386 EEPOET — 1891. 



Board for Loudon, in addition to those referred to in former reports, who 

 are endeavouring to initiate practical work by the scholars in a number 

 of the schools imder their charge. The results of their work are to be 

 awaited with interest, as there can be no doubt that when it is once 

 shown that children in elementary schools can be taught to experiment 

 for themselves, and thereby acquire the habits of accurately observing 

 and later on of reasoning from observation, no great delay will arise in 

 introducing such teaching into schools generally. 



There is little hope that any but specially trained teachers will be able 

 satisfactorily to conduct experimental teaching with the object of incul- 

 cating scientific habits of mind. Hence, bearing in mind the probability 

 that a revolution in methods of teaching is clearly foreshadowed, and that 

 the action of the Government in providing funds for technical instruction 

 is having a most important influence in encouraging applied science 

 teaching, it would seem highl\' desirable that the teachers in training 

 should be prepared to do what will be required of them. As it will be 

 their object to teach scientific method, it is all-important that their own 

 training in this direction should be as ample as possible, and that they 

 should be led to recognise more clearly than is done at present what is 

 the object to be gained in inti'oducing elementary science into schools ; 

 that the use of facts— not mere facts — is to be taught. 



Though the scholars of elementary schools who are working in the 

 standards are excluded from participation in the grant out of the beer 

 and spirit duties, the application of this fund will have an indirect influ- 

 ence upon elementary education, and your Committee note with satisfaction 

 that throughoiit England and Wales only two counties have refused to 

 apply any portion of the grant to technical education, and that all the 

 rest, with the exception of eight, have applied the entire gi'ant to that 

 purpose. This extension of technical instruction among the ex-standard 

 children, and the scholars in evening schools, will render the preparatory 

 work in the elementary schools all the more important. 



Third Report of the Co7nmittee, consisting of Sir J. N. Douglass, 

 Professor Oshokne Keynolds, Professor W. C. Unwin, and 

 Messrs, W. Topley, E. Leader Williams, W. Shelford, 

 Of. F. Deacon, A. R. Hunt, W. H. Wheeler, W. Anderson, and 

 H. Bamford, appointed to investigate the Action of Waves and 

 Currents on the Beds and Foreshores of Estuaries by means 

 of Working Models. 



[Plates IL-XIV.] 



The Committee held a meeting in the rooms of Mr. Gr. F. Deacon, 

 32 Victoria Street, Westminster (July 29, 1891), and considered the 

 results obtained since the last report. Professor Reynolds reported that 

 by the date of the meeting of the British Association the objects of the 

 investigation would be accomplished, and suggested that it would not be 

 necessary to continue the investigation beyond that date or to apply to 

 the Association for reappointment. These suggestions were adopted, and 

 it was resolved that the thanks of the Committee be communica'ed to the 



