HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 257, 23 July 1908, Page 2

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY.

■ DEFECTS IN TEACHING. 1 [Bl - TELnOBAI'II—rKESS association.) . 1 : Auckland, July, Ti. .. .; . ) ■Tho teaching of political and' commercial . . geography, and of history in. .the publio ; schools engaged tho attention oftho .Board • of Education this morning. ' : In the course of a report on the question j the Chief Inspector (Mr. D. Petrio) said "that r ' tho defects in tho teaching of ; these subjects ~ ! wore primarily traccablo to tho public Bciiodl ; i ! syllabus, and tho regulations for the inspeo.... tion and examination of schools. Mr. Parr said he was one of .those who' ; welcomed the syllabus, and thought, it.j wrong, to take the view that this syllabus.-: j was cumbersome- and unworkable. '-It- had;'-*, given a wider, discretion, and selection to 11 - toacbors, but as'thoy. watch the effepts.-.0f.: ' j its working, there woro undoubtedly, somo l ' i blots. Not tho least wore.the positions.as*::" •» signed to ; history -and- geography. •He"'had. 1 ; communicated with ! three .headmasters of: tlw ' , largest Auckland schools'; and" they entirely ■ -i agreed that tho, teaching of these; important > subjects was entirely unsatisfactory; i It: was •• • clear that the text book prescribed ; by the • • Board, was a bad selection. It was wrong to -' : i relegate these subjects to tho background. , 1 He had been told by a teacher at the Thames : •that a boy in the sixth standard,in answer to- | an inspector's query as to the whereabouts of' j India searched the map of Africa for some' i • minutes.' Too'.much" time was "devoted' to \ tho teaching of physical and . mathematical j geography. Ho moved a resolution expressing - regret at tho fact that tho course of instruc- •: tion at present-given in commercial geo- > graphy and history was insufficient and un- i satisfactory,- and suggesting to -the Minister i a'revision of tlio syllabus so as to get' mora ' timo and attention devoted to. these important subjects. • Mr. Garland seconded the motion, and ■ said that ho know that the children wero not receiving that satisfactory amount of teaching in history, and • commercial' geography as had been given in his own day. The Chau , nian''(Mr.. L. J. Bagnnll) agreed with Mr. Parr, and felt that tho .Board should draw tho Minister's 'attention'.'to the necessity for additional instruction in theso subjects, especially geography. The motion was curried, and it was also decided to ask the inspectors whether they woro satisfied with "Warner's History "'-as. • a text book, and if not to make other recom- j mondations. . ,