130 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 500. 



past ; the conditions have always been such 

 as to develop enterprise and to stimulate 

 individuality and inventiveness: so that, 

 during the whole period in which the con- 

 tinent has been gradually acquired and 

 ' settled on, there has been a constant in- 

 vigorating struggle going on against nature 

 in one form or another, the Indian prob- 

 ably ha^ang played no mean part in the 

 education of the race. Such being the 

 case, it is important to remember that some 

 at least of these influences are now mth- 

 drawn and that development may, in con- 

 sequence, be along different lines in future, 

 especially as the enervating influence of 

 machinery is also coming into play more 

 and more. 



In some respects, the Americans may be 

 said to be a distinct if not an improved 

 breed. Certain proclivities have undoubt- 

 edly been unconsciously selected out, and 

 there has been much cross breeding; hence 

 a race has been developed differing in im- 

 portant respects in its type of thought, if 

 in no other way, from those represented in 

 Europe. Moreover, success has given them 

 belief in themselves and leads them to trust 

 themselves. The natural resources at their 

 disposal are boundless and their outlook is 

 extraordinarily hopeful; they are bom 

 optimists, in fact. They have also learnt 

 to work together and to accept and support 

 party rule; they seem, indeed, to tolerate 

 direction and to subordinate their indi- 

 vidual opinions to an extent which we have 

 diificulty in believing possible— so much so 

 that they may be said to lack individuality. 

 Willingness to organize and to be organ- 

 ized is almost characteristic of the nation. 

 Uninfluenced by tradition, they are 

 eminently receptive — always ready to con- 

 sider and test new ideas; nevertheless, the 

 conservatism characteristic of a young 

 country is in many ways still manifest 

 among them. 



It is difficult to trace the development of 



any American peculiarities to the schools 

 —or to find any evidence even that the 

 schools seek to utilize and develop the 

 national idiosyncrasies. 



After seeing a number of schools in de- 

 tail—both common schools and public high 

 schools — it seems to me that they are much 

 as our schools; that the problems they are 

 seeking to solve are our problems; that 

 their difficulties are our difficulties. In 

 matters of organization and administration, 

 we apparently can learn many things from 

 them; but, as regards method, it seems to 

 me that we have very little to learn; in- 

 deed, in depth of purpose and originality, 

 our best work may not unfairly be said to 

 be considerably in advance of theirs. But 

 whereas here we have no general belief in 

 education, in America the common school 

 system is universally held in high esteem 

 and its influence is very great. The mere 

 fact that all classes are brought together 

 in the common school is in itself of the ut- 

 most importance as affecting the social out- 

 look; even those who prefer to send their 

 children to private high schools seem to 

 think it desirable that they should first 

 attend the common school in order that 

 they may consort with others. 



The belief in secondary education, es- 

 pecially for boys, is far less general— it is 

 probably no greater than ours— and yet, 

 it seems to me, that it is by the existence of 

 a well-developed public high school sys- 

 tem that America is distinguished most 

 from us and potentially placed most in ad- 

 vance of us. 



"What has until recently counted as uni- 

 versity education here is almost unknown 

 in America. What will count as university 

 education here ere long, as the various 

 provincial universities become effective, is 

 already developed in America to a consider- 

 able extent and is advancing with giant 

 strides. The support of university educa- 

 tion is become a fashionable practise among 



