TEACHING CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 221, 14 June 1932, Page 10

TEACHING CHILDREN

Correspondence Method SUITABILITY DISCUSSED A letter, which pointed out the disadvantages of the correspondence method of education as against the Grade O schools, was received la;j night at the monthly meeting of the Wellington School Committee and Education Federation from the St. Omer school (via Picton). The letter stated that in the case of bright children of Standards V. and VI., the correspondence system was satisfactory, but with dull or lazy children the system was not at all satisfactory, as a good deal was left to the parents, who, as often as not, could not’ give the time to the supervision of the school work of their children. Grade 0 Schools. Mr. J, J. Clarke said that it was the result of the proposed elimination of the Grade O schools, which he was of opinion should not be closed. It simply pointed out the disadvantages of country children as against those of the town. He was strongly of the opinion that these Grade O schools should be retained and he thought they should take a lead in the matter. It was decided that the secretary communicate with other country schools to gain all possible information on the matter, so that they could bring the disabilities of the children affected under the notice of the Minister of Education. Other delegates agreed that the position was serious, and that full inquiry should be made. Several delegates testified to the good work which had been done by pupil teachers in Grade O schools, and others gave credit to those who were conducting the correspondence system. The Five-Year-Olds. Mr. L. J. McDonald spoke strongly on the subject of the proposal to commence the school age at six years instead' of five, which was to save the Government £20,000 a year. The speaker made the point that children were impressionable at five years of age, and the thoughts absorbed during its first year formed a definite contact with’ the education that was to follow. He had tested it only tlie day before in conversation with a 10-year-old girl, whose memories of the stories she had learned during her first year were still fresh and beautiful in her mind and Instead of being given the opportunity of absorbing good precepts and charming stories with a moral the children were to be allowed to play about the backyard and the street.' It also meant that many two-teacher schools would be reduced to one-teacher schools; and three-teacher schools to two-teacher ones. That was not of such importance as was the effect on the children themselves. The question was, Mr. McDonald continued an important one to the nation as was the individual cases of their own children. Mr. Forbes and th-' other Ministers had decided that the children were not to be suffered in their schools, but the people should proclaim it from the housetops that they were going to suffer the little children in their schools. Mrs. Smith said, that if good principles are hot installed in a child when it is young it will absorb mad ones.