MY LORD AND GENTLEMEN, ENCLOSURE. MILITARY TIONS. Harrow, 30th March 1877. 1. I REQUEST leave to bring before your notice a suggestion with reference to the examination for the army and the Civil Service of India, which appears to me to have some importance, and to be of a practical character. What I propose is that Physical Comthere should be added to the present examination a physical competition in which petition. the marks gained should be added to those otherwise obtained by the candidates. 2. I should perhaps say that I have had considerable experience of the working of the present examinations, being the master in principal charge of the Modern Side at Harrow School, and that from circumstances into which I need not enter, I have a somewhat varied acquaintance, not only with the practice of physical exercises generally, but also with the capacity of boys and young men to take part in them. 3. I cannot but think that an addition of marks for physical excellence would be in itself useful and desirable; that it is merely just that bodily gifts of strength and health should tell in the selection of an officer or an Indian administrator in some proportion to, though no doubt in a less degree than, those results of intelligence and study which are denoted by intellectual success, and that the addition would go far towards increasing the general popularity of the system of competitive examination. If carried out with moderation, it could not impair the success of any of the candidates most remarkable for intellectual merit, but only alter the place of the lower candidates, who, as a general rule, approach very nearly to one another in marks, but who might reasonably be discriminated from one another by a verdict on their physical accomplishment. 4. Permit me, however, to refer to one or two of the dangers which it would seem most important to avoid in the introduction of such a change as I have suggested. In the first place it would be desirable to avoid any specially professional element in the qualifications demanded. This would be merely following the example of the examination as conducted hitherto. Just as a lad is not asked now to show himself skilled in fortification, military engineering, or the Indian languages, but only to give evidence of his being so qualified as to be able to approach these studies with the probability of greater success than his rivals, so I would have him show proficiency, not in riding, shooting, or the endurance of camp life, but in those physical excellences which are natural and customary among all boys and youths, and which give promise of future healthy development. 5. Again, it would be right to exclude mere skill as an element of success, since accident and circumstances have so large a share in its production, and to avoid exercises which would give a marked advantage to candidates possessed of wealth and leisure and accustomed to a country life over those in humbler circumstances, and to render the competition at once simple and really open to all. 6. Once more, the success of the scheme might be impaired by its involving a great expenditure of time. I venture to submit that in the detailed suggestions which I am about to make this danger will be minimised if not avoided. 7. If, however, it should be urged that all that is necessary is provided at present by the medical examination of the candidate, I would respectfully reply, in the first place, that this tends to secure only a minimum of health and strength, without giving any advantage to the healthiest and strongest; and secondly, that in this, as in all examinations, a mere standard tends inevitably to lower itself, and that at present the qualifications demanded are in some cases very low. Indeed, I question whether the successful candidates for some of the examinations of which I am speaking are in point of physical qualifications any further in advance of the average of boys and young men than would naturally follow from the fact that a military or an Indian career suggests itself most naturally to the vigorous rather than to the weak, and, as far as my experience goes, this difference shows itself but slightly. 8. I would propose, then, that (a.) Candidates should be allowed to offer themselves for a voluntary physical examination. (Voluntary, because the essence of the examination would be to give additional advantage to those who excel in physical merit, not to graduate all the candidates who are of an average or below the average standard.) (b.) The marks gained should be added to those otherwise obtained. (In other words this competition should not exclude any other subject; it would hold a position like that which freehand drawing now has in most of the examinations.) (r.) The object should be to give an advantage to the strongest, most active, most healthy candidates, not to those specially accomplished in exercises suited to the army or to Indian life. MILITARY ENTRANCE EXAMINA TIONS. Physical Competition. (d.) The number of marks allotted should be such as to leave to intellectual merit a very clear predominance. (e.) The details of the marking should not be published. (This would be necessary to prevent the vulgarising of the competition, and to avoid personal rivalry.) (f) Marks should be given up to the maximum assigned, on the understanding that mediocrity is represented by 0. (This is in order to preclude the entrance to the competition of any but those superior in physical merit. The saving of time would be an important result of this, and the principle is, I venture to think, the right one to adopt.) (g.) Only those should be examined who have passed the preliminary examination. (Also for the saving of time.) (h.) The maximum should be practically obtainable by the most strong, healthy, and active youths, and its marks should be placed at about the same number as those allotted to freehand drawing (1,000 in the army examination). (i.) The examiners should be directed to take into consideration the height, appearance, carriage, muscular development, visible health, measure of chest, &c. of the candidates, and any other evidences of strength and activity which may be easily recognised. 