LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1505, 30 July 1912, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

i ; J THE EDUCATION OF, GIRLS: :■' ' ':; A REPLY TO DR. TRUBY KING. : - • Sir,—Until less than three years ago my ■ .life has ; beeu chiefly spent,-.first ■as n ;■■■'■■. Spupil;';. ; then as a teacher, in the girls' • sofiobls of this Dominion. A ■•',' *deap intercut in woman'*;' work, both Jn the. home ami out of it,-lias kept ■me in tulose;-tousi£''witli' pupils who have lonjj , ' .-J-passet'-bUt drtho-Schooli'oom. Just as ( •Pγ. Trnby King's experience gives him ; ' stho .right .to be considered an expert in v -.'-.jthe'-'caso of girls nioutaUy deranged, as • i'the experience of jno-hy years gives the ' Jtrained woman teaoher ' tlie right to be r (considered an expert in the ca=is of girls jof uornial development. . ■" I'ha'Vß'yet. to. learn where perfection 1 3s to be found. Is it in the Ward Minis- '• the Massoy Govofnnwnt, tlio Episcopal'. Churb¥, the Salvation Army, or tho Sriedical profession? He that is without ■ .: cast'the'first stone. Who i 'flint Dr. Triiby King.is.going to ask for ;' T*rfection in tho school or the teachers? '."■-:.< "But "though one cannot pretend that there '■■!■'.iis'perfection; thore is no class whoso ! '-work- and personal character, claims more v'; Admiration ' than that of tho woman ': ' - -teachers of New Zealand, or whose work :-'»wiU .have aV more lasting effect. Therefore, 1 feel impelled to answer one or two .the. charges that Dr. Tf«by King has ten.made against the system and its '. .' '.teachers. . •■' ■ . * •'.•' J .First'of all.',as to the evil doctors aro ' : -so* fond of tnlking about—overwork. Durring'a long experience, I know.of no case '."'• lot' breakdown due to overwork in the ■upper forms-of a secondary school. I jjknotf'of'ono girl doing easy elementary ' -work who bad a 'serious attack of some ' .'forrii'bf brain illness, the causo wtts'supywsed ,to be overwork. If such were the : .must, have been some special : . Omental , ' weakness, for the work done by 'Jier'fop'tho-ffchool could not have done ':■:■' ijiarm to a brain of ordinary dovelop- ;' -nicnt. However, ho proof was given that Jthere. was no other. cause. '• • i ?'■' Asi to over-pressure, there is one point '/...'■ rJivhTchTl"have never'yot seen referred to, ■'•■.', ;thoiigh"it has come■ again 'and again ': -/'udder -my observation, and necessarily vtinder. tho'.observation of every teacher. !- themselves are the. only ones 1 < 3havo: ever known to try to overwork a ; : •ptjpU.-'.Actuated by ambition, they-have ; *i?Onietimes^-not.' of ton—tried to force a ; : fgirl. to study. ,for an examination for •■which she was. not .fit. This shows tho J for co-operation between parents •and teacher. However observant the lat- '.'.-'■ 3er:inay bo, however careful ; nb6ut the of the .pupil;' she cannot have the • Sntimate knowledge of tho girl's health / v ;thafr-'a mother has, or ought to have. If ■•'."'l "work is. noticed to bo too heavy for a ■.'■girl,' : every : hea(ri9 willing that she should I ...bo .placed .in. a lower form, orone or even ' . ;two. subjects dropped.' It would bo impossible to .imas'no. any principal mak.'ing any difficulty alxiut lightening the ; -. .jwork of a Jlelicfvte. girl. . In-.many cases, ■ it 'girls come"tb" school--vfor the- sake of ■ Wealthy companionship ■•with'-7other'' : 'gir]s; • . lib .home-'work is required of thorn, and j they learn what they can while in the jclass-rooin. As to the unwise coercion , of ; .:Jh* parents ovot their, children, that jwiil be soon, if it is...not. how, -α-thing,of-vthe past. Over thirty years have passed ; ;since the establishment ;of secondary i . -schools for girls; the 'present generation of educated mothers will.understand that forced". tttentalnwork \& only harmful. As to tho evil of examinations, there i - has been much, exaggeration. Life withotit some.'goal would. 1w as tame for the child: as it; is '.often-, ■■unfortunately, for (. the Mult. „It not more-than the.truth ; to.;sajr'that the ,majority of .-girls, in the lower.and middle foUms have a certain ; plgaSnre.'.and. interest, 1 in' ;ac,tually . doinß tho:e.Taminati,ons; I have Seen it "in their earnest little faces as they sit'tryih'g'hard to"'do'their best/;■-. In ; the upper forms, ' i the test is taken more swiously, -but none ' ' the less it is a test they are ready foT Bnu desirpjis: a'.'necessary oiercise in mental training. ■, As to the,primary schools, ; I have yet, to-learn .that * there is any 1 mental strain in the ■examination of thii- ;. dren-from -five 1 to eight,-as conducted by ■■ infant pystresses, .headmasters, or.'inspcc- , } ■ ■ ,tors. Klf-jthere aro-childrensiiffering-from ;.. tho "effects of examination' 'ih : either the pnipiyy or Secondary schools,- they are nofc... average 'dhildroli, and -their parents ■;. . Should at 'Once commnnicate with the - heads-.of-"the school. .But let us just remember that as among people of mature ■' .Tsajft,,. so.