SIZE OF SCHOOL CLASSES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 138, 11 June 1914, Page 6

SIZE OF SCHOOL CLASSES.

DANGER. OK '■OV_R{__OWDTNG. • CHILDREN BECOME SCBALERGED, Speaking at the official opening of the ■ .Infant Department im connection with, the Maungawliau school, yesterday,.Mr.-.-E. K. iMulgan. M.A., Chief Inspector,'had.' something to say on the important matfer of the size of classes. One of themost important factors which make for ' the efficiency of any system of education, or of any school, he said, was the number of pupils which each member of tbe staff' was called on to teach and train, or in other words tire "size of. the class." The teacher had not only_ to present his subject in such-a way as, to develop the mental power and intelligence of his pupils, 'but to see that each individual assimilated and understood the subject, matter of the lesson. Though much had been done of late in the 'direction of increasing the staffing in our schools, much yet remained to he done. Many schools, though staffed in accordance with regulation, were .-'till understaffed; for notwithstanding all that had been accomplished, it was not uncommon to find a teacher struggling with a class of from sixty to ninety pupils."

"Large classes."' he continued, "under normal conditio!:., present ei__mou_ difficulties, and have many grave defects —perhaps the most serious 'being that in a great many cases neither teacher nor pupil really understand each other. Tlie pupil tends to become.one of a crowd, submerged, perhaps misunderstood, and to bo treated as an 'average child.' His special peculiarities, his individuality, tend to be overlook.*!, with the result that the development of those special characteristics, which may ultimately become so valuable to himseif and to tire State, are lest sight of, or at most but imperfectly developed. Tt is obvious that mo training can .be effective which fails to takv account of individual characteristics, whether of strength or weakness, and this cannot be done satisfactorily where classes are large. Much ■has been said about t!vr> difficulty of obtaining n .supply of efficient teachers. The difficulty though, unfortunately, both rcil and pro-slug, is not ' insurmouintable. and can gradually be overcome 'by offering greater ircdu. •'merit and encouragement for entering the service; atvd it is to he hoped that the proposed amendir.-.-'.nU ti> the Evication Act. soon, ii is understood, to hpcoinc law, will provide for a more liberal scale of .sliding. _n.T so enable the vitally important work of education tn be carried out with greater thoroughness and euccrrs."'