Our Education System

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 301, 16 September 1936, Page 11

Our Education System

Sir, —Once upon a time a man builded himself a house, which he called Education. Now this house was strange, fo 1 * while it consisted of three stories, which he named Primary, Secondary and University. it was not possible to readily gam access from one to the other, there being no proper doors or stairs fr<Jm one to the other. People told him that his building was insecure and a host of theoretical experts were at hand to tell him how to rectify the instability. The latest suggestions, called intermediate” and "consolidation” were to make a cut between the primary and secondary stories, push up the rest of the building, and insert this new section. Now the real cause of weakness was insecure foundations. The base of the whole structure was wanting in good and strong piles. Those who entered the house of Education on the ground floor were woefully neglected. Young, and. immature as they were, and needing individual attention, it was considered that they could be instructed in the mass; one instructor to fifty babes. The futility of it! ... , The advice to the . Minister in charge of that building, from a lone stork is, if he have any money to spare, first strengthen the foundations of his building by adequately staffing the infant department,. I venture to prophesy that given an adequate staffing, one teacher to 25 infants on the roll, many ’ of the difficulties of the upper divisions would vanish. For the life of me I am surprised that parents do not insist that this .be the first reform before any fancy and specutative schemes.—l Levin, September 14.