August 5, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



167 



men who enter the learned and scientific profes- 

 sions makes almost unavoidable. The young 

 physician, la^vyer, engineer' or architect is now 

 fortunate if he marries at twenty-eight or twenty- 

 nine; whereas he should have married at twenty- 

 five or twenty-six. To make earlier marriage 

 possible is one of the strong inducements for 

 bringing to an end the school course at seventeen 

 or eighteen, the college course at twenty or twenty- 

 one, and the professional training at twenty-four 

 or twenty-flve. 



Our blind belief in academic methods of 

 training has, perhaps, led us to overlook 

 yet other all-important reasons for short- 

 ening the courses. While at college or 

 technical school the student is not only 

 withdrawn from the world of experience— 

 and that, too, during the most susceptible 

 period of youthful freshness— but is always 

 dominated by teachers; the time is so en- 

 tirely spent in learning from others that 

 there is no possibility of properly develop- 

 ing either imaginative power or individu- 

 ality. Therefore, not only is physical 

 power sacrificed, but mental procreative 

 power also — this latter surviving only in 

 the genius; whereas, in reality, if educa- 

 tion were of true avail, its one great and 

 chief office should be to call forth and de- 

 velop whatever spirit of originality, what- 

 ever element of genius, may lurk in the 

 mind. 



Over-teaching seems to me to be the bane 

 of American schools of every grade, even 

 more than of ours. And there is grave 

 danger, especially in America, that the 

 work of education may be over-organized. 

 Classes are being formed to give special 

 instruction in every section of every sub- 

 ject; in consequence, much time is wasted 

 in doing formally what might be done far 

 more rapidly and effectively informally 

 when occasion requires, under intelligent 

 direction or with the aid of properly writ- 

 ten instructions. 



It would almost seem that higher educa- 

 tion is being given mainly in the interests 

 of those who are to occupy secondary posi- 



tions. The industrial leaders in America, 

 it is said, are mostly men who have not en- 

 joyed the so-called advantages of a liberal 

 education. They are men with minds un- 

 fettered by the traditions which education, 

 as now given, is only too likely to impart, 

 yet trained in the world of experience, 

 possessed of common sense. But there are 

 exceptions which show that training in 

 scientific method may be of advantage : a 

 number of the men now at the head of the 

 metallurgical industries commenced their 

 careers as chemists — not as engineers, be it 

 noted. 



The entire system of education, both here 

 and in America, seems to require recon- 

 struction from bottom to top ; it would be 

 well, if I may say so, if we could scrap the 

 whole wretched academic show and start 

 afresh, in order that it may be greatly im- 

 proved in quality and shortened in dura- 

 tion. Two ideals should be kept in view 

 —we should aim at the development of in- 

 dividuality and encourage productivity. 

 If a proper foundation were laid during 

 early years a vast amount of time would 

 be saved later on; if children were taught 

 reaUy to read, if they were thoroughly 

 -practised in the rudiments of scientific 

 method, if they were even allowed to re- 

 main 



Perplext in faith, but pure in deeds, 



there would be little that they could not 

 afterwards accomplish within a reasonable 

 time, because honesty of purpose would 

 prevail among them and they would work 

 with understanding and resist all but neces- 

 sary guidance. The greater part of the 

 work which is now done— far too late— at 

 college might then be done at school; or, 

 still better, college might be entered with 

 advantage at sixteen. We need to remem- 

 ber that, as Buckle tells us, the acquisition 

 of fresh knowledge is the necessary pre- 

 cursor of every step in social progress, and 

 must itself be preceded by a love of inquiry 



