REVIEW.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5513, 9 January 1885, Page 2

REVIEW.

This is a clever sensible little book, written by a lady who is thoroughy con- - versant with her subject, and who has evidently given much serious thought as to the best method of training girls. It is addressed exclusively to the higher or wealthy classes, and will not be read with much interest by the great majority of parents ; still, it is very suggestive and furnishes many valuable hints to all who have girls to educate. The authoress thinks that the training of the generality of pirls is shametully neglected. They are allowed to run wild, and to fritter away co much time in early youth, that they can never acquire such a habit of thinking accurately and logically, as will fit them to fulfil the duties of life creditably. In Bupport of her opinion, she cites the following instances :—: — " I remember one occasion on which I was called out of my school room for a few minutes, whilst I was giving a Bible class. We were reading a chapter out of the New Testament, in which many geographical names were mentioned, on leaving the room I asked my pupils to find all these places on tho map of the Holy Land. When I came back I saw a girl, 16 years old, eagerly bending over a map. She informed me there were two places she could not find, though she had tried very hard. I asked what they were, and received the answer : The Pharisees and Sadducees 1" Another girl of seventeen had never heard of Sir Isaac Newton, and his law of gravitation She had this explained to her in as compre* hensible a manner as possible ; but when a few days had elapsed and she was again asked what great natural law Sir Isaac JVewton discovered, she answered, " The law of universal aggravation." We should scarcely believe that such ignorance existed in these days of educational progress if recent examinations in our own district had not brought similar cases under our notice ; but I then these did not belong to the so-called higher classes. Those did. True, in the colonies many people live at a considerable I distance from educational centres, and it is * possible that girls whose parents cannot afford governesses, and have not time or ability themselves to impart instruction, may grow up densely ignorant; but we hope that cases are rare where the daughters of wealthy men are allowed to simply "vegetate in their homes." The writer is correct in asserting that " One cause why girls make so little progress is that they lose valuable time by irregular attendance, desultory work, and by the regular discipline of school life beiDg underrated by parents and guardians. She says very few parents seem to understand how all important it is to ! both teachers and pupils that there Bhonld be punctuality and regular attendance at school. "Mother wants me at home " is the stereotyped phrase for non-attendance. The girl may have a new dress to put on, or there is a party or pic-nic, and she must go. What doed it signify that she misses a few lessons ? Delicate health, too, is one of the excuses givon-Ky~-^A»«m£a_for-4cttlng-thch-daughters - grow up without syctematio training and instruction. But what is the cause of this delicacy ? It is not only the mental culture that is empaired by leading an idle, aimless life, but bodily health. Overwork is created, because gitls have to learn at thirteen what they ought to have mastered at 8. They are expected to leave school at 16 ; so that they must learn in three or four years what ought to be done in eleven years. The authoress lays great stress on the necessity of parents choosing suitable companions for their daughters. She says : " Every good teacher knows that it is of vital importance to consider companionship ; but parents often thoughtlessly thwart them as regards this subject." Many valuable hints are given as to the choice of school or gover* ness. "It is a grave mistake, " she goes on to say, " that anyone should ba allowed to teach who has not a certificate. Let it be borne in mind, "however, that a professional diploma is no guarantee of service of the most important qualifications of a teacher, of aeal, self-denial, conscientiousness, and the power of imparting knowlege ; and do not let us loße eight of the fact that good manners, refinement, and general culture art inseparable from the art of teaching." One chapter is given to a consideration of tho relative value of home training, education \i private shools, public high schools, and coX leges for girls j and the conclusion arrived at is, that the latter schools rank far above private schools, presided over by untraiied and inexperienced teachers. We will qtote one more passage, which all parents nay take home to themselves. "Fathers md mothers, you who, humanely speaking, Bt'ive to secure the future of your daughter by striving to shelter them from want and you, also, who have no gold or silvr $q leave to them, do you realise th(i by giving them a good education, ii tjie, ' true sense of the word, you may eoure their happiness } Yes ; that happine* from within, of which it has been said tbt< happiness and virture are the same," " M.'taken Views " is well worth a careful jrusal, though written for the especial benefit of one class only. " Higher classes " are jmparatively few in number, and though tey may have important duties to fulfil, yefciwasnot to them alone Napoleon referred hen ho eaid, "All a nation wanted to rader it great, was mothers ;" but to. the dughters of the people. The authoress woultdo well if she would give us her ideas orthe mistakes made in the education of thaiany.

T " Mistaken Views on the Educatiocf Girls." By Johanne Lohse, principal of » privn" school for the higher education of girls, Christch^h.—Whitcombe and Tombs, publisher*.