SCHOOL SYSTEMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 5

SCHOOL SYSTEMS.

METHODS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. INTERESTING! REVIEW. (BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) ChristchiiVch, February 20.

'. ..Two,; of. ;tho' inspectors- under the North Canterbury Board . of .Education, /Messrs. Foster and Mulgan, have just come back from" a holiday '; visit to New' South .'Wales, and,';though'they went chiefly for-pleasure, they , naturally looked into matters educational. Speaking-to-night to .a," Press " ,representativo, Mr. Mulgan said:— ' • \

; "New; South Wales has mado a considerable advan'co in- all departments'-of education during recent years, aaid an instance-is afforded by tho provision availablo' for the training of teachors.' . The authorities have 1 , brought out from 'Homo Mr." Alex. Mackie, M.A'., of Edinburgh' University, as principal," and purpbso erecting- a'large and. modern training collo'go in tho;gromds of tho University! ;At prdsorit tho work 'of the college is carried on-iii one ;of-tho public schools. 'In kindergarten; work, also, a .substantial advanco has been mado.ln' several schools kindergarten departments - aro included. A number of others -aro equipped with laboratories for the teaching of science,' arid spccial provision-is mado' for -giving: boys who 1 leavo tho 'primary schools : a training ■ which will enable them to immediately appreciate the value of . tho teaching- they receive at. tho Hawkesbury Agricultural College.,- The; particular institution.,iii which-this preparatory process is accomplished ris . known / as. the - Hurlstojio Agricultural; Continuation .School.- Wo .liavo nothing like-it here, but our Technical College Board.of Governors contemplate; making arrangements for. the _ inauguration vof some scheme whereby -tho intermediate, gap may be bridged. . ...

" .''Mr. Foster arid I had tho privilege of being . associated with -the '.Inspectors of. the State at. their arinuaLconference. . During tho proceedings''several papers were read by Inspectors who .had been asked by the. Government .to .discuss 'idifferent, subjects of vital importance.' papers on '.Child Life in Mining' Districts ' and oil ' Child Lifo in Dairying' Districts' were given, and'led to much interesting dobate. So far as, the latter problem' is'.concerned; it- appears that Now South Wales is confronted: with,.tho same problem as Now Zealand is faced with 1 , arising'front the desiro on the part of some parente' 'to make tho utmost use of ; their children,; thus ; sending them' to school in an .unfit arid oxhausted; cohditicfci. A great deal of interest'was 1 manifested by, the New South Wales educational _'authoritids in the' Now Zealarid'system of "issuing leaving certificates" to children;on. passing Standard VI. ;In New South; Wales certificates of this, character aro imltfibwn.; 'A' pupil passes'. through: all tho classes, in .'a vprimary/school without" being: examined for.promotion at any period of his caroer. I" think, there is a necessity for tho application by some independent authority l of 'reasoriablo tests', to .the finished, products of any.'particular primary .school. : .','There,.are .'three main divisions. of in .New-. South, >Wales—first,' 'tho primary schools , (in, , which pupils 'receive instruction as far as Class's).;-.second, 'superior schools' (where .Additional instruction ' in tho higher, branches of; education may'.be . given),; and third,, the high ; school_ for beys and for girls.The firsts two .institutions, are free and coiripulsory, but for the; high -schools a fee ; of ii 3. ,3s.;,per, quarter is,', charged. .Whilo, a great many, pupils can -and do obtain secondary;educr, in the superiqr schools, there is' appai-er"'/ system of ;free: education iii the >secon<&tjj.iichools. such as is enioycd in New 'Zealand.

':;''Tlip/Tort;. Street. '(Sydney)' superior, ''school contains approximately 2000 pupils,,of which'aboiit'7so are'in the secondary; department.' 'This, '.establishment,! is doingprimary' and- secondary w;ork, is managed arid direcfcccJ.tJjy ..the same headmaster, and splendid.' rcslJia ' are-,-obtained. Among tho'.features. of. the soliool-worthy.- of' mention are .a school > magazine and an '/excellent debating bociety.;'. Mr.-poster .'and I. were .present 'at. the annual,.meeting of the society. A boy acted. as chairman, .and..' he and tho .other boys showed a'remarkable grip of business methods, and- a capacity for, public speaking wonderfully developed. ..We had' an opportunity of - inspecting the:.find technicar college,- at whose head is Mr. J. W. Turner. Attached'-to the-technical college is a splendid technological' museum,, containing not only, exhibits of . work, but collections of natural products: Some find, original 1 work is carried.on at;the' museum,'and we-were especially .-struck with tho valuo of ,the work done in the'.matter of recovering valuable oils from •the leaves of the eucalyptus and express pine. .- "We spent a pleasant day at Hawkesbury Agricultural: College and experimental farm, and had the"; pleasure' of .meeting Mr. H. N. Potts; the principal, and some of his able staff of'teachers. The college has accommodation for 200'resident'pupils, which is always taxed to its utmost.- Tho-training, both practical and theoretical, is .very, full and valuable/ A gratifying feature is tho manner in which the work of,the college/is enterr iiig into the national life.;. As an example of this, during- the yearly" recesses,, /when ; this students go to their homes,' opportunity is given to the farmers to come to the collego and profit -by its instruction.. This: is eagerly availed'of, and last year over one hundred farmers from.'all parts, of the State.went into, residence at the collego. Teachers from the training college, wishing to' specialise in nature study'.or agriculture, are sent to Hawkesbury Agricultural College^-A summer school is also held there annually,, extending over;-several; weeks. This year about ono hundred;teachers attended. • ' ' ■ "Much of the land about the college is not of a : very high quality, but the principal does not consider this-is a drawback, holding (properly) thatl.it is as well to instruct , the students in what can be done with relatively, poor, land." ' V : •