9. Such, my Lord and gentlemen, are the conditions which I would submit for the examination which I propose, and it would be perhaps well to be content with these at the outset. But I cannot deny that the competition would be more satisfactory, and the strain on the discretion of the examiners less, if they were empowered, as they found themselves able, to introduce some specific exercises into their examination, which might be held in the neighbourhood of a gymnasium and a swimming bath. There can be no doubt that a really more perfect result would be obtained if some such development as the following were added to the examination: it will be remarked that it is drawn in strict adherence to the principles suggested above in s. 4. 10. The 1,000 marks awarded to physical merit should be divided into two moieties, 500 being given at the general discretion of the examiners, as above recommended, and 500 in the following proportion: i. 200 marks for speed. A time race of 300 yards; mediocrity, i.e., 0 marks, being represented by a time of 36 seconds. ii. 100 marks for swimming 100 yards; 50 marks being given for ordinary, and 100 for good swimming. iii. 100 marks for high jumping; mediocrity represented by 4 ft. 6 in. iv. 100 marks for carrying shot. It is obvious that the schedule just suggested would need revision after some experience had been gained of its working; but I am much mistaken if it would not be found to afford a fairly satisfactory basis for the first occasion of a valuation of candidates. I have only, my Lord and gentlemen, to apologise for having taken up so much space in the suggestions which I have ventured to lay before you, and to recommend them to your favourable consideration. I have, &c. (Signed) E. E. BOWEN, Late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Master of the Modern Side, Harrow School The Chairman and Members EXTRACT from a LETTER from Mr. E. E. BOWEN. Harrow, 7th December 1877. * The more I have thought of it the more I am impressed with the importance of simplicity at the outset. On the one hand, persons who are responsible for adopting the plan may so easily shrink from anything that seems complicated, while if one assesses simply the appearance of health, strength, and activity, it is what everyone must allow to be easy and practicable; and on the other, it seems to me most important to keep the reform popular by excluding from it what in our conversation I spoke of as aristocratic accomplishments. I am quite certain that at this moment I could most easily allot marks for physical excellence to the boys who compose my form at Harrow, and I could probably do it still better if I had a doctor at my side; and in candidateship for the Army it seems The Director-General of Military Education to the Secretary, Civil SIR, 1st February 1878. IN acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 20th December last, and its enclosure, with reference to the proposal to add physical competition to the present examination for the Army, I have it in command to state that His Royal Highness The Director-General of Military Education (Lieut.-General C. P. B. the Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief Walker, C.B.) The Assistant Military Secretary has nominated the officers named in the (Major-General R. B. Hawley, margin to confer with the Civil Service C.B.). The Assistant Adjutant-General Commissioners on the subject; and I am to (Colonel G. R. Greaves, C.B.). request you will be good enough to inform me what day next week, other than Tuesday or Saturday, would be convenient to the Commissioners for the conference to take place at their office, and if 2 p.m. would be a suitable hour. I have, &c. MILITARY TIONS. Physical Competition. The Secretary, Civil Service Commission, to the Director-General of 4th February 1878. SIR, I am, &c. The Joint Committee of the War Office and the Civil Service 26th April 1878. SIR, 2. On the general question of the desirableness of the proposed addition we apprehend that there can be little difference of opinion. Whether regard be had to the direct utility of physical vigour in the discharge of military duties, or to its importance as connected with valuable mental and moral qualities, we entertain no doubt that some account should be taken of it in such examinations, provided that the value set upon it be not such as to depreciate superior intellectual ability, MILITARY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. Physical Competition. that proper tests can be agreed upon, and that satisfactory means can be found of applying those tests. 