NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 613, 16 September 1909, Page 4

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

j ' . (By Socrates.) } - • ..As. the result. of the.rccent election ofla re- | presontative . for. the ( Hutt-Manawatu Ward, of , the Wellington Education District, to succecd" .. Major T. AV. Al'Donald (resigned), Mr. : 11. . Elder, \of Waikanae, was returned, with 92 1 rotes,' defeating Messrs. Geo. London (Gs) and", tho Roy. A. Thomson (6G)i both of l s etone,.and W. H. Simcox (15), of Otaki. The position now is. that the ward is represented by. threo ; Monawatu members of tho Education Board— i Messrs.. Kebbell, H. Elder,' and W. H." Field, M.P.—arid one'Hutt member, .Mr. 'Rolk . ert Lee (chairman, of tho board). 'Tho, opinionhas beon expressed that the proportion-of-re-presentatives as between ,ihe . Hutt : and. tho v portions of tho ivard is; unfairly dis* :• tributed. There certainly' should have' been ,an even distribution of representatives, for' there are_ important cjuestious concorning 'education in the Hutt Valley awaiting settlement., It has . been* said that the Lower Hutt Valley has had more than a fair share of thoboardV favours in the past; That may. be, but it isa circumstance . altogetlier;. apart ; from ' tho'" 1 question .jpf repre'spntafciop, although there are grounds for believing that this impression had something to do with tho return of d'Hlanai watu candidate. A readjustment of the repre- 1 sentation. would of cpurso involve the revision of the, electoral wards ,in board's district; and in. view of the rapid*'expansion and in* crease of population in the'Huit Valley, there' would appear to be. some justification for such a revision. • . ~ . . : „• ■ ■ With .characteristic perseverance the\PoCommittee has gone- to much trouble,."and 1 not a little, expense, to find out that what the writer has contended all.-along is correct-—that Section 14 of the Education/ -Amendment Act, relating to;the, 1 appoint-, ment of'teachers, allows education boards to one namo only, and so deprives the committees. of__the right of selection. Mr.' C. P. bkerrett, • K.C., has so interpreted the section, adding: '' ~ Tin's construction renl' dors useless , the whole policy of the' Act,' which requires tho hoards to consult tho. committees in tho;appointment of teachers." ,Tho Minis-torfor-'Lducation (Hon. G: Fowlds) has since credited . Mr. ■ Skorrett with having, correctly Y os '"'ended to Imvo been tho ■ effect of !tho clause," and that there, wa.B--no prospect ofany ■ amendment .boing effected, so faras he, as '-Minister; was concerned. The m-iter has nil along, contended; that tho right of appointments should Test solely with the education boards,,, who-were'best qualififid to assess .tho. fitness of candidates for vacancies lhat apart, however, tho position is'that the .™ ra f m ir e . es i Jand;. ;; iiansa' r d . makes it perfectly .clear that Parliament'expected), that the committees wonld under tho new/'Act bo' given certain privileges of'' selection'.in the mnking of, appointments. .As it now stands, the Act professes to grant these privileges; but RT CS th S> a T ds , d'stinct authority to withhold rhem.. This is hardly fair to'the committees.' A .clause so worded ,is calculated, to produco, ana it,, certainly has .produced, constant friction \ between boards,'and committees. • .'k? problems of., school management lu the t ve i5 od questi , on oJ lomo lessons/ Contrary .to the contentions of certain "idealists" in education,, the opinion, of the writer is in favour of: a reasonable amount of homework tor classes above: the infant department. •In this j connection: it, is, interesting to noto that Mr. D. Braik, inspector of Schools in tho Wanganui .Education District, has framed a set of regulations for the information arid guidance of tho board's teachers.. "\Viftlo leaving the matter.of homo lessons' in tho hands of teachors, ''Observes Mr. Braik-, "tlio'board' expects that the subject ..will be treated with tact and discretion. ■ Some parents will be dissatisnod;if>no sncli lessons tiro given, othora:if th'ey are.