534 REPORTS OX THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 



preparatory schools. The boys should be made to feel from the first that 

 the study of science is an essential part of their education. Both in the 

 preparatory departments of day schools and in preparatory schools some 

 mensuration should be included as part of the mathematical work. 

 But an essential part of the preparatory course in science should be 

 natural history (including some physical geography) and the rudiments of 

 physics ; the real value of these studies depends upon training in 

 observation. 



(4) No school course can be considered complete without at least two 

 years' systematic practical work in science. We direct the careful atten- 

 tion of head masters as well as science masters to the problem of how, 

 without over-pressure, to make the study of science an intellectually 

 fruitful and stimulating part of the work in higher secondary schools of 

 those boys whose special gifts ai'e linguistic or literary. 



We think that the value of sound scientific literature of a general 

 character and of good lectures, well illustrated, for older and intellectual 

 boys is underrated. Evolution, geology, electricity, optics, sound, 

 human physiology, and astronomy seem suitable subjects. The feeling 

 that there has been of late years a loss of popular interest in science 

 is shared by your Committee, who feel that we must look to the 

 schools to improve matters. While fully recognising the importance of 

 quantitative methods, we feel that qualitative work also deserves en- 

 couragement and respect. We wish to avoid producing the student 

 described by Professor J. J. Thomson (Section A, Liverpool, 1896) in the 

 words, 'he commences his career by knowing how to measure or weigh 

 every physical quantity under the sun, but with little desire or enthusiasm 

 to have anything to do with them.' 



(5) We are struck with the unanimity shown by our correspondents 

 concerning the influence of external examinations upon the teaching of 

 science. This influence is found to be harmful. The harm is produced 

 partly by having to work along the lines of too rigid a syllabus, but 

 chiefly from the fact that science is intended to teach principles, while the 

 examination asks for details. A boy may have derived the full benefit 

 from a course of science lessons without remembering the experiments 

 therein ; for the examination, however, he has not to repeat these experi- 

 ments ; he has to memorise them, and to study how to reproduce what 

 he remembers in the approved examination style. Anything further from 

 true scientific method could not possibly be conceived. 



It has been suggested that the written and practical examination 

 should be replaced by, or include, an oral examination based upon the 

 candidates' own work as shown in his note-books, leading on to its 

 application to other problems, and the plan is worth trying ; it is hoped 

 that some examining bodies may be induced to make some experiments 

 in this direction. 



Working on the lines of a prescribed syllabus limits the teacher's 

 initiative and discourages researcli methods. The syllabus in nearly all 

 cases prescribes too much for the majority of schools, and, therefore, too 

 much is attempted in the schools. This prevents sufficient attention to 

 the scientific method of inquiry. There are many branches of science, but 

 one scientific method. This consists in obtaining facts and ideas by 

 experiment or observation, classifying and comparing them, and discover- 

 ing a formula or principle to express them. All the school work in science 

 should be imbued with the aim of cultivating an appreciation of and 



