April, 1912.] 



351 



Education. 



must begin by acquiring capital and 

 enterprise ; and if these are not forth- 

 coming from her own people, she must 

 borrow them from other countries. In 

 the first half of the nineteenth century 

 Germany had to borrow capital and enter- 

 prise and technical skill from England ; 

 she is now able to compete with her 

 teacher. The same opportunity lies open 

 to India, but her progress will neces- 

 sarily be slower than that of Germany, 

 because most of her people are still on 

 a lower intellectual plaue than the 

 Germans occupied two generations ago. 

 Meanwhile, it is worthy of consideration 

 whether, so far as educational work is 

 concerned, it would not be wiser to 

 direct attention to agriculture rather 

 than to manufactures. Agriculture is 

 and always will be the principle industry 

 of the people of India. Already it is 

 in some of its branches a more profit- 

 able occupation than many manufactur- 

 ing industries, and there is a great 

 probability of a further relative advance. 

 On the one hand, the growing popul- 

 ation of the world and the general 

 rise in the standard of living are forcing 

 up the prices of foodstuffs ; on the other 

 hand by the application of science to 

 agriculture, farmers are now able to 

 secure a much more profitable return 

 for their labour. It may be indeed that 

 the future lies with the farmer rather 

 than with the artisan. But whatever 

 the future may bring forth, at present 

 it is beyond doubt that there is in 

 India a greater opportunity for applying 

 the teachings of science to agriculture 

 than to manufactures. For in India it 

 is only possible to establish maufactures 

 on any extensive scale — and that very 

 slowly — by borrowing capital and enter- 

 prise from Europe, whereas agriculture 

 already exists. There are millions of 

 cultivators in India who with the aid 

 of technical advice would be able to 

 increase the quantity or to improve th& 

 quality of their produce, thus adding 

 enormously to the wealth of India and 

 to the well-being of her people. Here 

 is unlimited scope for what may be 

 called scientific missionary enterprise ; 

 and here is a practical opening for young 



men who will make it their profession 

 to go about the country— as is already 

 being done in Europe— carrying advice 

 to the farmer on his own fields. 



COURSE OP STUDY FOR 

 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 



(Report by T. H. Gibson, Inspector of 

 Schools. ) 



(From the Hawaiian Forester and Agri- 

 culturist, Vol. VIII., No. 12, Dec. 1911.) 



At the last meeting of the Commis- 

 sioners of Public Instruction held June 

 11, 1911, there was some discussion of our 

 course of study, and in the course of this 

 discussion it was suggested by the super- 

 intendent that a committee be appointed 

 to consider the advisability of preparing 

 a separate course of study for the rural 

 schools — that is, for the miscellaneous 

 schools of one, two, three rooms, etc., 

 and it was decided that the matter be 

 taken up by the superintendent at a 

 meeting of the supervising principals. 



As the "arranging and re-arranging of 

 studies to be pursued and the promin- 

 ence to be given to any particular 

 branch of learning " comes under the 

 province of the inspector of schools, 

 according to law, the matter was referred 

 to me for consideration. 



I have given this important matter a 

 good deal of thought, and having been so 

 long connected with the schools of this 

 Territory, I am fairly well informed as to 

 the development of the present course of 

 study. It is not the work of one or a few 

 men, but is the outgrowth of the ideas 

 and work of the leading educators and 

 school officials of these islands. It is the 

 result of the study and work of such men 

 as Richards, Armstrong, Hitchcock, Bald- 

 win, Bishop, Alexander, W. R. Castle, 

 M. M, Scott, A. T. Atkinson, Townsend, 

 Judge Cooper and E. A. Mott-Smith 

 and others. The later revisions have had 

 the benefit of the advice and criticisms 

 of such educators and experts as Dr. 

 Brown, late Commissioner of Education 

 at Washington, Col, Parker of the cele- 



