i87i COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION 373 



morality, reading, writing, and arithmetic, English grammar 

 and composition, elementary geography, and elementary social 

 economy, history of England, the principles of book-keeping 

 in senior schools, with mensuration in senior boys' schools. All 

 through the six years there were to be systematised object les- 

 sons, embracing a course of elementary instruction in physical 

 science, and serving as an introduction to the science examina- 

 tions conducted by the Science and Art Department. An 

 analogous course of instruction was adopted for elementary 

 evening schools. In moving " that the formation of science and 

 art classes in connection with public elementary schools be en- 

 couraged and facilitated," Hu.xley contended strongly for it, 

 saying, " The country could not possibly commit a greater error 

 than in establishing schools in which the direct applications of 

 science and art were taught before those who entered the classes 

 were grounded in the principles of physical science." In advo- 

 cating object lessons he said, " The position that science was 

 now assuming, not only in relation to practical life, but to 

 thought, was such that those who remained entirely ignorant 

 of even its elementary facts were in a wholly unfair position as 

 regarded the world of thought and the world of practical life." 

 It was, moreover, " the only real foundation for technical edu- 

 cation." 



Other points in which he was specially concerned were, 

 that the universal teaching of drawing was accepted, against 

 an amendment excluding girls ; that domestic economy was 

 made a discretionary substitute for needlework and cutting- 

 out; while he spoke in defence of Latin as a discretionary 

 subject, alternatively with a modern language. It was true 

 that he would not have proposed it in the first instance, 

 not because a little Latin is a bad thing, but for fear of 

 " overloading the boat." But, on the other hand, there was 

 great danger if education were not thrown open to all with- 

 out restriction. If it be urged that a man should be con- 

 tent with the state of life to which he is called, the obvious 

 retort is, How do you know what is your state of life, unless 

 you try what you are called to? There is no more frightful 

 " sitting on the safety valve " than in preventing men of 

 ability from having the means of rising to the positions for 

 which they, by their talents and industry, could qualify 

 themselves. 



