EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 306, 27 December 1922, Page 4

EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS.

In addressing the parents and boys of the Wanganui Collegiate 6chool the new principal, the Rev. Mr. Pierce, said that the Xew Zealand boys were in general bigger for their age than those at 'Home, but the standard of work was some two years lower. To counterbalance this deficiency, however, the Newl Zealand boys were more resourceful and self reliant. It may be conceded that in specialised work, such as that required for university scholarships at Oxford or Cambridge, our schools are behind the English standard; hut our matriculation is at least equal in standard to corresponding examinations at the older English universities, and this standard is attained by most pupils of forms of similar standing to those at English public schools. Pupils from our schools at least hold their own in English matriculation examinations, and two years ago an Auckland boy, who had received the whole of his education in the Dominion, was placed ahead of all the boys from the large English schools in the classical section of the Cambridge "Little Go." A Christchurch boy recently gained the Person prize at Cambridge, the blue ribbon of Greek scholarship at that university, and Marris, who is now Sir William Marris and LieutenantGovernor of Agra and Oudh, passed first into the Indian Civil Service wheu he was just fresh from Wanganui. Our system of education, however, is different in many respects from that obtaining in many English schools. It is more general in scope and less classical. This makes it difficult to institute comparisons. In many instances the English schoolboy enjoys the benefit of a highlyspecialised staff of teachers who teach only one subject, while our own teachers are more of the nature of general practitioners. A clever boy is very frequently specially prepared in England for scholarships, and he receives the benefit of the most expert tuition the school can supply. He often acquires a greater fund of general knowledge, and in specialised work he is ahead in many instances of our own schoolboys of the same age. Culture of mind is difficult in a new country such as ours. It is dependent on many things which lie outside the ordinary school routine. Mr. Pierce rightly says that our schools have not produced as they might have done great national leaders. If he can show us the way to remedy this defect he will earn the gratitude of all. The fault may lie in the school, or it may lie. outside it, hut no system of education can •be considered adequate unless it provides leaders, and this our system of education does not do as fully as it might.