it seemed of importance to prepare a short statement indicating the posi- 

 tion occupied by chemistry in our state-aided elementary schools. Since 

 the chemical teaching in such schools is practically dominated by the 

 syllabus of the Education Code and of the Science and Art Department, 

 any improvements or suggestions the central authorities at Whitehall or 



' I.e., in Voluntary and Board Schools receiving grants from the Education 

 Department under the Education Acts. 



