GENERAL SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS 321 
4. Reasons why Biology and General Science are not commonly taught. 
Tables IV and V show that at present neither General Science, including 
biology, nor Biology is taught as much as other scientific subjects. ‘The 
main reasons given in questionnaire answers for the absence of biological 
teaching are tabulated : 
Reason A.—Omission due to the requirements of some School Certificate 
Examination. 
Reason B.—Lack of suitable teachers. 
Reason C.—Lack of suitable accommodation. 
eagaatatss Boys’. Girls’. Mixed. 
Number of schools : : : , ; 98 198 62 
Percentage of these giving reasons why Biology is 
not taught y : , : : : 53 36 35 
Of schools giving reasons why Biology is not 
taught : 
Percentage, ReasonA . j ; : 45 50 41 
Percentage, Reason B ; A 3 ; 47 33 aI VAG 
Percentage, Reason C ; 2 : 43 39 4I 
Some schools give more than one reason. 
It should be noted that the above reasons were those suggested in the 
question paper, and they are the most common reasons given. They may 
be taken as the effective reasons for the exclusion of biology at present, 
but, from their nature, they could be overcome if the desire for biology 
were sufficiently urgent. Other reasons which occur fairly often are 
© Crowded curriculum,’ ‘ Insufficient time,’ ‘ Lack of demand generally,’ 
‘ Superior claims of physics and chemistry,’ ‘ Unsuitable subject for young 
pupils.’ A few schools state that they do not consider biological subjects 
to have a greater claim to inclusion than sciences already taken. Generally 
it may be said that schools are alive to the value of biology as an educational 
subject, but they do not see their way to introduce it owing to their over- 
crowded time-table or to difficulties connected with staffing or accom- 
modation. They also doubt whether gain in breadth of teaching is a real 
compensation for loss in depth. . 
Considering one of the main reasons in more detail—difficulties connected 
with the school certificate examination—it is evident that a large number of 
schools find this a very serious factor in their decision to exclude biology. 
General Science including biology is not accepted for matriculation in most 
universities, whereas chemistry and physics are. If a pupil can take 
chemistry and physics as two subjects in the school certificate examination, 
both acceptable for matriculation, it is probable that schools will take the two 
subjects and exclude biology. (It may also be pointed out that most pro- 
fessional bodies do not accept General Science as a qualifying subject for 
the preliminary examinations.) 
Further, with regard to the taking of biology as a separate subject in the 
school certificate examination, certain difficulties are raised. In town 
schools it is said to be more difficult to obtain material for the teaching of 
zoology than for that of botany, and that in any event, botany is an easier 
subject for class teaching than zoology. With the same time available, 
teachers say (1) it is easier for pupils to pass examinations in botany than 
in biology; (2) botany is cheaper than biology, both in materials and 
apparatus ; (3) where the number of science pupils is small, it is very 
expensive to take up a third science owing to increase of staff; (4) the 
classes would have to be smaller than is profitable. 
