Abstract
THE Pedler Lecture of the British Science Guild was delivered to the University of Durham Philosophical Society at Armstrong College on Oct. 21 by Prof. J. Irvine Masson, who took as his subject “Problems in the National Teaching of Science”. Beviewing, on a national scale, education in pure science, as it is carried on at our universities and in schools, Dr. Masson asked if the pendulum has overswung. Are we teaching too much science or teaching science too much? To those who are going to be lifelong scientific workers we have to, and do, give an intensive training; but every science is now swelling so quickly that it can no longer be confined within the three-year limit of the undergraduate course. Two more years are needed and are actually expected of a young man before he is eligible for a first post as a practising scientific worker. This needs universal recognition. Prof. Masson is of opinion that we are trying to teach too much and too specially to those who are not going to be professional scientific workers. The figures for the whole country show a great preponderance of ‘honours’ over ‘pass’ students, and a great many of these honours specialists do not go on with further training in their science, but turn to school-teaching, besides other occupations.
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[News and Views]. Nature 128, 753–757 (1931). https://doi.org/10.1038/128753a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/128753a0