ON STUDIES MOST SUlTAliLE FOB ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 495 



Studies most sidtaUe for Elementari/ Schools. — lieport of the Committee, 

 consistiny 0/ Sir Philh' Magnus (Gkairmau), Mr.'W. M. Hellek 

 (Secretary), Siv W. de W. Abney, Mr. R. H. Adie, Professor 

 H. E. Armstrong, Miss L. J. Clarke, Miss A. J. Coopeu, Mr. 

 George Fletcher, Professor R. A. Gregory, Principal Griffiths, 

 Mr. A. D. Hall, Dr. A, J. Herbertson, Dr. 0. W. Kimmins, 

 Professor L. C. Miall, Professor J. Perry, Sir H. R. Reichel, 

 Mr. H. Richardson, Mrs. W. N. Shaav, Professor A. Smithells, 

 Dr. Lloyd Snape, and Profesor W. W. Watts, appointed to 

 report upon the Course of JExperimental, Observational, and Practical 

 Studies most suitable for Elementary Schools. 



Contents. 



I'AUE 



Iidroducturtj Statevient by Sir P/nlij> Magmis, M.P. 495 



llejjort of Suh- Committee on Elementary Experimental Science . . . . 501 



Appendix A. Syllabus of Work in Elementary Experimental Science . • 510 



„ B. Syllabus for Girls' Schools. Domestic Science . . . 515 

 „ C. Contracted Scheme of Work for Small Schools where the 



-upper classes are grouped for instriiction in this branch . 519 



„ D. List of Apparatv^ for Elementary Science Course . . 522 



Inteoductory Statement.^ By Sir Philip Magnus, M.P. 

 Reform in educational administration and in method of instruction has 

 been more rapid during the last decade than for many previous years. 

 This is, of course, due to the cumulative effect of national education. In 

 England and Wales the Act of 1902 has fully realised the expectations 

 of those who trusted to local interest to stimulate educational progress. 

 Its defects, such as they are, have not yet been removed, but they are 

 strictly limited in character and do not prevent improvements being 

 effected in organisation and in teaching. iSTotwithstanding the political 

 and religious differences that divide parties, educational measures of some 

 importance have been added to the Statute-book during the life of the 

 present Parliament. The educational concept has been widened so as to 

 include physical training and the medical inspection of children, and 

 efforts are being made to develop on more scientihc lines the teaching of 

 morality in its relation to civic duties. The discussion of this subject at 

 the Moral Education Congress, to be held in London at the close of the 

 present month, to be attended by representatives from all parts of Europe, 

 will, I hope, bear fruit. As the outcome of the efforts of this Section of 

 the British Association and of other societies, the unity of education is 

 being more generally recognised. The barriers that separate primary, 

 secondary, and university education are being partially removed, and the 

 close connection of technical with each grade of education is more firmly 

 established. In various directions, too numerous to be here indicated, 

 advances have been made. Still the cry is that the foundations of 

 a national system of education are not securely laid. In vain, it is said, 

 we try to rear a solid and useful superstructure on the teaching given in 

 our elementary schools. It fails to create a love of learning or serviceable 

 manual skill. It meets with a too faint response in the child's mind and 

 habits. It leaves the senses inadequately stimulated and the reasoning 

 powers imperfectly developed. This partial failure of our efforts is not 



' Ordered by the General Committee to be printed in extcnso. 



