THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 11

THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS.

' 'v A REPLY TO CRITICISM. ; . (BT CORRESPONDENT,) i ' . i April 30. . .. Asked;fpr liis; opinion on the present school >■; v syllabus;, Mr.. j. Bagnall,- chairman of tho': Auckland Education' Uo«ird-,'. said:—l : V my : , opiiiioii ; ;^es,.'.fc a li'rge one,,■ but is;so arranged as to give teachers a considerablo .ktitudo'in- the work : they, choose to undertake, and-if they under- v. . much ,4hey -itf jit.-on; their responsi-/. ' • 'nofcif6rced > *'..ufwn< v 'vby- .the'- : syllabusVor< the .regulations; 1 : i.'The/e. aro. cer-' tain.thihgsi .whicliare compulsory ami V, safy; '.'ana there are other subjects which' aro not..compulsory,;and tho teachers iriiay /take .-■' . thfem' ;orvth'ey, may .not : so long as they, tako ' BjUbciehtirango- of 'the subjects , of tlie: syllasatisfy tbe .'ihspectors' : that they, are ; 49 ln S-.vtno ; ;:.wo'rk : ; .in: accordance ; with the ; ■ , general- principles laid down.. ■ For - instance ; : in.iCoMtry,,districts;.they can devot'o 'certain : ~ time^to'sagricultural.;subjects and nature" 6tudy,;vbufc :thes9;'are. not compulsorjv and i the ,(so., far -as ,I understand) do :■ not:: expect-.teachers Vin -schools' to attempt .•■the;. jvhole; of, the :syllabus,<jbut';wbat' they do. '' :.' desire^ is-:that: such)subjects'!as : are, under--taken "shall, be done well," .and that the re-' : aulta shall-be satisfactory/ From expressions . of- .opinion; that I. havo . had from teachers • aftor .booming acquainted with 'the .syllabus ■andiwhat-i^expectHl-of.thomi'bhey'.are. •satis-'/ ' fied -that it is '"ari improvement 'upon■■ the 1 " previous syllabus, and though Ido not sup- ' pose they, would; look upon it .as being per--' - lixt,',-/they^ ; think ;'it. :has;': much to. commend / ■~it' tb,th6:averago'teacher and tho inspector v " ■ 'If children aro overworked or are required ' to.db/muchiwork at; home,'..that ■is due to the ''' individual methods ' of-' the .'teacher rather ■ than to. the pressuro of.,the syllabus. It is ' a.- natural«thii.4' to! hbar.;;theso - complaints'about ,a ' syllabus, ,'jbut , .what.: always - appeals' : ~ to",•mo.iis very strong ovidence.that it : caijnot : '■■■'• be overloaded, so much is the fact that' in tho Auckland district wo havo a large numBor. of ■half-timo schools' ill which the children , aro -taught, only three days a week, and tho ; work ;an.d;results obtained;' in theso schools are very ..satisfactory,.: and 5 show... that tho . 1 cllildr.eri attending: .only", on'.' thi;ee' ; days can , pais ; creditably;':': This, seeins to indicate that' ' where • the children havo live i days ■ to:i devoto to 1 school' work they ought to iind no difiionl.tjr in passing satisfactorily, in-'tho" work ■ required of- them.". „