THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 136, 8 June 1907, Page 7

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION.

THE SCHOOL JOURxsAL. Speaking to a "Star" reporter on the subject of the "School I Journal." the Minister of Education said I that he had received mauy gratifying testimonials from teachers in different parts ot the colony regarding its usefulness. He had recently visited, in the South.lsland, a school where t:ie "Journal" was in use for the first time, and the amount of interest, and almost e.\ citement, displayed in it by the children was very gratifying indeed, and while the interest in succeeding numbers was hardly likely to be as great as that, in the first, still he believed that each month a good deal of added interest to school-work would be found in the "Journal." Generally speaking., both tbe Press and the teachers throughout the colony had highly commended the style and tlie matter of the lir.-l issue. There were, of course, points open to criticism, and each succeeding number would probably be an improvement on its predecessor. Some papers had evidently misunderstood the function and the scope of the "Journal." Perhaps the name had to some extent misled them. What was aimed at was a really" up-to-date school reader to take the place of nil the supplementary reading books ai present in use in the schools, and '.11 that way meeting the growing demand all ever the colony for free hooks. Tlie Minister said that the cost of the "'Journal" would not In-more than a third of the cost that would be involved in supplying free books to the children on the old plan, and the. interest taken in and the value of a monthly publication would be much greater than that of the old stereotyped school readers. All educationalists are agieed that the continual grinding at the same reader, month after month, does away with the interest, and is a drawback to school work. As showing how the "Journal" was appreciated, the Minister mentioned that requests had been received from private schools to be supplied with copies of the monthly issues, and ho was making inquiries with a view to supplying the '-Journal - ' to such schools at cost price. SPEECH BY Mil. FOWLDS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) XEW PLYMOUTH, Friday. The Hon. G. Fowlds opened the New Plymouth Technical School yesterday. The building is of brick, erected by the Taranaki Education Board, partly out of a £27.00 Departmental grant, and the remainder being raised iroui local bodies' contributions. There was a largo assemblage of the general public, and addresses, were deiiveied by the .Minister, the chairman of the Education Board, tlie chairman of the Technical Committee, Messrs. H. Okey. M.H.R., \V. E. Spacer (editor of the " School Jourual," and until recently director 01 technical education here), the chairman of the. High School Board, and the Mayor of New Plymouth. There are already 191 students, exclusive of 70 teachers, attending Saturday classes, and GOO in the school t lasses. Mr. Fowlds, iv Ids remarks, said that modern educational methods endeavoured to make instruction lit the circumstances and life of the pupils. New Zealand bad lagged behind for some time in this matter, but was now coming up to modern ideas. Ho considered that employers could do much to make the classes of full value by offering increases in salary to employees who rc-jcncd certain slaves of cfliciency. The revolution in secondareeducation was making the secondary schools no longer the preserves of tlie wealthy. It was costing much money, and unless the people of the colony- were prepared to make substantial endowments for education the pruning-knil'e would have tn be used. Replying to a request that country teachers in schools where only one was employed should be paid larg--r salaries, the Minister said average attendances only fixed the grade of the school, and teachers were not paid on average attendance, but upon the grade of the school. He was strongly in favour of reducing the number of grades, and if they did not see him taking any action in that direction the corning session it would only be because he required to give the subject fuller consideration.