NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 9

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

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livTnn Dominion of Monday, November'ls, correspondent, "Hodge," takes the writer l sovercly. .to task for ■ endorsing AioMjishopi ■ Kelly's, protest, at. tlio ■recent Catholio Con- : fires.-, in Sydney,' against tho action: of tho f New Sontlv Wales Department of Public In- 1 struction in placing in tho hands of tho etu*. dents attending tho Training Col Lego ccrtaii, literature containing matter: calculated to of-y , fond tho susceptibilities of a religious dcnom-l ination, viz., tho Church of Rome. Let it bf 1 ; . said here.that the writer holds no brjef 'fori , any religious denomination whatsoever, and ia|' endorsing the Archbishop's protest moroly diM • ... sired to emphasise tho principle whmh hnX governed his attitude 011 tho question of : ligion , and' State education—tliat no rofcrencof: to matters of religious dogma is-permissible! • in a system of secular education administered/-.v. by tho Stated The strength of such a systonu lies in the, fact that .the Stato professes tt>.\ treat all rolijpous denominations aliko, and:{l that can 'only bo dono by ignoring .• religious dogma and concentrating. ottentaonj' - upon the broader questions of morality, thai principles of winch may be inculcated! by am-i pie. 'ethical analyses of. what •is ngilt or' wrong. '"HodgoV'. statement- of/ tho palicyi' of the Roman Catholic authorities with regard) tothe State schools in-New. Soutli ■ Wales' iabesido tho question. There is on tho ono liacd ' an undertaking by tho,Stato that :its system •, of education shall. lx> absolutely secular,; and on: tho other hand tho expectation of all soc~; tions of tho community, that that underfctk-* ipg shall bo faithfully earned out. "Hodge" assorts that, "tlioro, ate at tho present turn# none of Archbishop Kelly's pcoplo in any way, connected with' tho pnblio schools" aJ statement that convicts hira of want of knowledge of this subjoct. _ As a> matter*of.. fact, aimo of the best positions in tho eor-l vice of the; New South Wales .Department .of/' Public Instruction are fiTledby teachers who? bolojig to: the Arohbishop's denomination, and . a fair proportion of tho children of tliat do., nomination are at prosont receiving mstruo. ■ , tion in tho State schools. ■ "Hodge" ' will tlxmx ' fore, soo' that there.was some justification for impressing upon tho Department tho .ncccesim is for exercising greater caro.in tho . eelcolwni of its school literature ? : Some timo ago thero appeared: in. an outline of,! tho fichemo adopted by tho Wa-' nganui Education Board for .tho-clnssificaiion of its teachers. In . response to a - request byy the Teachers';. Institute, tho board.: lias nowt . suppliod the following explanation of: : the: scheme:— 1 , : The board is tho Classification ~ CommittceJ ■ For tho purposo of tlio Efficiency Register, headteachers are classified according to ; the : - grades of ' their schools as determined : by. the Depart-* , ment; \the standard •of 'classification •ib accbrdi I: ingly not absolute.but relative;; Assistants are' ■ classified: according to tho grade of , salary thoyi receive, the standard being, i as'in; tho' case ,of I head-teachers, : mot absolute but relative.?' 1 : The award of marks, for professional skill was 1 i preficrnsly nSado' of the inspector's! l knowledge on tlio teacher's work;.hereafter thoi '.work dono. during! each year "and 'tho'condition! of tho school during that: period will bo ' taken' ■ into account whpn tho annual ' classification: is' ■ made. ,\.; t r-'.. : Y\.-r ; / r ' Oho-mark is awarded for each year-of service,.) as a bead, or; assistant teacher, up to ten'yeafoi. Tho marks for. teaching are made on grounds: ' here- and now existing. ; ;The Dbpartpient in classifying teachers'allows -tuarkn for i scrvice.. Tho board's Register of ? Proficiency), by .'allow./ y ing ! for, each' year 1 of.l sbrvico; up ■ to .- ten. yoars,- recognises; the; same ? principle;;. The board 'holds/ that'ino credits should s attach- to\ a teacher through the mere effluxion of time;j . but .by allowing-ten- marks for : 'Servicc! it. recog-r. niscs up to a certain point the importance o£ ■ experience. When -that, jioint has>'beon passed it is; tho fruits'of experience that.: are - con* > sidored, and these are duly< recognised in tho marks for professional skill • The marks for organisation and discipline are relativo. to the position:: occupied by each > teacher;.the samo powers ofimipd,.aro required; < in and: disciplining aVclass or • a sniall school as are ; . rcqu^od.mi a.loTgo school,' but in a. very different.',degree.;, ' ■ Environment hieriiis''those physical .conditions . , that ratvko for sthe v inatcml:;com/ort and wollbeifigf ot?tW putiilsl' and' thatJmilraUt an offencp to ( eye tp' sefe disorder, or,waste',, - IndicaHmiS, rf satisfactory environment may be fdiind 'fc th'e .condition of . the gro'iinds, buildings, gardensi"furnitirro, apparatus,' ( 'and'.appli«;:' ances; in',tho state of-, the' tables, cupboards, and mantelpieces;' and.'-'iii 1 thcy' arrangoinenta made for school games 'And siijierTision.;" Tho : marks'given are .relative to the possibilities of the. school. ,A teacher \miiy ! Becnrb high • marks', by. making :tho bost; of, .the resources at his' command. - By personality; thoboard ; means • that 1 group, of . intellectual , and Amoral qualities the possession- of which vdistinguishes; one' teacher 1 from'.« .anothor, and which contributes to itho reduction of the tone of the';school.' On the:part of the. teacher • it 1 manifests itself in --tho interest; resource, tactfulncss,: sympathy, and reserve of power sliown in tha dealing'intli: children, , and, • on the 'part of tho children, cohfidenw reposedl)y them in'the teachcr. ' ' ''\

