THE POSITION OF GEOGRAPHY IN THE EDUCATIONAL. SYSTEM. 371 



with such efforts, and to place on record its opinion that in every country 

 provision should be made for higher education in geography, either in the 

 univei'sities or otherwise.' 



At the meeting of the British Association at Ipswich in 1895, the 

 president of the Geographical Section, Mr. H. J. Mackinder, Reader in 

 Geography at Oxford, discussed the question of geographical education in 

 his address — contrasting British and German conditions — and pointed out 

 the deficiencies as well as the merits of British geographers and teachers 

 of geography. Ultimately the Committee responsible for this report was 

 appointed to inquire into the position of geography in the educational 

 system of the country. 



No report on the position of geography in our educational system can 

 be adequate which does not take into account Dr. Scott Keltic's well- 

 known Report to the Council of the Royal Geographical Society published 

 as a supplementary paper of the Royal Geographical Society in 1885 (vol. i., 

 Part IV.). It has not been thought necessary to discuss fully manv 

 matters dealt with in detail in Dr. Keltic's report, to which readers are 

 referred. 



Unfortunately the Committee, owing to there being no funds at their 

 disposal, have not been able to undertake a personal inspection of various 

 educational institutions at home and abroad, such as that carried out by 

 Dr. Keltic. They have had to rely on their individual experiences as 

 teachers and examiners in geography, on a comparison of documents relat- 

 ing to geographical education published in this and other countries, and 

 on numerous correspondents, both at home and abroad, to whom they now 

 tender their best thanks for full and courteous replies to numerous 

 questions. In addition to those whose communications are printed in the 

 Appendix arc Professors Kan of Amsterdam, Malavialle of Montpellicr, 

 Neumann of Freiburg i. B., Penck of Vienna, Elisee Reclus of Brussels. 



There are obvious disadvantages about this method. Programmes 

 reveal the intelligence of their compilers but not the efficiency of those 

 who follow them in teaching. A good teacher can succeed in obtaining 

 excellent results with a poor syllabus, while an inefficient one may fail to 

 educate even when he follows a well-planned course. 



Examination papers show the conceptions of geography held by the 

 examiners, yet the teaching may be of a much better or much worse type 

 than the nature of the examiner's questions would indicate. The personal 

 experience of members of the Committee as examiners has been of great 

 service in testing how far sound geographical instruction is given in 

 different institutions. The previous training of their own pupils is also 

 a valuable index of the work done in geography in our schools. 



1. ELEMENTARY EBUCATION. 



A. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 



Day Schools. — In Dr. Keltie's report in 1885, it is stated that ' Geo- 

 graphy has been made compulsory, and must be taught according to a 

 generally prescribed method which, if carried out everywhere with intelli- 

 gence and enthusiasm, would be nearly all that could be desired.' 



Geography unfortunately is now only an optional subject in the 

 elementary schools in Great Britain. It may be one of the two possible 

 class subjects chosen from a number. Geography is taught in two-thirds 



B B 2 



