ON THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 571 



Reference was made in the report of this Committee in 1891 to the 

 appointment of additional science demonstrators by the School Board for 

 London, and to the fact that these demonstrators were endeavouring to 

 initiate practical work by the scholars in a number of schools under their 

 charge. Two years' experience has shown, not only, as was to be expected, 

 that the children take the greatest interest in such lessons, in which they 

 are led to gain information through their own observations and experi- 

 ments, and to draw conclusions therefrom, but that it is possible, even 

 under the present admittedly unfavourable conditions, to accomplish 

 much valuable work of this chai-acter ; and, in fact, the scheme which 

 has been introduced into the Evening Continuation School Code is largely 

 based on the experience thus gained in the London School Board. 



Moreover, experience has shown that the ordinary teachers are capable 

 of carrying such a scheme as that put forward in the Evening Code into 

 execution, after receiving the necessary special instruction, provided that 

 they are thoroughly supervised and aided by constant inspection ; and 

 such a method of instruction and supervision of the teachers has been 

 recognised in the Code of 1893 (Section I. 5*, p. 2). It is to be hoped 

 that County Councils may be led to give help in these matters, as their 

 work would be much forwarded by such instruction in scientific method 

 being given to those whom subsequently they specially wish to reach. 



rinally, your Committee urge that no time should be lost in extending 

 instruction in measurement, &c., such as is indicated in the Evening Code, 

 to girls' schools, as the habits which can be acquired through such in- 

 struction are precisely those which are of importance in carrying on 

 household work. 



The Methods of Economic Training adopted in this and other 

 Countries, — Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor 

 W. Cunningham (Chairman), Professor E. C. K. Gonner 

 {Secretary), Professor F. Y. Edgeworth, Professor H. S. Fox- 

 well, Dr. J. N. Keynes, and Mr. H. Higgs. 



Your Committee have succeeded in obtaining a quantity of interesting 

 information from French, German, Italian, Austrian, Spanish, Belgian, 

 Dutch, Russian, and Scandinavian universities, as well as from the 

 United States and Canada, but much of it has been so delayed that it has 

 not been possible to draft a complete report for the present meeting. 



While deferring, therefore, the presentation of its detailed report 

 until next year, your Committee wish to express their conviction of 

 the unsatisfactory conditions attending economic instruction in this 

 country. 



As compared with the better equipped among the foreign countries 

 with which comparison would naturally be challenged, the inferior 

 organisation of teaching in the United Kingdom is very striking. For 

 this there seem to be two main causes : — 



(1) The omission of many teachers to adequately recognise methods 

 of empirical study. 



(2) A very prominent and present cause — the practical exclusion of 

 Economics from the curricula and examinations preliminary to those 

 professions in connection with which its study would appear peculiarly 



