320 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
Tasce III. 
Boys’. Girls’. Mixed. 
Number of schools : 98 198 62 
Percentage of schools taking N. ature ‘Study 26 42 44 
Percentage of pupils of these schools taking 
Nature Study . 14 19 25 
Percentage of schools taking Nature Study and 
not Biology : 12 20 23 
Percentage of schools taking Nature Study and 
Biology . 14 22 21 
Percentage of schools taking. Biology but not 
Nature Study 29 30 18 
Percentage of phpils taking Biology in " ‘these 
schools. 13 21 24 
The replies to ae questionnaire hes ige st that gtie» Study is generally 
taken for the first year or two of the pupil’s school life only ; in very few 
schools is it taken beyond the age of 12. 
2. The position of Biology in Schools. 
Taste IV. 
Boys’. Girls’. Mixed. 
Number of schools P : 98 198 62 
Percentage of schools taking Biology ; é 25 41 32 
of », pupils taking Biology in these ; 21 26 28 
a ,, schools taking Bicleey in school 
certificate 2 ; : II 16 19 
The last line of figures may be ca: as a fair measure of the seriousness 
with which biology is pursued in schools, 
3. The position of General Science. 
It is very difficult to obtain figures which give a reliable account of the 
position. All the following subjects are studied by various schools as part 
of their general science courses: chemistry, physics, botany, physiology, 
physical geography, astronomy, biology, zoology, geology, soil science, 
nature study, domestic science, hygiene, and meteorology. In some schools 
the course is evidently an introductory one leading on to a more detailed 
survey of two or more subjects, in others it is a general course for senior 
pupils who are on the classical or modern languages side. In some schools — 
_the course is experimental ; in others it consists of reading and lectures 
only. It will be clear that figures showing the number which take General 
Science will be misleading, and for that reason the figures for General 
Science in Tables I and II must be accepted with caution. It is possible, 
however, to give a few figures whose meaning is clear. 
TABLE V. 
Boys’. Girls’, Mixed. 
Number of schools ‘ 98 198 62 
Percentage of these taking Gétieral Stierce e 56 69 50 
m », pupils taking General Science in 
these . 37 40 42 
i ,, schools taking General Scidnee i in 
school certificate form . 22 18 15 
(The figures in the last line may be a little too es but are certainly not 
a little too low.) 
