22
expenses-the purchase of a set of slides, fees to the lecturer or lecturers, and any incidental expenses-would be recognised as expenditure incidental to the training of teachers to be met in full by grants from the Department.
Yours, &c.,
J. STRUTHERS.
23
lectures to include the whole of our students presently in training and a number of the teachers of the district whether in Article 55 Classes or otherwise. Sir John Struthers,
I am, &c.,
Secretary,
JAMES MALLOCH.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
PLLC.O.885
יווןווי זוורוון
21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
SIR,
Enclosure 2 in No. 37.
Training Centre, Charlotte Street, Aberdeen, 28th September, 1910.
Aberdeen Provincial Committee (General).
HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 21st instant, enclosing a copy of eight lectures on India which have been prepared by Mr. 11. J. Mackinder, M.P.
After full consideration I think the purpose you have in view would be best served by having the lectures given under the form of an Article 55 Class to teachers. Our own lecturers on geography would attend, and in that way would be able in our summer course of geography to give the lectures to our second year's students.
I have discussed the matter with Mr. Hector, Clerk of the Aberdeen School Board. He thinks highly of the proposal, and as a preliminary step we have drafted a circular to be issued to all the headmasters in town with a view to asper- taining how far the lectures would be taken advantage of.
We think that it would be best if the course were to extend over a month, two lectures to be given a week, say, at 4.30 (this hour would be most suitable because a good many teachers are engaged in evening school work, and it would be a pity to deprive such teachers of an opportunity to attend) and if the fee for admission to the course were made a nominal one of, say, 1s. The reason for making the meetings bi-weekly is that I thought, if the services of Mr. Mackinder himself were secured, he could give the series concurrently in Dundee, the lectures there to be also bi-weekly. This arrangement would permit of Mr. Mackinder's finishing two sets of lectures in a month, and, incidentally, might help materially to diminish the expense. In our case it would be necessary to hire a hall suitable for the holding of a good audience and for the manipulation of lantern slides. I do not anticipate there would be much difficulty in this direction.
I may add that I have consulted the Convener of the Education Sub-Committee, who agrees with me in thinking that the arrangements I have suggested above, subject, of course, to the adjustment of details, are the most feasible. He is strongly of opinion that the services of Mr. Mackinder himself should be obtained.
When the matter has received a little more consideration and our arrangements are somewhat more matured, I shall have the honour to communicate with you again,
I have, &c.,
GEORGE SMITH.
The Secretary,
Scotch Education Department,
14. Queen Street, Edinburgh.
Enclosure 3 in No. 37.
ST. ANDREW'S PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE FOR THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS. DEAR SIR JOHN STRUTHERS, Training College, Dundee, 28th September, 1910.
I WAS much interested in the advance copy of the eight lectures on India by Mr. Mackinder, prepared for the Visual Instruction Committee of the Colonial Office, which you kindly sent me along with your letter of the 21st September. I have gone over those lectures very carefully and have noted the aim which the Visual Instruction Committee have had in view in their preparation.
Personally I think that your plan in the use of these lectures is exceedingly valuable both from an Imperial point of view and also from a strictly educational one. I informally brought the matter before a representative meeting of my Education Joint Sub-Committee vesterday, and the whole of the members present quite appreciated the purpose of the lectures, thought the expenditure justified, and gave me instructions to communicate at once with Mr. Mackinder. This I have done, and I shall endeavour in making arrangements for the delivery of these
Scotch Education Department, Whitehall, London.
Enclosure 4 in No. 37.
GLASGOW PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE FOR THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS.
DEAR SIR JOHN,
Technical College, George Street,
Glasgow, September 30, 1910.
I AM to thank you for your letter of the 21st instant enclosing an advance copy of Mr. Mackinder's lectures on India. If Mr. Mackinder himself can be got to deliver the lectures there would, I think, be no question of the success of the scheme. So far as the students are concerned, I think all those who go out of training in 1911 might be taken together. They number about 600. course, no room in the training college large enough to accommodate so many, but There is, of the examination hall in the Technical College would be available and is well fitted for the purpose. Two or three lectures per week might be given so as to bring the course within a short compass. I shall be glad to know what you consider would be a reasonable honorarium to offer Mr. Mackinder for conducting the course. A teachers' class under Article 55 might also be arranged. It might begin during the currency of the students' course and Mr. Mackinder might give a lecture or two, leaving one of the Committee's staff to complete the course. If you have an opportunity of meeting Mr. Mackinder, perhaps you will be able to broach the matter to him and to ascertain whether he would be willing to undertake the work. Perhaps the opportunity for influence offered by lecturing to about six hundred keen Scottish students who will soon hold appointments in schools would appeal to him.
I mentioned the matter to the Conveners of the Studies Committee and of the Article 55 Classes Committee, and they both heartily approve of the proposal, so that the co-operation of the Committee may be assumed.
Sir John Struthers, K.C.B.,
The Scotch Education Department,
Whitehall, London.
DEAR MACKINDER,
Yours, &c.,
Enclosure in No. 37.
D. MACLEOD,
Director of Studies.
Thornloe, Oban, 30th September, 1910. I SEND you herewith, for your information, a copy of my letter to the Directors of Studies of the several Provincial Committees in Scotland regarding the possi- bility of arranging for the delivery under their auspices of your course of lectures on India and also of the replies which have just reached me here from the Directors at Aberdeen and Dundee. I think you will consider these replies very encouraging, and I am convinced that if you can possibly see your way to give some of the lectures at all events at both places yourself it would do a world of good. If you are free to entertain tlie idea it will save complications if you will correspond directly with the Directors concerned as to times, terms, and other conditions.
In some ways it is more important that the first lectures should be given at Dundee and Aberdeen rather than the other two centres, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It would be more possible to arrange for courses at the latter centres at any time, and it would also be more possible to find in these places some person fairly qualified to give the initial course if you should not see your way to visit all the centres. But that is largely a question of your own convenience and you will be in a better position to decide perhaps when you see what sort of response we get from Edinburgh and Glasgow. I will send you on the replies from these centres as soon as they come to hand.
Yours, &c..
J. STRUTHERS.
1,