IS79-J 
British Association. 
695 
Section F. 
We must not omit a notice of two papers brought before 
the section of Economic Science and Statistics, the one by 
Dr. J. H. Gladstone “ On Elementary National Science in 
Board Schools ; ” the other by Prof. Leone Levi “ On the 
Scientific Societies in Relation to the Advancement of 
Science in the United Kingdom.” 
Dr. Gladstone pointed out that in elementary schools a 
knowledge of the fads of nature is generally given in two 
very different ways. In the infant department there usually 
lingers some remnants of that instruction by objeCt lessons 
which was considered a valuable part of education before the 
Revised Code of 1861. In the higher standards of the boys’ 
and girls’ departments certain sciences may be taught as 
“ specific subjects,” and receive encouragement by a Govern- 
ment grant. At the present time out of 1074 male and 
1790 female teachers, 888 males and 442 females hold 
advanced science certificates, varying in number from 1 to 
23. Advanced objeCl lessons, generally on natural history, 
are taught in many of the boys’ and girls’ departments, and 
there is little doubt that they will soon become much more 
general and systematic. Out of 248 boys’, 218 girls’, and 46 
mixed schools, more than half include in their course of 
instruction scientific specific subjects. The cost of books 
and apparatusfor the instruction in natural knowledge during 
the past twelvemonth was £834. This amount is rather 
less than one penny per child per annum. 
Mr. J. F. Moss advocated the establishment of centres, at 
which this class of work could be done by selected teachers 
and under far more favourable conditions than at present 
existed. Branches of science more immediately bearing 
upon the industries of each district should have special 
prominence so as to aid in the training of intelligent artisans, 
foremen, and managers instead of depending so largely for 
the supply of educated men from other countries where 
greater attention had been given to technical education with 
such important results. 
Prof. Silvanus Thompson advocated apprenticeship schools, 
but if such schools were established in England it should be 
by local rather than Imperial effort, for they succeeded 
better when they were not fettered by Imperial legislation. 
The President (Mr. Mundella) believed that science 
teaching tended to redeem school life from its drudgery and 
monotony. In the science schools abroad the interest mani- 
fested by the children in a proper objeCf lesson and the 
