Careers

traced the history of scientific discovery from the Greeks to modern spacemen.

This time the exhibition was held in the Christmas Term instead of the Easter Term. I think this was a mistake, for far too many boys seemed not to understand fully the experiments they were demonstrating. One term later they would have had a better understanding of their work and could have given more confident expositions.

The one hundred and forty-six different demonstrations and experiments ranged from magic writing to nuclear physics, from beehives to Telstar, from geography to gas chromatography. As frequently happens, the most fascinating and most spectacular was often the most simple. A railway engine racing like the Red Queen to stay in the same place and prove one of Newton's laws, an enormous rabbit cage in which you could stand with electricity leaking out all round you, innocuous looking liquids that flashed dazzlingly blue when mixed, other liquids that could be coaxed steadily through all the rainbow colours, powerful electromagnets that melted nails and hurled chunks of metal in the air, bells that rang as you approached, a harmonograph that drew strange and wonderful pictures, a beautifully mounted skeleton of a cat, very dead dogfish and rats that had been most elegantly dissected—these were some of the simpler things that attracted my attention. Of the more complex and difficult I cannot write, certainly interesting they were, but I have not enough science to describe them as adequately as did, usually, their demonstrators.

The greatest value of such an exhibition is the chance it gives to a large number of boys—about three hundred—to demonstrate in public some of their scientific work, and to show their parents and friends a few of the interesting things they do in learning about Science. This exhibition is considered by all to have been a very great success; it is believed that the Science staff have already started preparing for the next one.

In the last few months I have visited a number of organisations, and the general impression gained is of a narrowing field of entry and consequent rising standards. There is no doubt that opportunities for the well qualified boy, who has played a full part in school life, are as good as ever, if not better, but for the boy with only two or three "0" Levels it is becoming increasingly difficult to find training which will lead to a professional qualification. The other impressions are that a qualification in Mathematics is almost universally needed, and that a good standard of English is more than ever being demanded.

In the autumn, I visited the Royal Doulton Company and saw both their China Works and their Industrial Ceramics Works. In the former they manufacture crockery, figures and character jugs, whilst in the latter they are principally concerned with the manufacture of large insulators for the electrical supply industry. This type of industry offers considerable satisfaction to a young man interested in Chemistry and its applications to Ceramics Technology, and this may be a very good alternative for the boy who is interested in Chemical Engineering, but who finds it difficult to get into this industry. No doubt other large pottery firms offer similar

opportunities, and it is interesting to note that S. Smith & Sons, Ltd., the instrument makers, are also offering a few vacancies for training in Ceramics Technology.

In visits to The Institutions of Mechanical and Civil Engineering I was interested to note that there is now a move towards requiring two "A" Level subjects, usually Mathematics and Physics, as a minimum standard for acceptance as a student engineer. The term "engineer" is often grossly misused, but from a school of this type boys should only consider calling themselves engineers if they become recognised as members of one of the major institutions, either through a Degree, or through a Student Apprenticeship. Apparently the raising of the standard of entry also applies to The Institution of Electrical Engineers.

During a visit to The Law Society it was made clear that as from this year no articled clerk can be accepted by a solicitor unless he has obtained at least two subjects at Advanced Level. It is still possible for anyone who gained the minimum "0" Level standards in 1962 to be accepted, providing he registers with The Law Society before January, 1964, but in view of the rising standard of entry this is probably inadvisable. The articled clerk today is able to take a full-time course of study at the College of Law in London or Guildford, before the principal law exams. and this, coupled with the higher standard of entry, should mean a much lower failure rate in the law exams. Two other points which came up were, first, that it may be quite a good plan for a young man to read a different subject at University rather than study Law throughout his university course and articles, and we spoke to two graduates articled to a Town Clerk about this. One had read History and the other Law and there seemed to be no appreciable difference in their progress under articles. The second point is the fact that any Town Clerk can now accept two graduate students, and this may be a particularly good way for a university student to become a solicitor because he is, of course, employed as a member of the Local Government Service and thus receives full salary. Of course it is expected that he will consider remaining in local government after he has completed his articles.

At The Institute of Chartered Accountants it was made clear that though the "0" Level method of entry is remaining open, for the present at least, the Institute and many accountants prefer at least two Advanced Levels, and even more a Degree. It seems better that this degree should not be in Accountancy because, once again, anyone of graduate status ought to be able to master the accountancy work afterwards. It was stressed that being a Chartered Accountant is now one of the best ways of entering industry and a larger proportion of chartered accountants today are in other fields of work than private practice.

The Royal Institute of British Architects also now require two Advanced Levels for entry as a recognised architectural student, and it is impossible to get into any School of Architecture with less than this. As far as a university department is concerned, requirements vary but generally speaking two of the most useful subjects are Mathematics and Physics. The pupillage system is now almost completely dead in architecture so that every intending architect will be expected to do a full-time five-year course of training, followed by two practical years, though one of these may be sandwiched within a five-year college training. The Architects were very keen to stress the necessity for a wide education and