THE NEW SCHOOL SYLLABUS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11753, 30 November 1903, Page 7

THE NEW SCHOOL SYLLABUS.

A CITY HEADMASTER'S OPINIONS.

On the subject of the new regulations j for inspection and examination of school*, commonly called the school syllabus, a j city headmaster of wide experience ex- j pressed himself aa. follows to a representa-1 tive of ""The Press." • First of all, he said, the new syllabus is not the outcome of tho In-spector-General's brains alone. About three years ago Mr Hogben presided over a Conference of all the inspectors of the colony, and a great many of the provisions of the- new syllabus are the recommendat'ons of that Conference. Again, what a great number df people, in their haste, cajl Mr Hogbea's innovations, novelties, or fads, are really what has already been adopted in tbe English code, which, in late years, has gone oa some of the best educational lines of the German end advanced* American schools. Many of the new ideas in the ayllabns have been advocated in the annual reports of inspectors, f>resented yearly to Parliament, in the orm of Parliamentary iPaper' E. 1.8., and it is a matter of surprise that some of them were not adopted *two years ago, shortly after the Conference of Inspectors. The English code is re-issued almost annually, bringing it up to date, and it is not, unusual for changes, experimental in character, which are found unworkable, to be dropped. The English code to-day is from an educational standpoint a long way ahead of that which is now being superseded in New Zealand, and the new regulations may be regarded, upon the whole, as a distinct step in advance, and on lines of true educational progress. Under the new syllabus tho teachers' right of freedom of classification is more strongly emphasised than ever, and rightly so, as who is likely to know better what work pupils are fit for than their teacher? Whilst there is no necessity for the new syllabus to press harder on the children than did the old one, there is far more responsibility than before resting on the teachers— particularly the head teachers, who have to map out all the syllabus. Methods of cram are clearly discouraged, aa is distinctly stated in section 9, "The Inspector shall, at his annual visit, devote the major part of bis time to an investigation of the character of the teaching and of the degree in which the intelligence of the pupils nae been developed." The value of the standard pass is largely, and rightly, discounted. It ia no longer provided that the certificates of all children promoted are to he signed by the he-dinaster, but in certain cases certificates of competency may be given, and a special "certificate of proficiency," akin to the "leaving certificate' in the elementary schools of Scotland, may be granted to those who pass standard VI. creditably, and on application by a parent that a pupil should be examined for such a certificate. THE CLASSinCATION OF PUPILS. Coming to the rabjecte of the syllabus, said the headmaster—tile, olaesification of the pupils depends chiefly upon their proficiency in two sections—(A) English, including reading, composition, writing, spelling and recitation, and (B) arithmetic. Where, as ib nob infrequently happens, pupils are proficient, say, in the subjects of section A, bub backward in that of section B, it is provided that pupils may work in one class the subjects of section A, and in _a lower class in the subjects of section B, or vice versa. This method has always been in vogue in High Schools, where it has worked satisfactorily. Many other subjecto have to be taught, hot provided there fa evidence to show that* systematic teaching has been given, the per- 1 formance of individual pupils in these subjects need not be taken into account aa a factor in classification. Several of the so-called innovation* are by_ no means novelties to our more progressive and up-to-date teachew, who have anticipated to a large extent many of the changes embodied in the new regulations. Such teachers, for example, have presented two reading books for examination as now demanded, though hitherto only one was specified. Again, composition, hitherto began in Standard 111., is now to be treated orally in Standards I. and H.—the pupils in those Standards to be. instructed in the framing of simple sentences. Gram•mar, as a separate subject, has disappeared from the syllabus, and although some attention ia to be given to it, it is to be entirely subordinate to composition, and no lesson whatever is to be regarded purely am a grammar lesson in the previously understood meaning of the term. This is an experiment so far aa New Zealand schools are concerned, and it remains to be "seen if it will be a- success. It is expressly provided that spelling shall not merely be heard or tested, but shall be taught in set lessons, largely through the medium, of word-building. This method ha» been much in vogue in Canterbury, owing ' to the encouragement given, by our inspectors to such a course, though it was not specially provided for in the old ayUabue. The distribution of the arithmetio syllabus is eu a much more rational basis than hitherto. In Standard 1., pupils hitherto have been required to be proficient in the working of addition and multiplication examples of moderate difficulty} the new syllabus, proceeding on tbe lines of the Grub* method employed in the schools of Germany and America, and embodied in the raenb English code, provides that instruction in the preparatory classes shall be «tich as to teach the pupils to perform mentally and orally emcj kind of operation there is within the mental powers of children: of their ap and development, sad that in Standard I. there shall be instruction to secure the power of working-addition, subtraction, ttttHiplicar tion, and division, employing only small numbers. -_is method is more rational than tbe old one of uneven development. Speaking generally, the arithmetio syllabus throughout provides opportunity for the redistribution of the work in tne standard* by the induston of some of tbe Standard VI. arithmetic, including stocks, exchange, and the more difficult problems in interest, in the syllabos provided for Standard VII., a standard now for th» first ! time offlcislly. recognised. The geography syllabus is completely revolutionised. Formerly topography was the leading feature of tbe work—a- branch of the subject in which, if in any branch, cram teaching might be expected. The geography syllabus now comprises throe courses course* 7 A tndJß are compulsory, and ore confined to physical geography, physiography, and n_*hematleal geography. The optional course (course'Q coven chiefly the ground of the old syllabus. PHYSICAL AND MORAL INSTRUCTION. Nine pages of the new regulations are devoted to the important subject of physical education, lists of physical drill exercises, with the names of appropriate tones being given. These are mostly taken from the handbook in use in Victoria, bat any set of similar suitable exercises will be held to satisfy the roqmrenunla of the syllabus. Provision is also made for lessons on the structure of the body and on health. The programme in drawing is largely oa existing Hnesi Handwork, m Ha various forms, occupies a prominent place on tne syllabus, and additional encouragements are gives for its more extended use. Under the head of moral instruction jb is stated that it ia not intended that these lessons should occupy any more than they have done in the past, a separate place in the timetable, or to be considered as forming a subject apart from the general instruction or from the life of tbe school. In toe ! words of the regulation bearing on tbl« point—"a moral purpose should, indeed, dominate the spirit of the whole school i life, __d the influence of the school and its teacher* upon the pupfis should be such as is cahralated to be a re*_ factor in tbe formation of character. Many of the reading lessons, and sometimes other lessons, and tl»e ordinary incidents of school life will, ia most cues, furnish st-uoJsat oocMioa

