REVOLUTION IN EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3177, 30 August 1917, Page 7

REVOLUTION IN EDUCATION

r-0 (By Edith Howes.)

Mr. Pirani's article, "Bovolution. in Education," in Monday's Dominion, fully illustrates his remark that "it is difficult to criticise a lecturo from.a very muck condonsed report."' It also shows that a mistaken idea of the tone of the meeting of tho Women Teachers' Association has arisen. Tho lecture given there, far from being in any sense a "condemnation" of the Stontcssori system of education, was whole-hearted in! its enthusiasm for Jlontessori's methods, and laid particular stress upon the overwhelming value of her fundamental principle of self-help. Tho line taken in the lecture, however, was uot a lengthy eulogy of Jlontessori's work—surely superfluous in these days to experts in education—but an attempt to. show, however inadequately, the conditions necessary for the work, and the difficulties that mnst be faced and overcome! —from tho teacher's standpoint—to bring about thoso .conditions. These difficulties had been facod and partially overcome by the and that was her avowed and only justification for venturing to speak with even tho slightest authority on the subject. I have used the phrase, "from the toucher's standpoint" with intention. Wanganui is happy in having a great educational reform taken in nand and uarried through successfully by the powers that be; but other districts aro not so fortunate. It is not too much to say that wherever one goes in New Zealand, through tho length and'breadth of the country, there- are" to be fonnd teachera of infants who aro not only keenly alive to the new ideals, but are aching for reform of old coaditions, and aro wearing themselves out in vain and isolated endeavours to obtain it. It is often remarked that no. one is so keen on educational reform as the teacher of infants —Froebel and Slontessori have- been her teachers. But tho powers that bo .ire not generally favourable to any change that involves expenditure of money, aro indeed as a rule actively hostile to such innovations,, and the teacher who earnestly advocates the improvement of conditions treads flie usual thorny path of the reformer.

Yet through such a union of forces as the Women Teachers' Association much may be done, and that is why the lecturo dealt with practical difficulties and some attompt at a practical solution of them. The speaker's theme was: educate the public, and more especially the powers that be, into the understanding of the requisites for the work—tho buildings, the furniture, the apparatus, the quietness (this last not for the sake of the teacher's nerves, but for the sake of the concentration and spiritual growth of tho child). Mr. Pirani admits that "to run tho Montessori system successfully in AVangantii teachers acquainted with the system, suitable buildings, and tho necessary apparatus wero necessary." Quito so. And the Education Board exulted in an overdraft of .£BOOO. Again, quite so. But unfortunately tho ambition to acquire such a satisfying ovordraft in so good a cause seems altogether lacking in most boards.' Hence the difficulties of teachers, and hence their discussion of those difficulties—a discussion not out of place just now, when unthinking people nre saying "■Win the war! Never mind education! -failing to eee that never wag there greater need for generous nnd thouglitlul expenditure in education than now if the children arc to be fitted for. whnt lies before them.