-.among children, there exists finch, a. thing as a malingerer. In the eyes -. P*^«uch',''..-an. /expol-t': .-of , (Sociology as Mr. Bishop, S.lL.of Christchurch, the schoolmaster,would be falling- very far '•' ■■, sl'??t,';of iu/du.ty., ,if he did not'.try to create ;in a -girl or boy of selfish ease- . Jbvuig nature, a 'sense' thai ■ some' honest : work, if,npt/dono willingly, M-ould bo ob- . ■ tained':by,for<!o. -By far:the worst that can bo said of examinations is that they are a heavy tax oh.a teacher's strength, and for that reason alonfe they should be just enough to afford a spur and a , .■'. test.. In:;spite'6f all the adverse criti-cismr'the..'gcrner-al'public, as■ represented by,pur'law-makers, are again and .again , - setting' their,-mark of approval oh "this 6ystem -by .grrtdually increasing the num-. bttr">ofMtrades and professions in which . ■ , certificates and-'diplomas .are to bo ob- :■ tained only" by examination. All this tends , ,to raakoa conscientious teacher feel a part of her duty is to teach a pupil how to for an examination ahd . h6w to :manag« one. That is accomplished : t only by practice. .... Ono .point , noticeable about the outcry : afifafest-Over-work is that the noisiest de-curimerS'-'often' afe the worst offenders. : i Our. nurses whose 'training is conducted ' vn<fe-the'supervision oJ doctors, are re- ; . pi«sented as-'suffering more than any others ckss of women .from overwork. ~ Their daily duties are admittedly ardu- ; ■ ous; they-are wom out when tho hour ; i'tfr.study,cpmes; yet I haVo. heard of no doctor showing them any sympathy. As : their work is done. under the eyo of trained nurses and .medical men, one •would suppose, if the evil is so great, they might bo amongi the fir-it to be excused from-, examinations other than practical ' ottos,'.'and 'certificates be granted for work ■ done by the medical supervisor. But on tlib cbiltrary a proposal was niado soino fwv months ago to rnako their training i still- more '-eevere. ' Mirny a probationer must have been thankful for the training !'. . of a secondary "school which taught her Jihw to attack a enbject and prepare for an oxamination. Two; of the nurses of the Wellington Hospital who name first jn. the final hospital examination, and also .first in the' final State examination for the colony, wcro girls trained at the .Wellington Girls' College. - ■■■■--, -Doctor Truby King, is suffering from many .misapprehensions as to the.actual management of school work, the attitude of the, ordinary girl's mind, towards it, ! ; ahd the. mental atmosphere iu which she lives... I .havo taught only for a fewdiys in primary schools, but I have been n pupil in 'oho,-;ami hare had an adopted fihiia for years in another, and know intimately many of the women teachers in Wellington and other parts of New Zealand. As to tho hours that a child of from-five-to eight should attend school, I believe'that they nominally have never been longer than four and a half, and when at least a" Quarter of an hour is ■ ■>■ taten-off; also time for singing, physical exorcises, and other, forms of employment not nrontal, which twenty or thirty years ago teachers employed, it will bo seen that, according to.Dr. Tmby King, the:school-day- is not too sovero for a ' young child. Moreover, tho class-room and playground, whatever their defects, are,a healthier and more ohcerful abode than that which their parents can provide.. Then as to the doctor's remark that L child's sustained attention could not kept for more than forty-five minutes. I know of no teacher who=o practice it would bo to make such an attempt. In many secondary schools tho lessons aro K of forty minutes' duration. They, may lxi loiigor in others, but even in the oa<w of tho forty minutes' lesson - sufficient change would be introduced to give relief to the pupil's mind. Mneh has been ."fiitl about mental strain. A little more might be said of tho evils of undno ' physical exertion. Regular en/l ModOTflte exercise is of.'conr;e absolutely, necessary for health. There are, however, sometimes cases of complete breakdown as" result of strain in tlie hockey field or tho tennis court. Them is n danger especially in mntches that girlsHvill bo tempted to put their strertgtli to too severe a' tost. ■'Perhaps it "is'wasting time to "answer Dr. Truby Kind's reinarks about fi-o«li nir. If ho knew tho daily sli-uyglo nil touchers' have to yen ti Into tlin schoolrooms and-yet -keep the rliihlren out of : ' dratighte, he would hold .his pofloo. Ono ■woman, beginriing her -career with- tho lofty-idea that the'teacher must always be sacrificed I<a thoupils, fo.s«p,eie.iffa

