164 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.—1913. 
aware of 35 of these candidates who passed. This last piece of informa- 
tion was not asked for in the circular sent out, but some correspondents 
gave it voluntarily. These figures speak for themselves. 
From the returns received it is definitely proved that the making an 
optional subject of Geography has practically killed it in the Post- 
Intermediate stage. Only seventy-two schools sent in information on 
this point. The average time allowance was just over an hour and a 
half per week; in nine schools it was more than two hours. Some give 
an hour or so for the first year, then drop it entirely. Twelve have 
dropped it altogether. The Committee is aware of some others which 
have made no returns, and which have also dropped Geography. It is 
a fair inference that a complete census would reveal many more. In 
only eleven schools has the time allowance been recently increased, 
and in most cases this increase has been from a totally inadequate to 
but a slightly less inadequate amount. The Committee is of opinion that 
this is a very serious matter. It finds that in many Secondary schools, 
some of thern the largest and most important in the country, situated in 
great educational centres, the pupils cease to study Geography at the 
age of fifteen. Further, that the average time devoted to Geography up 
to that age is only an hour and a half per week. Now the time up to the 
close of the Intermediate stage should be devoted to providing that 
foundation of fact which is the basis of scientific Geography, and it is 
only in the Post-Intermediate stage that a pupil is mentally fitted to 
build upon that foundation by studying Political and Economic Geo- 
graphy—in other words, how man adapts himself to his environment, 
and how that environment reacts upon man. It is not considered 
necessary to emphasise the value of Geography as an educational 
subject beyond expressing the opinion that after a knowledge of the 
English language there is nothing more essential to the mental equip- 
ment of the modern Briton than a thorough grounding in Geography. 
This is impossible of achievement under the present regulations. It 
seems only reasonable that Geography be made a compulsory subject 
throughout the Post-Intermediate stage, and that in this stage also a 
minimum time allowance of three hours and a quarter per week be 
fixed. 
IV. Training Colleqges.—It may be explained that students prepar- 
ing for the Teaching Profession in Scotland may either receive their 
training at the Training Colleges, where the course extends for two 
years, or may continue their professional training with a University 
course, or may first complete their graduation and then devote one year 
to their professional training under the auspices of the Provincial 
Committees for the Training of Teachers established in the four centres 
— Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and St. Andrews. 
The University students in training at Edinburgh or Glasgow may 
include Geography among the subjects required for graduation at the 
University, but this is not possible at the other centres, where so far 
there is no University teaching of the subject. 
The position of the subject varies considerably at the different 
centres. At the Training Colleges of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and St. 
Andrews, lecturers in Geography have been appointed, and at these 
centres instruction in Geography forms an integral part of the cur- 
riculum for all Training College students. 
