NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 606, 8 September 1909, Page 8

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

: -■♦.- ... ■/ (By Socrates.).

AN ALARMING REPORT. It is always possible to derive at" least some profit from an occasional reference'to education systems, and methodsi in voguo elsewhere. If for no other'' reason than to discipline our'. small* conceits—and' these aio many) Everywhere, to-day,' tho most'urgent problem is that of universal secondary education, and on this subject a recent editorial review by tho' London "Standard" on the report of tho Consultative/Committeel'of tho British Board of Education on. "Continuation -Schools" provides instructive reading.' The-signatories.to tho,report included tho names of Mr. Professor Sadler, Sir H. R. Reichcl, and Mts. Sophie Bryant. -...•;■■,. ■/-.,,, , - ,*:-, "Almost Appalling.". , ' ■"Tho state of things disclosed is'almost, appalling," observes the "Standard;"' "Wo are piling up millions- of expenditure on tho education.of the people, only to ' have it, brought homo.to us.that-in the vast majority of- cases that education ceases altogether'at the mature ago of thirteen! .For many it stops even before this; and for most'any sort of sohoohng,' imy sort of teaching; tuition, or disciplinary training,: is a thing unknown after the young person' has entered upon Jiis or her, fourteenth . year. 'There are rather over' two /millions' of boys and girls in and , Wales' between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, and 75 per cent.' oi them are receiving-. no school 'education whatsoever. A million and ,'a-half 'of the future voters, :tho future rulers, the future workers, and future wives and mothers of JUigland are spending ~th© mostcritioal years of their, lives-the years in which habits aro formed and character made—-without-beini' compelled ever>to open a book, or to spend one single hour.in study, thought, reflection,' without, the smallest ca.ro taken, so far at least as tho public authorities are'concerned, of. their moral,- their . intellectua],their ; physical development!' In Scotland.it is riot quite so bad,.for"the' ; Scottish .Education Act. of 1908 does give the local education authority the right to establish continuation, schools arid to make by-laws, enforcing attendance at these,establishments. But in the larger part of the TJmm Kingdom that is not tho case. Our two millions of youngsters arc tilted out'iof. the educational mill at-thirteen or-fourteen,-, and left to go their own way—'to tho ovcrla'stirig bonfire, if they please,: and .any 'primrose path.'•",(,.. v .-;, ;■'. ■',"; ","'■:;'••':■.; : . f

"Mbnstrou^r.'Uiiewin^pJ.wiate:.". ■. "The ;'c6nlmittee,: stands., aghast .at the monstrous, uneconomic, waste revealed" to them. The 'Board School';is far from perfect: but assuredly' it does much for the children :of, the village, the slum;, the labouring man's, home.' They are taught habits of discipline, order, obedience, industry, and cleanliness'} they grow interested in Various subjects on study; "they are ' medically inspected, <ind in many' places'precautions aro taken that -they are properly clothed and not inadequately nourished. So it goes on till the child'leaves the day: school,: a child still; and; then ■ the bright,' alert . little !scho|ar', is .left,, 'more. or! less—and' often' much.more rather-than less—to his own resources; piv'to'suoh'' as parents, perhaps overworked and- under-paid, can'or will'bestop'.^TOat.becomes, of all these finished; produots: of our elementary.' educa;tion.systemP., A, few learn skilled trades, attend; evening classes,' prepare' themselves for a rogular,,' vocation: .Too ' ■ many, are :ca «g ht "P: by, the teeth of ■thVindustrial' I mill ■ and', become .'■' half-timers■' before ; their strength is equal to exhausting, toil of any kind; too many; more.drift from one casual occupation te. another,'become' messeii"' '•'' van-boys; golf caddies, errand boys,- sweated girl workers, or small; domestic drudges;and grow i to. manhood.-. and womanhood ■te nn<J that they : have no. regular place in the ,^T,K rl fS t 'i : i?^ d rMY e;;il P trade' and. no s W l :..flficn'ca.4|;'6ommand,ra'decent remun.£#!?V.^ e -'' dn #' from one ill-paid'.job, Wiiffi 6^l^^Wibstances' before the cornmittee-'of boys who' had''changed their places nalf-a : d.qzen ■times in a year, and' had learned ripthihg' 'useful'iiTany of them;' Many or them-have too'hiuch'' leisure,'and the~leisuro is employed in.loafing about the streets m smoking ;ba,d, cigarettes;': and gambling at cornora,, m.Bpending a few'-, coppers when '*nesejaro to be had at-the'music-halls;' Under these conditions,all that has been learned at the elementary school is dissolved away. A , taste for •■idling over newspaper paragraphs .and consuming' cheap 'fiction is, about ■ HuKsole vestige, left of literary/culture, .that would; not,so- much matter. if - there were 'any growth .and training 'of character, ,of- physique. But what chanco is 'there b? during these aimless, ill-directed, 'ifregular jears of, adolescence; 'without guid- : ance, effective control, or supervision ?■■"-."