3. With the view of obtaining the best advice on these points, we addressed a confidential circular to the heads of three great military establishments, and of eighteen of the principal public schools, inviting an expression of their opinions both on the general scope of the proposal, and on the details of a plan for carrying it into effect. The replies received to that circular appear to us of so much importance that they ought to be brought under your notice; and we have accordingly, with the consent of the writers, appended copies of them to this report, together with copies of a letter from Mr. E. E. Bowen, master of the Modern Side at Harrow School, dated 30th March 1877, and of a more recent communication from the same gentleman. 4. We have also derived much benefit from personal interviews with several gentlemen specially conversant with the different subjects of our inquiry, namely, Surgeon-General W. Munro, M.D., C.B., of the Army Medical Department; Mr. E. E. Bowen, already mentioned; Colonel F. Hammersley, formerly Inspector of Gymnasia, and Major G. F. Gildea, who now holds that appointment; and Major E. Ward Ashton, R.H.A., Superintendent of the Riding Establishment at Woolwich. 5. Assuming it to be desired that marks should be given for physical qualifications, we had to consider to what qualities those marks should be attached; and first of all, whether they should be awarded partly for constitutional health and vigour, as estimated after personal inspection by a Board of Medical Examiners, or only for activity and adroitness as displayed in the performance of specific exercises. 6. We had great difficulty at arriving at a satisfactory conclusion on this point. On the one hand, it did not seem to be right that no credit at all should be given for superiority in general bodily health and vigour, but that everything should be made to depend on the possession of personal strength and activity, and the practice of particular accomplishments. It was even represented to us that if exclusive regard were paid to such accomplishments, the effect would be not only to injure the health of the candidates by taxing simultaneously their bodily and mental energies, but also to affect prejudicially a large number of schools, by leading to the substitution of separate gymnastic training for social games. On the other hand, it was felt that in any general estimate of a candidate's health and strength, formed even by experienced medical officers, there must be room for considerable differences of opinion, affecting the competition with an element of uncertainty which it is important as far as possible to exclude. On this ground we hesitate to recommend that marks should be given for physical vigour, except as exhibited in the exercises which we now proceed to mention. 7. In selecting these it was obviously necessary to set aside, as unsuitable for the particular purpose in hand, all those of which the essence consists in personal contest; those in which there would be danger of injury from overstraining; and, for the present at least, those in which the competition would occupy much time, or otherwise would present any considerable practical difficulties. Subject to these conditions, it seemed desirable to admit any exercises ordinarily practised which tend to the development of bodily strength and activity. 8. Guided by these considerations, we recommend that competitions should be held under the following six heads: (1) riding; (2) walking; (3) running; (4) leaping; (5) swimming; and (6) gym. nastics. 9. We think that the examination in these exercises should be entirely voluntary; and considering that some of them, e.g., riding, swimming, MILITARY ENTRANCE TIONS. Physical Com and gymnastics, cannot be practised with success except under conditions 11. We are sensible that even under these restrictions the valuation of physical qualities in the form of numerical marks must be attended, at first at least, with considerable difficulty, more especially as regards those exercises in which proficiency does not admit of mechanical measurement by time or distance; but the results of our inquiries have satisfied us that this difficulty may be met by a well-arranged plan of examination. We have not thought it our duty to draw out the details of such a plan, which would remain to be settled by the authorities to whom the conduct of the proposed examination might be entrusted, and which it might perhaps be found expedient to revise from time to time; but we desire to commend as worthy of careful consideration the suggestions contained in the following Memorandum, drawn up at our request conjointly by Colonel Hammersley and Mr. Bowen. MEMORANDUM ON THE METHOD OF CONDUCTING A COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION If it be decided to hold, as part of the army entrance examination, competitions in riding, walking, running, leaping, swimming, and gymnastics, we recommend that they should be conducted according to the following regulations. We have suggested in each case a minimum, i.e. the lowest degree of proficiency for which any marks should be given, and a maximum, i.e. the degree of proficiency entitling to the maximum number of marks. RIDING (400 marks) : Minimum. A fairly good seat, and fairly good management of horse. Maximum. A good, secure, and graceful seat, with thoroughly good management, including leaping. Conditions. In a riding school, with saddle, &c. of the ordinary kind, in ordinary morning dress. Conditions.-On a prepared course; trowsers, and either shirt or jersey, to be worn, and any kind of shoes. Style not to be regarded with a view to marks; but unfair walking will, after two cautions, necessarily disqualify. |