EDUCATION IN ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 161, 9 July 1910, Page 7

EDUCATION IN ENGLAND.

THE BLACKBURN SYSTEM. On Thursday evening, Mr. Lewin, the newly-appointed sub-diredtor of technical education in Auckland, gave an in- 1 teresting account ol matters educational in Blackburn, Lancashire. This city, with a population of 120,000, had, he said, 55 school buildings of various kinds, many of which, however, were by no means ideal, for they were built by various religious, denominations, under varying conditions. Since 'the Act of 1902, these buildings had been greatly improved, more especially in their general equipment. The curriculum in the primary schools of Blackburn was much the same as ;that in New Zealand, but children of three years were received, and the work was spread over seven standards. The staffing was on a far more liberal scale than 'that in New Zealand. For example, a school of 301 pupils in Blackburn has one 'headmaster, four certificated assistants, four uncertificated assistants, and three pupil teachers. In New Zealand such a school has one headmaster, four certificated assistants, and three pupil teachers—a difference of four uncertificated assistants in. favour of the English school, these uncertificated assistants being teachers over 18 years of age, who had completed three years as pupil teachers, and worked three or four years as assistants, but had not completed their examination for a certificate. The average number of pupils per adult teacher in Blackburn is thirty-eight, pupil teachers i and student teachers not being counted' in the staff. The pupil teacher system was now abolished, and. a system, of student teachers introduced. This was briefly described by Mr Lewin, who also alluded to the High School of Blackburn, the Continuation School, of which there were 21 .with 3700 pupils; the Free Prepara-1 tory Technical School, with pupils from 13 to 16 years of age; and the Technical School proper. The latter had a large textile department equipped with "weaving machinery to the value of £30,000, the machines being graded from the simplest to the most complex, so that a student could study the art of weaving from its simplest stages. In the art department, textile designs, , of ■which there was a large and valuable collection, were .the chief features. In .the Technical School at Blackburn were also dyeing, engineering, epinning, and commercial departments. In the latter department were taught many foreign languages, especially those of the countries with which. Blackburn's spinning and T wea,vin« , business was connected. An ing discussion followed Mr Lewin's paper, and several teachers gave examples from their own schools of the inadequate staffing prevailing in the schools of Auckland. At the conclusion of the discussion ■Mγ Lewin -was heartily thanked.