ON RUDIMENTARY SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 151 



III. As to specific science suhjects. That a knowledge of the facts of 

 nature is an essential part of the education of every child, and that it 

 should be given continuously during the whole of school life from the 

 baby class to the highest standard. Of course in early years this teaching 

 will be very rudimentary ; but by developing the child's powers of per- 

 ception and comparison it will prepare it for a gradual extension of such 

 knowledge. They consider also that the early teaching must be very 

 general, while the later may bo more specific ; they think, however, that 

 the science subjects as given in Schedule IV. are fairly open to objection, 

 as being somewhat too ambitious in their nomenclature and in their 

 scope, and that they ought not to bo attempted unless the child has had 

 a previous training in natural knowledge before entering the fourth 

 standard. Thus the specific scientific subjects ought not to be distinct, as 

 they practically ai-e at present, from the previous teaching ; greater lati- 

 tude of choice might be allowed in them ; and while they should not 

 afford technical instruction they should prepare the way for any technical 

 classes or schools into which the children may subsequently enter. In 

 regard to domestic economy they are of opinion that most of the points 

 embraced in the schedule would be useful to boys as well as to girls. 



IV. As to examinations. That in the appointment of Her Majesty's 

 Inspectors some knowledge of natural science should be considered as 

 absolutely requisite ; that in examining the children they should direct 

 their inquiries so as to elicit not so much their knowledge of special facts 

 as their intelligent acquaintance with the world of nature around them ; 

 and that this may be much better done by oral examination than by paper 

 work. 



, Fostscnpt. — Since this report was in the printer's hands, Mr. Mundella, 

 the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on PJducation, has laid 

 upon the table of the House of Commons certain proposals for revision of 

 the Code. Your Committee is very glad to observe that these proposed 

 changes are generally in the direction indicated in the above recommen- 

 dations. Thus, in Infant Schools the full grant will not be paid unless 

 there be provided ' a systematic course of simple lessons on objects, and 

 on the phenomena of nature, and of common life ; ' the children in 

 Standard I. may share in the benefit of elementary science teaching ; and 

 the instruction of the children in the subsequent standards in scientific 

 subjects need not necessarily be given ' through reading lessons.' Your 

 Committee regrets that a stronger inducement has not been held out 

 to introduce rudimentary science as a class subject ; or rather, that the 

 prominence given to English grammar and the recitation of poetry will 

 exclude the new lessons on elementary science from schools where 

 geography continues to be taken up. It is to be feared, indeed, that if 

 these proposals should be adopted in their present shape, the children of 

 Standard IV. will have even less chance of instruction in natural know- 

 ledge than they have at present, for they will not be allowed to take up 

 any science as a specific subject, while their taking elementary science as 

 a class subject will be very problematical. Your Committee, therefore, 

 while expressing great satisfaction with the general scope of these pro- 

 posals, would urge that the knowledge of nature be put on an equal 

 footing in our schools with the analysis of the mother tongue, and that 

 any two of the proposed three class subjects may be taken. 



