Science and Reconstruction

Abstract

SIR JOHN ANDERSON states in Nature of December 22, p. 733, that “a good grounding in natural science can be a passport to the higher Civil Service, equally with the more usual training in the humanities, or in the history schools”, and that “public administration does provide scope, apart from the professional or specialist grades, for men with a scientific training”. Sir John is, of course, quite correct in the sense that the entrance examination for the Administrative Class of Civil Servants can be taken in almost any subject. But in spite of the theoretical possibility, there are very few successful entrants to the Administrative Class with a grounding in natural science. Some figures on this point may be of interest.