INFORMATIVE CONTENT OF EDUCATION 367 



the Streatham Head Mistress recorded that ' World Geography is taken at 

 the age of 10 plus in the form of journeys and history of explorations. So 

 there should be knowledge of the (i) Continents ; (ii) kinds of religion ; 

 (iii) occupations.' This is for pupils 11-14. For those 14-16 she said: 

 ' Then World Regions are taken as synthesis of previous building up of 

 knowledge of various parts.' 



In Manchester High School for Girls this Geography is taught to pupils 

 1 1 -1 4 incidentally as the study of the various world regions proceeds, but 

 is not isolated and taken in regard to the world as a whole. Thus most 

 of the ground is covered by the age of 18. In her general remarks the 

 Head Mistress said : ' To propose covering the ground by the age of 14 

 is absurd. The limitations in general knowledge in children of 11 to 13 

 make the teaching of scattered items of general information purely dog- 

 matic* 



A similar caveat was entered by the Head Master of Sheffield Woodhouse 

 School. After stating that ' General knowledge of natural resources and 

 their exploitation ' is taken, he proceeded : ' To suggest that children of this 

 age should have detailed and explicit acquaintance with undeveloped 

 resources of the globe seems to me fantastic ; to begin with I find it difficult 

 to understand what is meant by " detailed and explicit acquaintance with 

 world geography, with different types of population, and the developed and 

 undeveloped resources of the globe." ' 



Geology is not, apparently, given so much attention as the other sections. 

 In Sheffield Woodhouse School it was said to be least stressed. At Clapham 

 it is not ' taken as a separate study but references to Geology and geological 

 theory are not infrequent in the course of lessons in Geography.' One 

 correspondent, the Head Mistress of Streatham, expressed the opinion that 

 ' Geology as such should not be included. This is a science in itself, and 

 too difficult. Geomorphology would be a better word, but even that could 

 only be taken very generally. Geology should be left to University study.' 



Social Mechanism. 



The replies to questions on Social Mechanism were not helpful. The 

 first two sections : 



' Short History of Communications and Trade,' 



' History of Innovations in Production and Manufacture,' 



were said to be taken in Bristol Grammar School and Liverpool Collegiate 

 School, but in each case by pupils 14 to 16 years of age. In relation to the 

 remaining sections : 



' The R61e of Property and Money in Economic Life,' 

 ' Knowledge of Conventions of Property and Money,' 

 * Way in which Money has changed Slavery and Serfdom into Wages 



and Employment,' 

 ' Way in which Fluctuations of Money affect " Industrial Windmills," ' 

 ' Significance of Inflation and Deflation,' 



four made no reference and a fifth replied that they should not be taken since 

 they require a riper mentality than is to be expected before the age of 16. 



From Streatham High School the reply to this section was : 'A regular 

 course of economics lasting two years is taken in the Sixth Form (16-18). 

 Usually economic history or a course of modern problems is also taken.' 



The Head Mistress of Manchester High School stated : 'A good deal 

 of what is described as Social Mechanism finds its way into history teaching. 