. "A great deal' of' misconception Exists in'tho; • minds»of ./the. public respecting-■■■; tho way .in. which tho certiilcatb of ..competency .in Standard ■V may be secured (comments Mr. Cu'D. Braik, School'lnspector,, in a.roport)to-.the:.Wanganui S Education' jßoard). Twice a* year; tho board of- 1 fers every facility;to pupils who desire to-gain I it, viz.,- at. tho .'inspectors' annual visit aifd.at, (.ho annual examination for tho proficiency certificate in December.. (The,conditions')' under which it:may be obtained.are definitely set out',': in' the syllabtirYTConditiohs, I; regret - to Vs'ajy." ';' which aro not ■ understood'. by' parents.'': 11 : ■;'-. 13; ■' quite common, for young, peoplo , .to receive ap-■•;■' ■ pointments in the pubhb'r service,.confirmation -;'. of tho i appointment being dependent 'upon ; the = production of a certificate of' competency. plication \ isYmade- , to; the'teacher,: who : cannot; \ supply v tho .certificate, and: finally the inspector: ; . is appealed to,! who-can .supply it only, after, ex- ,-:. animation. In; a majority.ptVcases.tho eandiv , dato is unsuccessful, hcuco much heartburning, v ! I: would recommend the , ' board' to have';' printed and placed on tho waU.ofievery'school. in; district tho conditions under .which tho certifi- ". , cato may be obtained, accompanied by reasons-!'!' why every pupil should endeavour .to/secunj,; the'; : certificate before leaving,school." M.v- '.'".,■'■:.;•;

"The returns ■'.from ;.tho.vvari6us'!' .technical ■>. schools for tho third term indicate / that -the; Minister's hopes aro being fully-realisedin'thie" district (reports Jlr. G.' D. Braik, Inspector for' : tho. Wanganui Education' Board). The Minis-;; ter further'says with ,res]ject to -agriculturnl training: 'It is , a matter.for. , regret that;but; littlo. progress has-.;been';mado-:.in ; : connection.. with technical instruction '■ in subjects relating!' to agriculture.' 1 This : is exactly what the! farm- \ ers iiavo ■ refused in our' district; it is' not : subjects relating to agriculturo.that tho farmers; wish; it is agriculturo'pureandsimploJ-.Farra-, ors will,see.by and by?that agriculture'pure,; and simple is no concern of tho Education Db>; partment. But 'subjects relating to. agriQulturp —chemistry,.biology,- botany, and geology—aro; the concern of the Education Department, andit.will be soon, that theyarotho con-, corn of the. farmers too. ■: Kflicieuf instruction': in subjects relating to agriculture has been offered over and over again at .different centres in this district, but tho oiler has rcccivcd'bnt scant'consideration,'and very .littlei ■.■practical. .' support.";/,.., ■■v-■■■'■ ■■.-;''.;.•'■■'' 'V\ ~;.;.;v"; i V;yM)