- If parents'wish home lessons to bo given their wishes should bo complied, with -for thoy aro 'aware-. that children aro thereby forming habits of .'regularity, industry,, arid independence. Jindealiug. with' this question, teachors are expected to keep-the following in liiirid as ljegulatiyo.'prihciples:-- y: i 5..'..... ~ ... ."(1) To. what; class ■ liomo lessons • should bo given,—Home lessons should not bo. given to any'of .the' preparatory classes;-' thoy may bo given- to Standards ! and 11, ..but: written ex-.oi-.ciscs-should not- bo"-given till Standard-lii has been reached. 1 ; •:;■•■. •: , , . .1P) Timp ito'bo spirit in preparation:—Horau lessons •suould' ntit oeiupy -iiiirte'-than' twoiity niinutes.-in - tho caso • of. pupils. iii Standard 'I- or Standard <11,-: thirty minutes Standards, 111 .and IvVforty: minutes Stahdard'V, : .and: sixty -minutes. Standard .VI. • . , "(3) Purpose of Jionio lessons.—Home lessons .should never, be . given,, with the", intention'; of teaching childrenj.thoy.should'be given for'the purpose ;;of work already dbno, or ,for the purpose ;of encibui-ngirig pupils to find out points where definite information is available.-.' (4).. Suitable* ..material . for ,;hpmo 'lessons'.— ,Tho i'ollowing;may:.bo regarded as suitable.ma-toi-ial ifor homo: jessons; spelling, history, political' geography; tables, derivations, reading' Of. library books, , reading of books iii pupils' -homes,; consulting reference books, e.g., dictionaries.or atlases.: '; : they should be given.—Homo,lessons should not-bis given .oji, Friday, but. ii given .at all 'should. bo . given .regularly on all the other .days of tho Week. I "(G) How they 'should 'bo dealt .with ir school.—Tiio teacher must bo careful to. sec that the homo lessons aro'duly acknowledged, arid,, if .necessary, correcfed. Great, harm; maj bo'doiio if: tho pupils' work is not recognised, or'.if, careless'work' is allowed to pass without correction.": i Tho Wiinganui, Education Board ' does nbl desire' to /restrict' unduly th'c-teacher's freedore of motion ill 1 the ' matter of. corporal (punish- ' niont,.,states Mr. G. ; D; Braik; inspector, ,bul it is;clear,. from' facts.-.that have come undoi its;:notice,- that'ill i.tho :cise : of/comparativelj inoxperienced teachers,' more, guidanco than ii to .-be: found -in. tho formal .' regulation' ii necessary: so the followiiig circular letter "ha: bedn prepared:— , . .'■Purpose: of .:punishment—The . purpose • ol punishment ,is.ethical.-, Its placo:in school ii to:deter, to reform, and to .vindicate;: but if should never "bo merely vindictive. It is in tended to Jcopo with such offences' as ;may : bi detrimental to tho' well-being of the school Kinds.;of -offencos.—Offences "mar -be classified without any.,pretenco.to. exhaustiveness, for thi ■present pui'poso ini some: sucli:;manner : as. ioi lows,: (1) Minor, offoncesi : Inattention, talka tivbness,-; restlessness,, 'silly.' .behavio.Ur.' ' (2; Against ; progress:' Carelessness, neglectfulness .thoughtlessness. , (3)- Objectionablo habits Laziness,' untidiness, filthiness/ unpuhotuality (4)' Evil habits: Lying, bullying, stealing swearing., .(5) Subversive of discipline: Impor tinence,. breach ,of tho school rules,, disobedi once. (6)' Against morals: Filthy writing filthy . language, filthy, conduct. Methods o punishmont: Offences such as those named li class (I);may reasonably,bo punished at onci as they ,'may .-be obstructivo and continuous Offoncos named under classes' (2) and, (3J shoult be punished during tho . first interval ' afte: they have .been committed. . Those' specifio< under (4),' (5),!- and- (0) :shbuld.-,be punished- ii private, after tho dismissal, of the school an( in tho presence.of at least one .witness. As-1 general rule the bettor tho school tho less thi pumshmont. Physical punishment - should hi appealed to only as a lost resort. In all case, tho punishment should bo strictly commen surato with tho natnro of the offonce, a matte that must bo-determined by, the discretion am judgment of tho teacher; Tho strap shonli on no account bo kept in view of the pupils Tho potency of punishment doponds 'to.a grba extent ph its .being .looked upon as a seriou matter and. an exceptional excrciso of th teacher's power; It should -never be forgotte; that rewards may bo made to subserve somo 'o the, pijrposes'.of punishment—tdiey may,bo usei as-to j deter, reform, and vindicate. . ,