SCIENCE TEACHING IN ADULT EDUCATION 335 
Two institutions which are concerned with adult classes for women only 
have so far not considered the question of science teaching in any form, 
viz., the Women’s Institutes and the Townswomen’s Guilds. 
The instruction given in the Women’s Institutes has been mainly of 
a practical character, but their aim is to develop a sense of citizenship and 
spirit of social service. ‘The general secretary, the Hon. Frances Farrer, 
expresses the view that as these aims become more fully realised there is 
likely to be an increasing interest in and desire for further knowledge of 
scientific developments in relation to social and practical matters. She 
stresses the view that success would be likely to depend largely on the 
ability of the lecturer to approach the subject from the practical aspect and 
to deal with it in a non-technical and interesting manner. 
The Townswomen’s Guildsare still in process of formation. It isintended 
that they should take the place, in the towns, of the Women’s Institutes in 
the country. A Central Committee divided into sub-committees for Civics, 
Handcrafts and Homecrafts, is considering the question of programmes and 
the publication of a monthly journal, The Townswoman. It seems possible 
that these Guilds might in future provide a field which has as yet hardly 
been touched for arousing an interest in science in relation to practical and 
social problems. (See also Suggestion 9, p. 356.) 
2. The Present Position of Science Teaching in Adult Classes. 
In the Board of Education Report (1927) on Natural Science in Adult 
Education it is noted that, ‘ compared with the growth of interest in English 
Literature, Music and the Drama since 1921, there has been no corresponding 
growth in the number of classes in Natural Science.’ 
Statistics collected in the course of the present inquiry show that there 
is still a strange neglect by adults of this branch of study, compared with 
such subjects as Literature, History, and Economics. The number of 
Science Courses is not more than approximately 6 per cent. of the total 
number. ‘Taking the Board of Education figures for the same period and 
referring only to those courses accepted under the Adult Education Regula- 
tions, the percentage of science classes for the whole of England and Wales 
is 4-6 per cent. The Extra-mural Department of London University 
reports : 
“ Out of a total of 1,009 courses and classes in the years 1926 to 1932 only 
4I were on science, viz., Biology 19, Anthropology 15, Astronomy 3, 
History of Science 2, Physiology and Hygiene 1, and one course of a general 
character, “‘ Science and Daily Life.” The average attendance at the 
courses was small. In University Extension Courses in general an average 
attendance of 60 to 70 is usual in the London district; but for science 
courses within the same period named it was less than 40. The limited 
interest shown by the public, even when a science course is provided, 
undoubtedly discourages Local Committees responsible for the organisation 
of University Extension Courses from choosing this subject.’ 
In Durham and District ‘ attempts to form classes for the study of 
scientific subjects has met with little or no response.’ 
In 1930 the Co-operative Union included over 2,500 students of such 
subjects as Industrial History, Economics, Public Health, Local Government 
Taxation ; through their associated Guilds the Union is in touch with 
a large field of educational work, e.g. the membership of the Guilds was in 
that year 61,000 in England, and 27,000 in Scotland. The reply of the 
Secretary of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (Educational Depart- 
ment) that ‘ there is no demand for science,’ suggests how little science is 
considered as one of the determining factors in social developments. 
