PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. (357 
is necessarily abhorrent to the official mind. Freedom for Local Authorities 
to adopt their own methods, to experiment—and often to fail—is the system, if 
system it can be called, by which alone advance is possible. The curse of 
uniformity, perhaps the greatest curse of all, is a necessary consequence of 
over-centralised control. 
I have trespassed so greatly upon your forbearance in discussing matters 
connected with Primary Education that I must give but brief expression to 
any views concerning the Secondary and Higher branches. 
As I have previously indicated, State aid should be restricted to those who 
are able to profit thereby. The 25 per cent. free-place regulation has, it is 
generally admitted, brought into the Secondary Schools many really able students. 
On the other hand, there is no doubt that a certain proportion thereof would be 
more profitably employed in serving their apprenticeship in the business in which 
they are to earn their bread-and-butter. It is, of course, understood that those 
whose parents can afford to pay for the further education of their children and 
who are ready to do so are not here referred to, but, careful selection assured, 
generous assistance to those in need of help suggests itself as the best policy. 
Another subject for consideration is the disproportion between the assistance 
given by the State to the training of Primary and of Secondary Teachers. 
I understand that to the latter object, so far as England and Wales are con- 
cerned, the not impressive sum of 5,000]. is delegated. After making due 
allowance for the difference in numbers under the respective headings, it is 
difficult to understand how it is necessary to expend a sum approaching 700,000/.* 
on the training of Primary Teachers, and only 1/140th of that amount on train- 
ing those who are to guide our most able students in the pursuit of knowledge. 
Had time permitted I should have liked to dwell on the evil effects of 
what I may term our conspiracy of silence regarding sexual instruction. If 
the proverbial visitor from Mars was engaged in a tour of inspection in our 
country, I think nothing would strike him as more extraordinary than that a 
subject which so closely concerns the progress of the race and the welfare of the 
individual should be entirely ignored in our system of education. By our action 
(or rather want of action) we tacitly admit that knowledge is harmful, and that 
we deliberately prefer such knowledge, which must necessarily be attained in one 
way or another, to arrive by subterranean channels and by agencies which will 
present facts of vital importance in their worst possible aspect. 
We cannot be said to be really educating our children so long as we withhold 
from them all guidance in one of the most difficult problems which will be 
presented to them in later life, and when one reflects on the misery and wreckage 
consequent on our silence, it is difficult to speak with due moderation. I will 
therefore content myself with suggesting to those interested in this matter a 
study of the procedure adopted in the schools of Finland, in which systematic 
instruction is given by carefully selected teachers; it is stated with the happiest 
results. 
I have referred, when speaking of Primary Education, to the curse of 
uniformity as one of the greatest evils of our educational system. So far, at 
all events, our provincial Universities have escaped, although not entirely un- 
1 Note I.—Grants for 1911-12 :— 
1. Grants from Board of Education :— 
(a) Maintenance grants to Training Colleges and Hostels £470,910 
(Oywbodiney ereantsm Fo este ney sang TP ATS eM, 93,496 
——— £564,406 
2. Grants from L.E.A.’s :— 
(a) To Training Colleges . . 5 eas Meek aie 21,682 
(b) To Hostels . . A ; : : . : ; 787 
(c) Scholarships (not possible to ascertain total) . . ? 
— 22,469 
ROCHE eee es aso ene BY £586,875 
Note II.—To the above must be added the grants in aid of bursars and pupil 
teachers, which amount to £101,802. 
1913: 3B 
