704 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 
We are but at the beginning of research in handwriting; the experiments 
which have been already made elsewhere require to be repeated in this country, 
and the investigations extended to include aspects not yet considered. For 
research in baad wpitine we cannot depend on psychological laboratories; the 
determination of the problems which have a direct bearing on school practice 
demands the institution of independent pedagogical laboratories. 
8. The Scotch Education Department. 
By Principal Sir J. Donaupson, LL.D. 
The subject which I am to discuss is the anomalies which arise from the part 
assigned to the Education Department in the management of educational 
affairs in Scotland. In the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872 occurs the 
definition ‘The Scottish Education Department shall mean the Lords of any 
Committee of the Privy Council appointed by her Majesty on Education in 
Scotland.’ This Scottish Education Department was entrusted with most 
important duties and powers. It was to arrange the distribution of the Govern- 
ment grant for education in Scotland. It was to prepare a Code to regulate 
this distribution. The appeal was consequently to be made to it if the legal 
bodies dealing with education found any difficulties. In fact, it had almost 
complete power over all the arrangements connected with education. Yet this 
Committee almost never met. Many years must have elapsed in which it had 
no meeting. There was no quorum fixed for the meeting, and as far as was 
known the Committee never recorded any of its actions in minutes. This 
has been the case down to the present day. The Committee had for its Presi- 
dent the President of the Privy Council, and the Scottish Secretary was Vice- 
President. The President of the Committee has taken no part in Scottish 
education; probably he does not know that he is President of it, or if he does 
it is only by his having to sign some official document. The Vice-President, as 
Scottish Secretary, has a very large amount of most varied business to discharge, 
and he may or may not take an active part in the management of education 
in Scotland. In the Act it is mentioned that the salaries of the officers and 
servants of the Scottish Education Department shall be fixed with the consent 
of the Lords of her Majesty’s Treasury. It is these officers and servants who 
have been the real managers of Scottish education. lf the Scottish Secretary 
has time and takes a deep interest in education, he may be the controlling and 
guiding spirit in the management; but if he cannot spare the time, then it is the 
otlicers and servants of the Department that must do the work. These ofticers 
are a permanent secretary, with a number of subordinate secretaries or clerks, 
and a body of inspectors. Sometimes the Scottish Secretary has not been on the 
most friendly terms with the permanent secretary and has not consulted him 
much, but at other times he has left the entire work of control to the permanent 
secretary. When a document issues from the Scottish Education Department no 
one can be certain whether it is the work of the Scottish Secretary or the per- 
manent secretary or some of his subordinates. It is not possible to fix the 
responsibility on anyone. It is needless to say that such a state of matters is 
unsatisfactory, and various evil consequences have resulted from it. At present 
the state of education in Scotland causes much anxiety among many Scotsmen. 
'Vhere is no doubt that the Department succeeds in giving some kind of education 
to a very large proportion of the population, and it is always strong in statistics, 
but whether the education of these is good, as compared with that of other 
countries, and is calculated to produce thoughtful and contented citizens, is a 
different question. he policy of the Department during a considerable number 
of years now has been to carry out a system which has been borrowed from 
Germany, but which is to a considerable extent destitute of the safeguards which 
can secure a thoroughly sound education. A change, therefore, is imperatively 
required, and it is plain that the change should be to make the Commiitee 
constituting the Education Department a reality. The members of it should 
be responsible for all the documents issued in their name. ‘They should be men 
who have a wide knowledge and deep interest in education. The Committee 
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