TOO FOND OF SPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1934, Page 6

TOO FOND OF SPORT.

After having epent 40 years in the education service in New Zealand, dating back to the. early eighties of last century, I must say that I heartily concur with th.e opinion expressed by your correspondents that the community % not getting Value for the four, millions it annually spends on education; and am certain that many experienced teachers are, unofficially, of the same opinion. According to the. ancient Greeks, the aim of education is to train a man to think, to act, to speak. I doubt whether our system does any of theee three tilings efficiently. I am absolutely certain that the training received by the pupils of to-day is inferior to that received by the pupils of half a century ago, for two reasons: one, 'that the pupil ie assisted too much and not made to do things off his own bat; the other, that the amount of work done is not enough for any child with energy and brains. The pace has been unduly slowed down so that the dull and the not e<) dull may keep up with the procession, while the clever and active are unduly retarded. The power to think does not seem to be developed by our system, judging by the absurdities and illogicalities one sees in political and economical disciuasioHg. But I am getting too prolix, and must close, as it would take me a few columns to develop my theme properly. EX-iDOMI'NIE.