218 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 



secondary schools and medical schools. For the purposes of the inquiry 

 the various institutions were classified as follows : — 



I. Universities. 



II. Polytechnics and other Technical Schools and Colleges. 



III. Secondary Schools for Girls. 



IV. Public Schools represented upon the Headmasters' Con- 



ference. 

 V. Boys' Secondary Schools other than those represented upon 

 the Headmasters' Conference. 



The chief points upon which questions were asked related to the 

 extent to which schools are doing work of a university character and 

 how far universities are concerned with work of a secondary school 

 standard. The results of the inquiry as regards each. of the foregoing 

 divisions of educational institutions in England, except No. V., will 

 now be given. 



I. Universities. 



Inquiry was made of a large number of teachers and others repre- 

 senting English Universities, with the view of eliciting information as 

 to the following points : — 



General Question. 

 Are the universities attracting students who ought to be at school, and are 

 the schools retaining students who ought to be at the University ? Are the 

 universities doing work that should be done in schools, and are the schools 

 doing work that should be done at the universities ? 



Specific Questions. 



1. In what subjects, and for how many students approximately, do you think 

 that teaching is being conducted at your University which should properly be 

 carried on at school ? 



2. To what cause, in your opinion, is this due? 



3. How do you think this is to be remedied ? 



4. In your opinion, would matters be improved by any change in the age 

 limits now fixed for matriculation or degree examinations ? 



In reply to these questions much valuable information was obtained 

 from leading representatives of university education. An attempt is 

 here made to summarise the views expressed. In the case of London 

 the summary includes the substance of replies received from the 

 Imperial College of Science and Technology. 



Some correspondents do not think that there is any serious overlap- 

 ping ; others regard it as unavoidable and not undesirable ; but the large 

 majority consider that there is a real and serious duplication which is 

 harmful and should, if possible, be prevented. The conditions in the 

 universities are so different that the replies concerning them must be 

 considered separately. 



Oxford. 



From Oxford comes the complaint that a certain number of under- 

 graduates proceed to the university without having passed Besponsions 

 or an exempting examination ; these, however, are only few in number. 

 Both here and at Cambridge the average age of undergraduates when 

 they enter, r.ither above than below eighteen, prevents this from being 



