4.24 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— L. 



provides a nucleus of interest otherwise unobtainable ; but preparatory and follow- 

 up lessons, the latter of a special type, are necessary. The production of educational 

 films is still almost negligible in this country. Producers cannot afford to produce 

 educational films to meet the very small demand, and education authorities cannot 

 be expected to install projectors until a supply of educational films is secured. Further 

 experiment and demonstration are necessary to rouse enthusiasm among teachers, 

 from whom the demand must ultimately come. 



10. Discussion on Wireless in Education. 



Mr. J. C. ^to'b&.wy:.— Education by Wireless, 



The B.B.C. was formed in 1922 as an entertainment body only, but immediately 

 began to develop along three specific lines — entertainment, information and educa- 

 tional instruction. Its responsibility was recognised very early, and steps were 

 taken to form in each centre where the B.B.C. had stations educational advisory 

 committees composed of leading local educationists, whose advice and co-operation 

 was invited. 



A further step forward was taken in 1924, when a successful demonstration was 

 given before the Board of Education. Shortly afterwards this department lent 

 one of H.M. inspectors of schools to act as Director of Education. A series of experi- 

 ments in method and technique were instituted. General culture, adult education 

 and school transmissions were the three main lines of development. 



It is now claimed that the experimental stage has been satisfactorily concluded, 

 though better organisation of reception is required before complete satisfaction can 

 be felt with the service. This can only be obtained by definite effort on the part of 

 the listener in discarding inferior apparatus and in following up wireless instruction 

 by systematic courses of reading. There are, however, an immense number of adults 

 following with interest the evening courses of lectures and many hundreds of teachers 

 who regularly use wireless in their school programmes. Co-operation with universities 

 has been secured at all stations. 



Up till now technical difficulties have restricted the scope of educational broad- 

 casting, but with the institution of an alternative wave-length system, soon expected, 

 it should be possible to make considerable further progress, since the present need of 

 reconciling instruction with entertainment in one programme will then be obviated. 



The next step forward should be the formation of listening classes, possiblj' in 

 connection with the rural libraries scheme. Negotiations are already in train to this 

 end. Local education authorities are realising more and more fuUy the assistance 

 which wireless can give towards solving the problems of rural education, and though 

 financial stringency is still the chief obstacle, the number of pioneer schools 

 continually increases. Official adoption cannot be long delaj'ed. 



Saturday, August 7. 



Excursion to Cbedworth. 



Monday, August 9. 

 11. Discussion on Recent Advances in Educational Science. 



(«) Prof. T. P. NuNN. — General Conceptions and Scope of Education. 



Developments in the general conceptions and scope of education during the last 

 twenty-five years are related partly to advances in psychology and philosophy, but more 

 fundamentally to changes in national consciousness and attitude greatly accelerated 

 by the war. Before the war the public organisation of education looked mainly 

 towards increasing national efficiency or consolidation ; since the war these ideas 

 have been supplemented and largely replaced by the idea that education should aim 

 vmiversally at the maximum development of the individual citizen. The educational 

 movements now in progress in the greater nations are to be interpreted chiefly in 

 relation to this profoundlj' important change of emphasis. 