: Tho;'Remedy,- ■-.•:'.-;■:• -■/','•-.'■'' "The committee,-wpuld "deal . •drasticaily,'' :as the phrase goes, with the whole question. lJley would allow;no'child to'leave the elementary, school, till the" age.of,fourteen; and ' .they oven recommend that the younst■ soho'ar may "be-kept- till /sixteen-or brought' back ' "i gam 3 nl^/.%'.-.P»r<?nts M d employers 1 oil! show that he. is' occupiedi.iri. some rtgii'ar : work,, not t in .the' mere 'casual,' unfruitful ■ of; a weekly; wage.'-' There : should -.- ,be no, half-timers, under. sixteen, unless the parents could,. .show ; that' -the exempted children were suitably employed; and gir's under - fifteen'.should' eiily bo excused from full attendance when: they .wore required for homo duties, not,for wage-learning \verk' ' v u nK> r employment registries 'should bo' established to give skilled advice to parents .managers;' and teaohers asV to the -flection of .suitable' occupations for': tho; children -as •they, leave, tho day ■ schools. But >)ho greatest, stress,is .laid. pn. the continuation schools. Local 'education "authorities sliouid bo;under an absolute,.obligation'. to provide such schools, and should Tie empowered' ro enforce attendance,by all young persons,not otherwiso receiving regular instruction,-. between the ages- of. fourteen and 'seventeen: Employers and parents/would be required to co-operate m this ;arrangement,'"' and,'; in'deed,' all employers :■ should be forbidden .under-penalty-to cuip'loyj, any young'person under seventeen years "or age who -failed periodically to-:' produce' evidence, of His' or her attendance at... continuation classes in accordance with; the, term's of "the local bylaw.;;;ln these continuation classes or schools' the curriculum should have special reference to the-arts and industries of the district; and wo note with satisfaction .'that' the course of instruction, -is to .include systematic physical instruction. 'It is an'admirable-pro--'gramme; and only needs the -addition of a singlo item to; bring.' about-vthat-.'e'ffc-ctiv'e training for-tho duties of citizenship' uL which aims.•■'.-Nothing would be simpler';than' to associato'.-the- countv associations and the War Office with the local educational authorities in these continuation schools; nothing; more; natural than that tho systematic-physical instruction 'should include;;for the boys, military!drill and the use.of military weapons;..- There is no better and more interesting method of developing the physique and • inculcating habits of discipline, self-respect, precision, -and order! Thus every continuation schocl would have its ready-made company ,of young soldiers, capable of taking their place in - the local Territorial regiment, and ablp to profit by their advanced military, instruction at. onpo, instead of; wasting-time over the: moro, o'cments. A Territorial battalion mado up of ypung. fellows,, ovory one. of. whom 'was. of sound physiqiio, -ind had already learned tho elements of drill,and the handling ofj ;a rifle, would need very littlo further-training to bocomo" a highly' effective, fighting unit. Tho compulsory continuation': school would cost money; but it .would bo worth. paying for'if it turned out every boy fit to'tako ,his place in tho rank's alike of tho industrial and the defensivo army, iOvory-girl with ' a knowledge; of ( nursing as - well a>; domestic economy. Tins', is the training of tho nation ''for'-peace- or war;,and how very far wo are from that ideal.at present'can bo'read in tho painfullyinteresting evidence; of seme of the oxport witnesses who gave:.their: melancholy testimony to tho Consultative:Committeo.'J.