RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, BY C. C. HOWARD, ESQ., F.R.G.S

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 109, 3 August 1877, Page 3

RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, BY C. C. HOWARD, ESQ., F.R.G.S

PRINCJPLES OF EDUCATION. Lecture ll.—Subject—The child's first school, and the principles upon which its education is there conducted. Our lack of wisdom and its results. The use and abuse of standards in elementary school work. Importance of study of mental, philosophy. The school of experience, is that in which the child receives its earliest impressions, and in this school nature, or God manifested in His works, is the teacher. In its infancy the pupil is surrounded by objects for observation, hard.facts, phenomena, to experiment upon. The faculties become developed oi educated by observation. In the garden of Eden God trained our first parents by surrounding objects, and the Great Pattern Teacher used the same plan by reference to objects, grass, lilies, <&_., to illustrate his subjects. We must use our eyes, and look and see for ourselves, and thus learn by observation from all things surrounding us. In the study of the special department of intellectual training we must consider: Ist. How the mind grows. 2nd. The extent of early growth. 3rd. Its permanent value. The child, when born, enters the school of experience with no impressions whatever. Its mind is a clear tablet, blank, but prepared to receive any impression for good or evil. The child first learns by change of condition in surrounding objects, and every change produces an imjjression e.g., light, darkness, toys, health, tick of clock. &c. At first, tho impression is very imperfect and indistinct. The child remembers faintly the place seen, or thing tasted or handled, for the first time. The second time, and subsequently, the impression becomes deepened and more distinct, and is thus strengthened by repetition. The mind first gains, and then associates, ideas. Second step.—ln obtaining fresh combinations of ideas, we acquire perception of differences and likenesses in various objects submitted to our attention, including all the powers of the mind. The memory must be cultivated as the power of reviewing ideas already formed. Between the ages of one and three,, a child learns to distinguish properties, and various surrounding facts, together with language. The whole mind of the child is absorbed in learning to do things, to experiment, and to acquire new facts frfrtn nature. Observation is very active at this stage of life, and the simplest acts performed, afford pleasure, and are: a, source of pride, to a child. Between three and six y-ears of age, the: playing period of life—children learn less. Infant schools, too frequently, do. not recognise the natural plan of teaching. Children, at this age, should have plenty of play time, and should not be compelled to adhere to the stiffness and tedium too often demanded of them, in what may be fitly called, forcing-down establishments. Standards are. very imperfect 'tests of schoolwork, and guage the quantity rather than quality of work done. Schools become very injurious when forced attainments are aimed at. Standards are necessary up to a certain point, but ought to be supplemented by careful oral examination. Mere paper work cannot be considered any test of the amount of work performed, nor can it be any standard of result. Teachers should make education rather than instruction, their aim in their school work, and especial attention should be paid to the duty o. training children to compare think, and remember.