EDUCATION IN OTHER LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 5

EDUCATION IN OTHER LANDS.

INTERVIEW "WITH MISS RICHMOND.. Miss Mary-Richmond, who returned yesterday 'by the ; Ulimaroa : from . a .fourteen .months' trip abroad, has thoroughly enjoyed, tho'.'experiences with '.which those, months wer3 filled, and yesterday evening .she told Dominical J just a little of what she had seen. Chief in point of'.interest was her visit to th3.-Cohgress.of Religious Liberals at. Boston at, the end "of-last year.. -This was a gathering of 2300 men and women from all part's of'the States, .from Europe, and even from India and Japan; people .of diverse creeds, all representing progressive and,:liberal thought , in-the churches to which they belong. ] ■Before leaving New Zealand Miss Richmond, had expected that she would see a great'- deal of; tho.,"kindergarten schools in America, but circumstances prevented this, and- it so happened that the only kindergarten slio saw in the. States was one belonging to the Horace Mann school for deaf.- and dumb, 'Where the children are wonderfully trained. But Miss. Richmond visited a groat many, other-schools. . 1 . ;• ■ In, Germany, where : sho was staying -with friends, they obtained, permission for her, to'visit !two.: ; of tho schools in Dresden; a - primary l school- for the quite poor children; and a grammar school. There wore 1100 children,-. both boys, and girls,- in one, and 1500 .in'the other, and the extraordinary featuro about tliem was'that' they were,,with theexcoption of sewing and cookery teachers; entirely staffed by men.' , The bbys "were taught on' one. side'of tlio school, the girls--on the other, but all, even the tiniest,'were laught by;men.j- Tho discipline,; says Miss Richmond, was. marvellous, ■The children - were trained like little Soldiers, ;and one' felt the' spirit - of militarism right, through, the school. "When they went into. tho playground it was to walk, not to play, arid when:'tho'y left, a policeman was on duty to, seo that .they did not'-run._ The teaching'seemed excellent, and'/the singing wns-amdzirigly good. : -- ■'. • : ' In:"the cooking ;school,, which was under the care" of a' woman,' there : were ten stoves and forty' girls at work cooking their own dinner.' .It '.was only to cost' a penny halfpenny a head,' and this was tho menu:— Beer, soup,' rolled , herrings, and now toes.; Cooking is a- compulsory subject for girls of fourteen, and they aro taught the most scrupulous cleanliness in , connection with it: pots' and pans, towels, aprons, everything must be-spotless. ' - '' (The one German village:school that Richmond visited .was : conducted on tho same lilies,arid with: only.. men teacher's. " , The . American schools , which she almost,'j.airectly. after. '.these, were in 'strong contrast/ Here • she' found; plenty of woriien •tewfiers;-in\thej,miKO^'^li9.ols ) ' ''$' tho one":' she visited' first' was entirely . staffed. by women-,' though, 'tSo v principal Was a man. And the, difference- in the scholars was very marked. The German child is drilled , into uniformity, :.but the American' children wqre full of;life and energy and initiative. Miss Richmond , is : very much charmed with the American woman, her intelligence, business capability, and initiative. Shis; is .not hysterical or ultra-emotional,: then?" sivid Dominica, mindful of many stories told against the lady of America. "Not ; at.all,"Csaid Miss Richmond. " She is sympathetic and enthusiastic, ('but ..ciearheaded, and, well, I - watched'-' her conduct many' meetings, and> was- very, much " impressed With'' her, capability.": • Talking of meetings 'Miss Richmond ha&. brought home one delightful,- little story cf a dinner :in the States, attended by 500 people, at which she .was asked ' to. speak. In introducing her, the chairman" said:—; ''Hero in' America when, we'want to feel, proud, we talk of Russia; when we want io feel 'modest we' talk of: New, Zealand, aiid then.we'-r'ealise'that we are b.aclr-numbers." After that, Miss Richmond said, it was hard to find--anything:to:say. ■■'. •_ ' ;' .. In England Miss Richmond visited, both . colleges and primary schools, and made tho acquaintance; of a number of • primary school ' teachers. 1 ' - , .- " And what do you think of our New Zealand: schools "after seeing . the' methods' . followed; in so many ; others ? " "asked Dominica. " Does it make you feel dissatisfied With ours?," : V ('Not at'all,", said Miss-Richmond. "Of course, wo cannot expect our schools to bo porfect, but I think wo do very well."