for the inculoatwo of each prinaplee oa ore indkated" in alengthy list of moral qualities and civic virtues. A continuous course of nature-study is _awidtd for, bat ! cannot be regarded aa a new subject, although it wul largely supersede tho oldfashioned object lessons. More emphasis is laid in the historical syl—has upon instruction in civic and social question*— a wise provision in a country thai boasts of leading the world in granting the fran{chise to women, and where all tbe pnpibi in the schools are prospective voters. The lost eight pages of tbe regulation*, ore devoted to the claims of elementary science. A syllabus of work is to be presented by the * bead teacher, and some specimen courses are given as examples. These are intended as suggestions and bints am to how the subjects should be dealt with. This fact has' been overlooked by those who have very freely critacieed this portion of the syllabus, and who were evidently under the impression that the scheme of lessons as printed were compulsory, which they are not, and any course on similar lines adapted to the requirements of any particular district will be accepted. A NEW F_J-TURE. An entirely new feature in the regulations ia the recognition of the seventh standard, and the provkion of a syllabus of work for tliat standard. \ The resultwill be beneficial in so far as it will furnish the pupils who have passed tbe sixth standard with a definite object to work for. In-too many cases ex-VI. standard pupils, who in the past have continued at their school,,have become remiss, both in diligence and attendance, largely owing to the wanb of official recognition of any work continued beyond the sixth standard programme. Such remissness lias been very disheartening to those teachers who at considerable expenditure of time and energy, have instruction in more advanced work to those pupils who have passed through tlie ordinary standard curriculum. But it cannot be denied that, in the majority of schools, where, owing to limitations of staff, the work of standard VII. cannot be allotted to a special teacher, proper attention to tbe requirements of the new standard as now gazetted will involve considerable increase of work for the teacher. The difficulty would be solved were there enough endowed or District High Schools an the colony to provide for the accommodation of all those who desire to continue theiat education beyond the sixth standard. The compulsory subjects of sandard VII. are—English Comprising five branches, as in the lower classes), advanced ■ arithmetic, drawing, civic instruction and military drill. In the smaller schools two, and in the larger at least three, additional subjects must be taught, selected from a list which includes algebra, geometry, shorthand, six aoienoe subjects, and geography, history, and book-keeping sufficiently advanced to meet the requirements of the Junior Civil Service examination. Tljo aame amount of instructioneven lew in. the case of English and arith-metic-—if given at a district high school, would serve aa a qualification for a grant of £6 per head for each pupil in average attondattce receiving free instruction at such a school. Does it not seem a fair claim, asked the master, that public schools, * where advanced work is done of the some. character as that done at Di«trict High Schools, should receive the aame subsidy to meet the cost of streoigthening the school staff? Early in the year much was expected from promised legislation in the direction of extending the scope of free secondary education at tbe endowed high schools.. But the question of free spcondaxy education ■-- so far as Cnristehurch is cofteerned — .still remains to be- solved; for it appears that tho local High Schools can meet the requirements of the recently passed Secondary Schools Act, without any further addition to the number of free places aii present offered for competition. In the meantime the Minister for Education haa declined to accede to the request of the Education Board to have one or more of the city or suburban schools procJaimed district high schools, though to many who have studied the question, such a course of action seems the simplest and readiest method of satisfying the Wants of those who, while unable to qualify for scholarships; are desirous of continuing their education, for a year or two after pasting the sixth rftandard.

A DISTINCT STEP IN ADVANCE,

Summing up the whole matter, the new regulations are, educationally, a distinct step in adr-noe. ft- is inevitable thsit, as is usual when changes are made, there will be for some thus an additional pressure on the teachers, inasmuch as there will be greater demands on their originality, adaptiveness, and intelligence. To deal successfully with the revised syllabus special attention has to be given to the co-relation of studies, and. to see that the teaching of one subject dovetails into that of another. The national' system of teaching » entirely opposed to that, which assumes that there is a separate pigeon-hole in the brain for each subject. of the syllabus—_ie aim of any rational system of education being harmonious devnopment of alt the faculties. In some cases teachere have gob so used to their ehacktes that, on their removal it will require some time before they fall into the hoe of the new. advance. Butgreater i«sp__ibility than ever now rests with the*inspectors, on whose fact and wise consideration the successful workd tug of the syllabus, as amended, and of our education system in general, so largely depends. " ~ • ■'>''..'.