THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY IN PREPARATORY

SCHOOLS.

I.

In dealing with the question of how far Geography should be taught in Preparatory schools, one is, of course, at first confronted by the difficulty of finding room in the already overcrowded time-table. As long as the standard of the Public Schools is what it is in classics and in mathematics, and as long as boys are anxiously prepared either to get scholarships or to take a good place on entrance, so long will the time-table show a large proportion of hours given up to Latin and Greek and a lesser number devoted to mathematics, while modern languages, history, and geography contend for the remaining spaces of time. Experience tells us that when we have reached the end of one of those sometimes seem so long-we are not a little disappointed and surprised at the small amount there is to show in every subject. To make good, then, the claims of Geography to a more prominent place in the work done by boys at Preparatory Schools, we must show to the satisfaction of the Public Schoolmaster and of the Universities its value as a factor in education, as well as impress upon those who are teaching boys under fifteen, the importance of making it a natural starting point for all future training. The first thought that needs our attention is that in school life there is a want of connection between the different subjects. Term to a boy is a time-table varied by impositions. There is no common ground on which his classical and mathematical studies touch each other. They are totally and entirely distinct, as are the masters from whom he learns them. Now it cannot be denied that if Geography were taught with the object of connecting the work in schools a great deal might be done to make the amount of knowledge which we now convey done up in separate parcels, in the future more panoramic, that is, a picture showing a view completely around the spectator. For instance, if the Mediterranean Sea be taken as a starting point and two maps side by side displayed to show, one the manner in which the land surrounding it was divided in the palmiest days of the Roman Empire, and another exhibiting the modern empires and kingdoms, there would then not be that sense of separation which seems to exist between what are called Ancient and Modern History. Let it be clearly shown

that while land and sea, river and mountain still remain as they were from the beginning, yet man and his struggles with his fellow-men have changed the surface, have moved the boundaries, and shifted the points of interest round that sea which plays so vast a part in the story of the world. Perhaps the Nile and its yearly message of food would be as good an example of any that we could give of the eternal and abiding work of the Maker of the World, contrasted with the passing away one after another of the races which have lived upon its banks. In fact Greece, Italy, Asia Minor, Palestine, and Egypt illustrate classical literature and the Holy Scriptures, and the boy who understands their position will find his Homer and his Virgil, his Xenophon and his Livy all come easier to him, and the journeys of St. Paul will present no difficulty.

When we have thus established our principle of cohesion by means of Geography we can proceed to our second point, that of expansion. It can be brought before the young mind so that it may grasp the widening of the interest of the world. The boy will learn from his history of the period of discovery of Vasco di Gama, of Cabot, and of Columbus, and then his knowledge of Geography will bring home to him the gradual illumination of the dark places of the earth. The rounding of the Cape, the landing in the West Indies, will lead him on to Africa and to the United States. Also he will see how it was that the one supplied the other with slaves, and what came of that. And intelligent study of the very names on the North American continent will give him the history, first, of the original people who have left Ohio, Mississippi, Alabama, and Massachusetts as witnesses of their occupation of the land, while Virginia will tell him of Sir Walter Raleigh, Maryland and Carolina of the Stuarts, Pennsylvania of the Quaker who founded it, Philadelphia of the brotherly love of the Quaker sect, and Louisiana of the French attempt to found colonies. Familiar English names will tell him how the settlers tried to commemorate the places from which they came. Then, on another continent, the voyages of Cook will remind him of the foundation of Australia, and the struggles of Warren Hastings and of Clive and the victories of Wellesley will, if he has his map beside him, recall the advance in India towards that empire which we govern to-day. It is not the least part of an Englishman's education that he should grasp his citizenship in that Greater Britain which lies beyond the sea. if through his Geography he has gained some power of cohesion in the history of ancient times and has arrived at some conclusions with regard to the expansion of empire which has come about in modern days, he may also learn from it how it has come to pass that languages have arisen. It is not impossible to teach him something about that common stock of many tongues which is called Aryan, and if he knows his map he can easily see how it is that there are so many likenesses between the tongues of Italy, of France, and Spain. Then he will understand how the Teutonic is not only found upon the northern

Then

half of the mainland of Europe and round the Baltic, but also how it found its way to his own country with the invaders, and thus displaced the Celtic tongues, which have been driven back until their small remains are found in the distant Highlands of Scotland, in the mountain districts of Wales, in the wildest West of Ireland. And if he has some light thrown upon the way in which men speak in countries, is it not true that he will be able to understand something of the reasons which have made some countries most successful in planting their people in distant lands, when he sees the position on the map of Holland and England, and will he not understand the isolation of Switzerland, the enmity between France and Germany, the half European, half Asiatic character of Russia, the ample supply of seamen from Sweden and Norway? It would be easy to show him how Africa has had less chance than Europe of development, the one having an unbroken coastline with most of its territory at great distances from the sea, and the other with so much of the land accessible from two sides, and if the influences of position on national character were not sufficient, would not some facts about the different climates make clear to him the greater industry of those who live in temperate climes compared with the natural inability to work under conditions of extreme heat, or with a supply of food which can be obtained without much exertion? If Geography were thus made to contribute to the explanation of the facts which go to make up the History of the World a more intelligent boy would come to every other class, and it is not unlikely that thus regarded Geography would be acknowledged as useful in the very highest degree. standard which is thus set is not too high for anyone who cares to make use of a powerful factor in education. There is no reason why boys of almost less than average intelligence should not grasp, at all events, a considerable proportion of such teaching as can be given by one who feels the subject to be of deep importance.

