378 



SCIENCE, 



[Vol. XIII. No. 328 



SCIENCE-TEACHING IN ENGLAND. 



Mr. J. H. Gladstone, in an article in Naiicre of May 2, on 

 the new code of the Education Department, ^ which was then be- 

 fore the House of Commons, says that never, since the famous pro- 

 posals of Mr. Mundella, has there been so much stir among those 

 interested in primary instruction as at the present moment. The 

 reason is not far to seek. For some years a royal commission has 

 been sitting and taking evidence, and it has produced several 

 bulky Blue Books during the course of the past year. It was 

 known that the commission was divided into a majority and mi- 

 nority who were strongly opposed to one another on certain ques- 

 tions of policy. This has found expression in lengthy reports and 

 contradictory recommendations ; but, to the satisfaction, if not to 

 the surprise, of educationists, it is found that on purely educational 

 matters there is an almost perfect unanimity between the two sec- 

 tions. It was therefore a matter of deep interest to see how, and 

 to what extent, these recommendations, signed by every member 

 of the commission, would be embodied in the proposed code of 

 1S89. 



There are several alterations in this code which are almost uni- 

 versally allowed to be improvements; but it is conceived in a 

 spirit of compromise, and perhaps no party is entirely satisfied with 

 it. The only point to be considered is the aspect of the code 

 tovs;ards the teaching of natural science. It may be convenient to 

 group Mr. Gladstone's observations under different headings. 



I. The direct changes proposed in the teaching of science. 

 These are almost confined to one or two modifications in the geo- 

 graphical schedule, and to a provision that "scholars of any public 

 elementary school may attend science classes held at any place 

 approved by the inspectors. " This may be very useful in towns, 

 especially as it will admit of the formation of central laboratories 

 or workrooms similar to the present cookery centres. 



II. The proposed changes which will tend to facilitate the teach- 

 ing of science. There are four subjects of instruction which are 

 termed " class-subjects," — English (including grammar, compo- 

 sition, and repetition of poetry), geography, elementary science (a 

 progressive course of object-lessons), and history. — together with 

 needle-work for girls. Only two of these class-subjects can be 

 taken for examination, and, under the old code, English must ne- 

 cessarily be one of those chosen. The consequence of this is, that 

 elementary science has never got a footing in the schools in England ; 

 for, even where two class-subjects are taken, they are nearly always 

 English and geography, or English and needle-work. The suprem- 

 acy of English is now to be put an end to, so that any teacher 

 may now take elementary science, if he or she. should prefer it, and 

 earn a grant. 



The enormous waste of time and patience in making little chil- 

 dren, even in infant-schools, learn the spelling of common words, 

 is to be reduced. The inspector is to give no dictation exercises 

 to boys and girls under the second standard. This will give more 

 time for object-lessons and other valuable modes of instruction. 

 Some relaxation of the literary requirements are also made in the 

 case of evening-schools. 



The present system of payment by results is to be so modified 

 that the cramming in the three R's will not be so profitable, and 

 there will be ihore chance for intelligent teaching. One of the 

 matters also to be taken into account by the inspector, in assessing 

 a school, is the provision of apparatus, though this need not neces- 

 sarily have any thing to do with what scientific men would call by 

 that name. 



These proposed changes are in the right direction, but the value 

 of many of them will largely depend upon how they are under- 

 stood. There is a singular want of clearness in some of the 

 clauses. The annual instructions to inspectors have not yet been 

 drawn up, and indeed it is very improbable that they will make 

 their appearance until after the code has become law. It is quite 

 possible to take away with one hand what is given with the other. 

 The present agitation is therefore of great importance not merely 

 in getting modifications of the code when discussed in Parliament, 

 but in inducing the Education Department to give their inspectors 

 such instructions as shall secure that the greater libertvof teaching 



' Code of Regulations, with Schedules, by the Right Honorable the Lords of the 

 Privy Council on Education (London, Eyre »S: Spottiswoode). 



should be a reality; that the ominous word " repetition," intro- 

 duced into one or two paragraphs, may not become " English " in 

 disguise ; and that the spelling of the second standard should not 

 involve a laborious preparation of the younger children. 



