Education at the British Association

Abstract

TWO joint conferences were held the first with Section H, on Anthropometric in Schools. The report of a committee of Section H on anthropometric investigation in the British Isles was presented by Mr. J. Gray (secretary). The anatomical subcommittee reported on methods of taking chest measurements, on hair colours, and on iris colours. A series of schedules of proposed anthropometric measurements for the use of schools has been drawn up, suggestive as to what could be done with limited opportunities. A psychological subcommittee has drawn up a list of thirty-four mental characters, on which they suggest observations on a scale indicating average or more or less marked over or under development of each character. The educational subcommittee (Mr. E. N. Fallaize, convener) states some of the aims of anthropometric observations in schools as the determination of averages and standard deviations, the correlation of physical and mental growth, the detection of the unfit, and the testing of the efficiency of different systems of education. Mr. J. Gray recommended that measurements and observations in all schools should be made in accordance with the scheme of the Anthropometric Committee of the British Association, that the data obtained should be entered on the card schedules, and each subject's dossier kept in an envelope as recommended by the committee. Dr. F. C. Shrubsall showed some lantern-slides of the results already obtained by anthropometric methods, including a comparison of the relative statures of Jewish and British children, the Jews leading at first, but both alike at age twenty-two; the heights of the professional, commercial, and artisan classes, the professional always leading: the percentage distribution of stature in Scotland, Liguria, and Sardinia, showing the Scottish stature as taller than the Sardinian; a map showing the average statures in different counties of the British Isles; the range of variation at different ages in schoolboys, showing that the tallest aged five was taller than the smallest aged ten. This demonstration was most impressive, indicating both the importance of the results already obtained and the risks of generalising from imperfect statistics or with inadequate knowledge.