The New York herald., 1921-07-24
ROYAL COMMISSION
FAVORS REVWALOF
GREEK and LATIN
Strongly Urges Teaching
of Classics in Educa-
ti0nal Course.
CALLING ON BEST IN MAN
Criticises Welsh Secondary
Schools for Preferring
Gaelic to Greek.
Special Gable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1891, by THE NEW YoRK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London. July %.

Special Gable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1891, 6y THE New YoRK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London. July 90.
A revival Of classical education is
strongly recommended by the royal
commission which has been consider
ing the position Of the classics in Eng
lands educational scheme In a report
made this week. It appeals not only
to the educational authorities but
above all TO tho teachers themselves
to endeavor to revive the study of
Greek and Latin. It is at the sacrifice
of some of the scientific branches Of
modern school training-civics and
drawing-that the commission would
have the classics gain.
"It is the business Of human educa-
tion," says the report, ito call out the
best that Is In man, not merely as a
member of the community but as an
individual, and both on the intellectual
and the emotional sides. 1t is the high
est claim in the study of the literatures
of Greece and Rome that they combine
these appeals in harmony which no
modern literature can evoke with the
same completeness.
The commission also has something
interesting to say regarding the modern
development of nationaIIsm within the
British Isles. But 1t is not Ireland at
which 1t aims its criticism. but at
Wales, where the study of Gaelic liter
ature lately has become a fad. In view
of the fact that the Prime Minister Is
from Wales the commission perhaps
did not feel at liberty to say too much
on this question, but It remarks
"Our opinion Is that 1t Is indefensible
that in the new Welsh secondary schools
ignorance of Greek should in effect. he
almost compulsory. With loyalty to
Wales and with her best national char
acteristics we are In full sympathy. but
we feel that a deeper knowledge of other
peoples past and present, which comes
through channels of acquired languages.
would make her thought at once more
national and international We are con-
vinccd that the Welsh linguistic gifts are
altogether unworthily reflected in the
corresponding record of classical and
modern language courses"
This Is scientific language for saying
that for any man who can pronounce
pwlheli "pooth lally' the mysteries OF
Greek ought to be easy.
The commission recommends that all
pupils between twelve and sixteen years
old In the secondary schools should
learn Latin, beginning early, perhaps
before French, and should study 1t dur
ing at least four periods each week.
After a careful investigation into
modern systems of teaching Latin and
Greek by the conversational method
the commission says that the system
is unfit for general use because of the
lack of competent teachers. but 1t rec
ommends that all teachers. by showing
students q classical background OF the
history of archaeology and social and
scientific economy. make the dead Ian
guages live In the present interest. It
says that in examinations students
should be permitted to offer Latin as
well as modern languages and that
compulsory study of natural science