THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1230, 12 September 1911, Page 6

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

A WEEKLY REVIEW. NOTES' FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY Teachers and others Interested In tho administration of education are invited to contributo notes for publication in 'The School World." These should bo addressed to the Editor, "Tho School world," The Poshnion, Wellington, and posted to reach thia office not later than Wednesday in each week. Correspondents desirinc enlightenment upon any question li connection with the school work,'or the ■ rcneral administration of the education ey6tom. ore invited to submit theso points to the Kdilor for elucidation and reply. Whore anonymity its desired, it will b« strictly obterved. Mr, G. S. Prentice, head teacher at Rauri.iin, intends leaving for a six months' trip Homo at l'ho end ol this month. Tho Levin School football executive dosireS to return thanks, to tho Horowhenua Rugby Union for its gift of two guineas towards tho last-, week-end's expenses of entertaining tho Wellington publio schools' team. ■Mr. J. H. Finlayson, who has been headmaster of the liauniati School for the past 18 months, anil is leaving to tako charge of the Umutaoroa School, was entertained at a social gathering by tho set. tiers o( the district, and presented with a travelling rug. A circular has been addressed to the noadmasters of all schools in the Pahiatua district and the chairmen of all school committees asking their—- assistance in making the literary and elocutionary competitions to be held at Pahiatua on October 4 and 5 a success, llje also states that m order to encourago children to enter, ths Wellington Education Board will allow Wednesday, October 4, to be observed A3 n' scliool holiday, instead of Dominion Day. At Clarevillo School (Wairarapa) tho scholars mads a presentation to their headmaster, Mr, J. M. Beechcy, on tho eve of his marriage. The" present comprised a case of pipes, a handjomo tobacco cabinet, and Russian leather pouch. Mr. Phillpo-lts, chairman of the committee, made the presentation on behalf of the scholars, expressing for them their respect and esteem for Mr. Beechcy, and their sincere wishes for his happiness. A social is being organised by theresidents of. Clarevillo to welcoi'.ie Mr. and Mrs, Becchey when the school ro> sumes after the holidays. At the meeting of the Feilding High School Committee the other evening, stress w.is laid on the fact that the teachers did not sreni to take a great deal of interest in school sports. No football or cricket teams had been entered in tho school competitions foi a long time past, whilst tho Lytton Street School (Feilding) had both cricket and football teams in tho field every respective season. If these sports were encouraged, it wonld help tho children to tako ail interest in their school. Tho committee adopted a resolution asking tht teachers to wake up in the matter. It is_ fully recognised nowadays that scholastic and athletic training are closely allied—and how can a school achieve tho honour of producing a Rhodes Scholar if it does not provido tile means for bringing out the athletic prowess of its scholars? Somo discussion took place at tho meeting of tho Hawko's Bay Education Board the other day as to tho design of school buildings. The question aroso ns tho outcome of a letter from the Education Department offering a grant of .C2OO for tho erection of a country school. Tho Rev. A. Grant expressed tho opinion that when a school committee submitted plans for a school they did not receive proper consideration. Several members expressed grave doubts as to what sort of building could bo Greeted and furnished for wC2OO, and finally it was decided to ask the Department to forward plans r.nd specifications of. a building that could .be erected for the amount of their proposed grant.

"The blunders of children," says tho Journal of Education., "are often duo to bad teaching," and by way of illustration it adds tho following story"This," said a teacher to her arithmetic class, "is a unit." She held up a pencil. "This book is a unit, too," said she. "And theso aro units." Sho showed them a ruler, a (loner, and an apple. Then sho peeled tho anple, nnd, holding up the pool, said, "Now children, what is this? Silencs. "Come, you know what it is," she urged. A little hand went up slowly. "Well, Willie," said tho teacher. "Pleaso ma'am, the skin of a unit." Now, who can say that tho pitiless logic of the child waa not a merited rebuke for tho teacher? An instructor of cookery and domestic science is now visiting Pohangina, where the boys as well as the girls aro taking the course. "An entirely sensiblo arrangement," considers the school inspector nt Wanganui, Mr. Brail:. An interesting offer comcs from Ilawera, an offer namely of prizes for the girls who can make the best plain meal for au overdo househ»ld by the expenditure of a 1 sum of 2s. This offer mijht well bo emulated at ether centres.

The Taihapo School Committeo is on its high horse over a remark of the chairman of the Wanganui Education Board (Mr. F. Pirani), when receiving at tho last meeting of the board a public subscription from Marton of .€2OO in aid of the school. "Taihape, take note," ho observed. Taihapo'took note, for it wroto a letter to tho board setting out the work which tho Taihapo Committee had done, asking that XH be granted for certain expenses and threatening to resign.—Tho fxiard, after discussion, decided to adhere to its previous decision with regard to the expenses, and that if tho committeo , did resign the board would have to tako steps to elect another. Regret was expressed that the , committeo had takou umbrage at the remark, which was jocular, but it was stated that tho board lmd for three years been standing out of ,£230 because the committee had tailed to complete its guarauteo to raise a ccrtaiu sum. In connection with tho Governments "free book" system, the following circular is to bo addressed to tho various school committees in the Wanganui district: —"In its latest' circular from tho .Department re Free Books the following clsuso occurs:—Notwithstanding anything contained in Clause 2 (which makes provision for tho distribution of free readers) the board may, except in necessitous cases and in cases where a newly-entered pupil has purchased a different miscellaneous reader for his standard, require pupils ' in all or any of the schools in the district to purchase the miscellaneous reader, if in lieu of providing such readers frco, the board expends a portion ol' tho grant in tho purchase of paper used for school % purposes instead of slates. Provided always that at least an equal sum be spent for the same purpose out of tho school fund of any school where such paper is supplied.. \Vill you say whether in respect of all or any standards yonr committeo is prepared to supply out of tho school fund the sum necessary to mako tho acceptance of the alternative offered bv the Department possible? ..."

The cultivation of an "educational conscience" is one of the tilings rocoiumondod by tho Department to tlio school committees formed throughout the Stato under the new Victorian Education Act. It is pointed out to these committees that 0110 of tho best ways in which they can prove their value is in securing regular attendance at school, and tlie.v are reminded that "ovary child has a right to the best preparation for life that his parents and the country can give him." Clio warning in the is of special interest.in view oi the disclosures published last wee!;, showing that somo dairy farmers subject their children to n daily i\nitino of drudgery, sending them to fclwol fnjeed in foily and fogged in mind through work commenced before daybreak! to be resumed in the evening after Fchool. "Thc-ro was perhaps 110 more vicious faJlaey in vogue amongst us," says (he Departmental note, "than that a parent had a right: to one day a week of his child's labour." The past k-nso is used, possibly because tho child's labour is now required on seven days instead of one. Each school, it is proposed, should hav<s its visiting day for parents, in order that thev may see tho work and tho conditions under which it is carried on.