Dontinncd to %-eiiti'lato the room tit her own expense. She contracted neuralgia and cold after cold. At last the idea ot self-preservation, asserted itself. liesiilt— k.« TCiitilation, no colds, no neuralgia, l'reach tho doctrine of fvesh air and water. It is an excellent one. But what is tlie' use'of expecting the habits of an English public school boy, considering the class ho- belongs to, in the boy brought up in a crowded cottage in Wellington? X have in my mind u women, the mother ot nine healthy children, when she was about thirty. I don't think Dr. Truby King would be able to manage that tlie father should have a good breakfast aiul be away in time for eight o clock worK, and that those nine children should all have their daily tub. 1 don't think iny woman friend 'managed it either, but hor voice was always gentle, and there was a loving smile' for oach child as it left its homo. Perhaps if the bath had been enforced, there might not have been lite -in that woman for the sniile, and I tliinK of the two the loving smile would do them moro good. But I know Dr. Trnby King thinks much of physical perfection! A healthy body! Let us havo it by all means; and let us have a healthy mind too.' The most intelligent doctors agree in recognising the -iußucnce of the healthy mind over the health of the body How aro many of the cures worked? By tho medicine or the: faith in it? >fow, the moral and mental atmosphere of school life is thoroughly healthy and. happy. And what "would Dr. Truby lung do? Take the girl away when he thinks nt from -the influence of healthy surroundings and pursuits in which she. is thoroughly interested? Ho willl not be able to find anything to take the p.ace of that healthy interest, and the result on the nervous organisation in many ways would bo most disastrous. Dr. Truby King has no comprehension of a girls mind or nature, or he would not make the suggestion he does. For his system, to be a success he will have to beg the Creator for a new species. It will not do for girls os Nntnre makes them now. As to the subjects a girl should study—additioh, subtraction, multiplication, and division-they are accomplished in her mind exactly as in a boy s. V, hat will make tho boy a thoughtful and reasonable creature will make the girl• also. As to. cooking, it is good as long as taught so as not to interfere with the regular enbjects of school work. A girl mnv be able to make a hundred dishes ■exquisitely, and yet be a bad housekeeper. ■V well-developed mind and an unselfish nature will make her a good one. Frobablv no one knows more women graduates *in JS T ew Zealand than I do, and they all would lie ashamed to think that they could not-bring their mind and energies to the details of a comfortable home when necessary. But, in fact, they all at ditferent times do; some to tho extent ol doing the washing on Saturday morning and the ironing in the,afternoon. Make our girls useful housewives and adaptable'! By all means. I am quite satisfied as. to the adaptability .and housewifely instincts of the girls i have lived among. There come crowding into mind memories of the energy and delight of one set of girls entertaining the rest of the school, the collecting of trays and utensils from varibus homesy the decorating with Sowers, the tea-making; and, lastly, the washing up" after the dancing was over. And this linppy spirit of enjoyment < on scores of occasions! > I have known men exponents of What ig known as the higher education- of women. I have seen them become-con-verts to the cause as their daughters grew "\ip, and showed them what it meant, 10day the members of the commission are visiting some of the schools. Doubtless the sight of the healthy girls, will speak for the system. It is to be hoped they arrive during the play time, and the sound of tho voices will testify to the Strength Of tho owners. If.it were possible to take them to-some of the many •homes of -.'former pupils I know of, they >vonld also b<> satisfied .as to their excellent "all-round equipment in body, mind, morals," and their "inclination for home life and potential motherhood. A former pupil who teaches in a board "schbol-Mps'-with the washing, and/iron-., ing on'.Satiii-day, nurses her. sister's babies WhcnSyii- , . .a'ndViJi addi+ioarjhas^a..liberal;, 'share *6f .'the ,, alinoynncerof -In & tonco saub to mo," "r was not one of the brilliant scholars at tho school, though I managedto reach the Sixth Form; but I havo always been glad of .what I learnt there, for it has enabled me. .to take ■β-broatlei , ■and deeper interest and pleasure .in the life around me." What broad-muiiled Englishman would wish; to deny that knowledge, or take it from the inahy'to follow?- ".-■ ■',:'.. ■' , , Of course, there are improvements to be made. But ih making them, do not pull down the , fabric which the pioneers of education with such" enthusiasm and self-denial have built up. . Utiisremember Dean Swift's lesson m the "Tale of a Tub," where, the one son overloaded the coat left him by his father with useless ornament, and another, in. eagerness for reform, tore it to pieces. Time makes it possible merely to touch on these headings.- Academic education, after nil, is only an instrument, if ii valuable One. It succeeds only if it rouses in us what many 4 man gnins without its aid by the education of life's daily struggle-Meeper love and broader tolerance for one's fellowmenl— l am, etc, ' . " 1.13. My 17.