Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 46.djvu/635

Rh a most important contribution to educational literature, and will render great service to our cause. But I count as his greatest achievement the introduction of a proper balance—calculated to inspire confidence and respect—into the schools, for I believe the discipline of learning to weigh carefully and exactly to be of the very highest value to a child, and one of the most effective means of leading children to be careful and exact in their work generally. I envy my friend his success, as I have in vain tried to get proper balances introduced into schools of far higher grade in place of wretched contrivances costing but three or four shillings, which can be of no service in forming character, although I have no wish to deny that such may be made use of in illustrating principles.

Mr. Gordon, I believe, was appointed to teach mechanics under what I will venture to call an antiquated and wooden syllabus, but he had the courage to burst the bonds imposed upon him, and from the outset determined to teach what was likely to be of real service to his pupils. I have said that he gained the confidence and sympathy of the teachers with whom he was associated and whose work he was appointed to supervise and direct; but I believe that he did more, and achieved success in a task of greater difficulty—that he actually made converts of some of her Majesty's inspectors whose sympathies had previously lain with literary studies.

I have thought it desirable thus to sketch the history of the introduction of our British Association scheme into school-board circles. Let me now further emphasize the importance of teaching scientific method, which after all is recognized by very few as yet. Let me endeavor to make clear what I mean by scientific method: that when I speak of scientific method I do not mean a branch of science, but something much broader and more generally useful. We may teach scientific method without teaching any branch of science; and there are many ways in which we may teach it with materials always close to hand.

I have very little belief in the efficacy of lecturing, and it is always difficult to persuade those who are not already persuaded—I would therefore refer those of you who are not yet with me to a book from which they may derive much information and inspiration. I mean Herbert Spencer's Essay on Education. It is a book which every parent of intelligence desiring to educate his children properly should read; certainly every teacher should have studied it thoroughly; and no one should be allowed to become a member of a school board who on examination was found not to have mastered its contents. But as Herbert Spencer says—