The

It is certainly difficult to understand how any one can consider such methods of treating Geography as wanting in the power of eliciting thought. No more attractive way of realising the past and present is open to us. The life of man on this earth is full of matter for thought. It is almost a boundless subject. No one need obscure the illuminating power of Geography by the introduction of painful details of population and other varyingly accurate statistics. These things are not education. They may be dismissed at once from consideration. But everyone desires that the boy should have the wider knowledge that comes from the true Study of Geography. He can learn his grammar, and write his composition, to arrive at accuracy and style. He can make himself better educated by cultivating his reason in Euclid, and his calculating powers in Arithmetic or Algebra. He must know the main outlines of Literature and History. but he is not educated if he is ignorant of the causes which have made men what they are, and of the truths which sea and land can tell him. Those who would put

off this part of his education to a later period, when his store of knowledge is greater, are not treating him fairly. Geography should grow with his growth, as it has with that of the known world. She offers a number of facts and principles. He should be familiar with them.

The other subjects which are taught to him have their value and so has Geography. He is dealt most fairly by when that value is understood.

II.

It perhaps goes without saying on the subject of teaching Geography that the answers to the three questions sent out have been most interesting. I have to thank many for helping materially by suggestions, and, if one may say so, taking the trouble to answer, when so much had to be done in school, and so many other questions came at the same time.

The only three questions were:

(1) Do you or your masters use other apparatus than Text Books or Maps?

(2) Do you consider Geography of Educational Value, and would you like to see it more largely taught?

(3) At what hours is Geography taught at your school? It would be, I think, helpful to give some of the answers to each question before summarising the results.

SPECIAL ANSWERS TO QUESTION 1.

Short lessons on special subjects. For example, a lesson on "longitude and its connection with Time is illustrated by a globe on which we can chalk meridians. In explaining this Subject we work out the matter on the blackboard as follows:-. Since earth revolves through 360 deg. in 24 hours.

66

66

15 deg. in 1 hr. =

... 15 deg. of long. = 1 hr. of time.

15 deg.

From this we compute that Calcutta, 90 deg. east longitude, or New Orleans, 90 deg. west longitude, is 90 deg. either before or after Greenwich time."

6 hrs.

This answer goes on to recommend that encouragement should be given to Masters to travel by means of a tourist ticket-" a "profitable way of spending money granted for educational pur"poses." Lantern Lectures, based on the Master's own experience and illustrated with his slides, are used here. Hence the capital suggestion for travelling Masters' tickets.

We make considerable use of modelling. Each boy has his board and composition.' By this means they acquire a fairly "sound and correct idea of relative position and relief."

I regard an optical lantern as a very valuable adjunct both in History and Geographical Teaching. The utmost

importance attaches to a judicious assortment of slides: otherwise attention is dissipated instead of being roused by its use."

A very full list of aids: "Relief Maps, Relief Globes, Tellurians, Silenoscope, Geological and Botanical Diagrams, Magic "Lanterns, Object Lesson Cards, Diagrams illustrative of Physical Geography, General Knowledge Charts."

Describes the practice of the Master to be that: "He draws from memory, and questions entirely without a text-book, "constructing his outline and filling in details before the class." [Text-books are allowed for revision.]

Points out the desirability of Masters being able to draw quickly and accurately on the blackboard.

ANALYSIS OF ANSWERS TO QUESTION 1.

No special apparatus is used in 58 out of 121 schools, and the use of the lantern is recorded in 15 cases out of 121. The blackboard is mentioned in 23 cases and the globes in 18, but possibly they may not have been thought to come under the head of apparatus.

One might hope that perhaps a larger proportion will use more than Text Books in the future.

ANSWERS TO QUESTION 2.

Naturally the second question has produced a variety of answers. The general tone is that it should be more largely taught, and would be so but for the public schools.

66

"The Public Schools' requirements on this subject are practically nil, so the subject is starved at preparatory schools for "want encouragement in Scholarship Examinations at Public "Schools."

"At the school where most of my boys go, both in Entrance " and in Scholarship papers Geography is practically ignored, so "that I have to do less than I should like.'

"The schools above us do not give much encouragement."

"If Public Schools' requirements would only recognise it more, I would gladly see more time allotted to it."

Boys seldom learn Geography in the Public Schools."

"A fascinating subject, but it does not pay for Public Schools."

66

Under existing public school requirements I do not see how 66 we can spare the time."

I should like to be able to give it a more important place, "but to do this Public Schools must be less exacting in some "other subjects."

"So little time is allotted to it in Public Schools."