Sir John Lubbock at Birmingham

Abstract

SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, in his inaugural address as president of the Midland Institute, gave utterance to some wholesome truths which we sincerely hope the Government and people of the country will take to heart. Sir John, as a member of the Schools Commission and of the Science Commission, has had ample opportunities of ascertaining the exact state of our schools and universities as to the teaching of icience; and after all that has been said and done, he comes to the unhappy conclusion that, practically, science is ignored in the vast majority of our educational institutions of all classes—elementary schools, endowed schools, and universities. At the same time he is driven to the conclusion that a widespread interest in science already exists in the country. Of this we think anyone can assure himself who looks around and can read the signs of the times. There is undoubtedly a widespread feeling that the present all but universal system of education is inadequate and unsatisfactory and that science must, sooner or later, be allotted a place in all our schools. Notwithstanding this feeling, the fact undoubtedly remains as Sir John Lubbock stated it, that the great fault of our present system of education is the neglect of science; some few years hence it will be deemed incredible that a boy should be allowed to pass through any good school and yet be entirely ignorant of any one branch of natural knowledge.