ON THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 431 



Committee, saw Mr. Mundella, the Vice-President of the Committee of 

 Council on Education. He found him desirous of receiving the views of 

 the Committee. The Committee thereupon agreed upon certain recom- 

 mendations, which were adopted by tlie Council of the Association and 

 transmitted to the Education Department. The Government adopted 

 some of these recommendations in whole or in part. 



From 1883 onwards the Committee was annually reappointed for the 

 purpose of continuing the inquiries relating to the teaching of Science in 

 Elementary schools. Prior to 1894 it was attached to the Economic 

 Section ; in that year and until the foundation of Section L in 1901 it 

 was appointed under the auspices of Section B. 



Each year prior to 1901, until the introduction of the Block Grant 

 deprived the Committee of the opportunity, a statistical statement has 

 been made, derived from the Government returns, of the proportion of the 

 children examined in the scientific subjects. These have shown con- 

 siderable fluctuation ; the proportion has never risen above 30 per 

 cent. But there has always been great difficulty in interpreting such 

 returns and they undoubtedly convey far too favourable an impression. 

 To quote from the report of 1901 : — ' Up to 1890 the Government Code 

 of regulations for day schools was so framed as practically to exclude 

 natural and experimental Science. Schools were at that time limited to 

 two so-called " class subjects," which were specifically defined as " English, 

 Geograpliy, History, and Elementary Science," of which English must be 

 one. Of the other three " Geography '" has always been the most popular 

 and " Elementary Science" the least. Hence in the year 1889-90 the num- 

 ber of school departments in which "English " was taken amounted to no 

 fewer than 20,304, while " Elementary Science " was taught in only thirty- 

 two. At that period the instruction in English was almost exclusively 

 confined to grammatical exercises and that in Geography to topographical 

 details. Nowadays both terms are to be understood in a much broader 

 and more scientific sense. At the period above named a free choice 

 amongst these subjects was given, the preponderance of English grammar 

 began to decline and has continued to do so ever since. In 1890-91 the 

 figures for English and Elementary Science were 19,825 and 173 respec- 

 tively ; in 1891-92 they were 18,175 and 788. The table given below 

 will show the comparative figures each succeeding year to 1899-1900. 

 Object lessons were made an obligatory subject of instruction in the three 

 lower standards from September 1, 1896 ; hence the rapid rise in the two 

 succeeding years. They then became merged into the general term of 

 Elementary Science, and, following the terminology of the Code, may 

 sometimes be included under the head of Geography.' 



When the character of the work which has been done is considered, 

 the progress made is undoubtedly unsatisfactory. It is beyond question 

 that ' Scieuce ' has in no way taken its proper place in our system of 



