ABSTRACT
Many recent observers have criticized the schools on similar grounds, and there exists a widespread dissatisfaction with secondary education as it is. The sphere of instruction in which, at least, most schools can claim real efficiency, provides us with some striking characteristics common to many grammar schools. In many schools, the examination syllabus dictates absolutely what shall be taught by the subject master. This might not be dangerous if it were easy to amend an examination syllabus and to bring it into line with progressive opinion. It is an interesting fact that necessities of war have led the Ministry of Education to offer State bursaries, in addition to the usual State scholarships, for the use of science students who have reached the pass standard in the Higher School Certificate examination. Secondary education must develop the capacity for experiment, and must cease to be bound by obsolete ideas inherited from a remote past.