III. These alterations bearing on the teaching of science fall far 

 short of what the royal commissioners unanimously recommend. 

 The report of the majority states that " some elementary instruc- 

 tion in science is only second in importance to the three elementary 

 subjects," — namely, reading, writing, and arithmetic, — and it 

 places among subjects regarded as essential, " geography (espe- 

 cially of the British Empire) ; lessons on common objects in ihe 

 lower standards leading up to a knowledge of elementary science 

 in the higher standards." It adds, " that geography, if properly 

 taught, is a branch of elementary science, which should not be 

 separated from the other branches, and might well be taught along 

 with the object-lessons, in accordance with the recommendations 

 of the Royal Commission on Technical Instruction ; that the cur- 

 riculum in the ordinary elementary schools might often include not 

 only instruction in the elementary principles of science, but also, in 

 certain standards, elementary manual instruction in the use of 

 tools, and in higher schools and evening-schools this work might 

 be carried still further ; that, in making future appointments to the 

 office of inspector, it would be desirable, in regard to a larger pro- 

 portion of them than at present, to give special weight to the pos- 

 session of an adequate knowledge of natural science." The mem- 

 bers of the minority express themselves, if possible, more strongly, 

 and make such additional remarks as, "We are of opinion, that, 

 after the children have left the infant-school, transitional methods 

 should be adopted, which will develop their activity and train their 

 powers by drawing in all cases, and by such other means as, for 

 instance, modelling, or the collection and mounting of botanical 

 specimens. ... If science is to be well taught, care should be 

 taken, that, where the ordinary teachers are not qualified, specially 

 trained teachers should be employed." In respect to technical 

 schools they say, " These schools, which should be the crown and 

 development of elementary education, should be in touch and close 

 sympathy through their management with our elementary school 

 system." 



IV. The proposals of the new code also fall far short of what 

 the principal school boards are attempting. Spirited efforts are made 

 in Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton, and other provincial 

 towns, in establishing higher elementary schools with useful scientific 

 teaching. The London Board determined from the commencement 

 that object-lessons leading up to science subjects should be given in 

 all its schools. It has repeatedly contended for the official recogni- 

 tion of such lessons ; and it has lately sent a memorial to the Edu- 

 cation Department, asking that the regulation at present in force 

 in the infant-schools, that, in assessing the giant, regard should be 

 had " to the provision made for simple lessons on objects and on 

 the phenomena of nature and of common life," should be extended 

 to the boys' and girls' departments. 



The reforms decided upon by the London Board last year, with 

 the view of making the teaching more experimental and practical, 

 and not so much a matter of book-learning as a development of 

 intelligence and skill, are being gradually put into operation. 



It has also for some years carried on a few classes for manual 

 instruction in the use of tools with good success, but its efforts in 

 that direction have been nearly paralyzed by the disfavor of the 

 legislature. This seems a necessary step towards the technical 

 education which is now loudly called for ; but in the new code we 

 look in vain for a word of encouragement. » 



Some of the larger boards have carefully provided good instruc- 

 tion in natural history, and in the fundamental principles under- 

 lying mechanical, physical, and chemical science, for their pupil 

 teachers, though that does not appear upon the government 

 schedule. 



V. What is wanted is a far more liberal recognition of the claims 

 of science in elementary education. .At present, object-lessons or 

 certain sciences are, no doubt, recognized by the code ; but it is 

 merely as an additional subject of instruction not comparable with 

 the literary subjects which are considered essential, and which 

 occupy the great bulk of the scholars' time. The knowledge of 

 nature is, in fact, totally neglected in hundreds or thousands of 



