SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Technical Education. 
By G. D. DELPRAT, C.B.E. 
. The question of education is not one which has been special] 
recommended to us*, and may be considered to be outside of the indi. 
cated scope of activities of the Institute, but during the period the 
Institute of Science and Industry has been at work, it has gradually, 
become very clear to me that, unless the system of education in Ana. 
tralia is radically changed, and a better system substituted, the labours 
of the Institute will, for the greater part, be thrown away. 
We may be able to start new industries, and may assist some of 
those that are now in existence, but this is not sufficient to attain the 
object in view. I start from the position that, when the military way 
is over, we will enter into an industrial war, one more prolonged, more 
bitter, and without mercy; that the nation best equipped to fight in 
this war will conquer; that no legislation can make an inefficiently 
equipped nation conquer an industrially efficiently equipped nation, 
and that no legislation can turn aside the fate of the vanquished. Iy 
other words, that commercial and industrial supremacy will, without 
any doubt, come to the nation best equipped for this industrial war. 
If this be true, it is incumbent on us to take such steps as will] 
secure our nation the most modern equipment—mentally—that can be 
obtained—as good as the best, and nothing less—and this in the shortest 
time possible. A stern chase is a long one. The further a competitoy 
gets ahead, the more difficult it will be to overtake him. 
Even at the risk of being politely told to “mind our own business,” 
I think our Executive (if it agrees with me) should draw the attention 
of the Federal Government to this question. I know that frequently 
steps have been taken to improve our educational system, and that 
many improvements have been introduced. I am convinced that ouy 
educational system includes many valuable units, but it is not ay 
improvement of existing educational units, which I wish to bring before 
the executive—my proposal is of a much more drastic nature. 
What I propose is that, first of all, we should consider what is the 
highest standard of scientific efficiency it is considered desirable to 
attain, and this first step should offer no difficulties. The standard to 
be reached is, of course, at least the highest standard reached by any 
of our rivals. We know then the level we want to reach. The next 
step is to trace the best road to reach this point, having no regard tor 
anything but the object in view. 
*The Institute of Science and Industry Bill, however, provides, see section 
The Governor-General may arrange with the Governor of any State for 
any of the following purposes:— 
(a) The utilization for the purposes of this Act of State Research De- 
partments and Laboratories and Experimental Stations and Farms; 
(b) the co-operation in industrial and scientific research with State 
Government Departments, Universities and Technical Schools; and 
(c) the co-operation with educational authorities and scientific societies. 
in the Commonwealth, with a view to— 
(i) advancing the teaching of science in schools, technical 
colleges, and universities, where the teaching is deter- 
mined by those authorities; 
Gi) the training of investigators in pure and applied 
cience and of technical experts; and 
Ss 
cf A Gii) the training and education of craftsmen and skilled 
artisans, 
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