SCIENCE STUDENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 19 February 1931, Page 9

SCIENCE STUDENTS

LACK OF REAL CULTURE Sir Charles Grant Robertson, vicechancellor of the University of Birmingham, in in's presidential address at the meeting of the Science Masters’ Association at Birmingham, said that lie was profoundly impressed very oflen witli the ability of tfie undergraduate in the faculties of science, but lie was no less profoundly depressed by the complete absence, only too often, of any real cultural background to this specialised proficiency in one or two limited branches of science, generally physics and chemistry. He had seen a general knowledge paper set before a large group of undergraduates, the answers to which, and the way in which they were expressed, had made him almost think they were nob young Englishmen, but foreigners. Yet many of these were in three or four years going to achieve high honours in the final examinations for the bachelor degrees in science.

They could regard him as a jaundiced critic, hut his anxiety was shared by many of the authoritative representatives of science.

“I put to you the question,” he added. “Arc you satisfied that the young generation, trained in and for science to-day, will be able, 10, 20, 30 years hence, to convince their nation of what science can do for the human mind, as their predecessors unquestionably and deservedly have done? “I wish, in the interests of science and of the nation to come, that I could answer the question with an unhesitating affirmative. But frankly I cannot.”