SEEN FROM ABOVE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 10, 11 July 1912, Page 2

SEEN FROM ABOVE

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM professors"a!s critics. — \* EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION. Professorial view* on the national system of education occupied the attention of the Education Commission yesterday afternoon. The first 'witness was Professor T. "A. Hunter, of, Victoria College, who reviewed generally the education system with* keen comment and criticism. The first necessity tor an efficient system was the efficient teacher. Tho best material in the shape of young people should, be attracted tOjem\er the profession; 1 and should' -be -trained thoroughly and properly in the principles and practice of, pedagogy." The quality of the material, offering wa^ rather .better than it used to be, but the system of 'appointment wae absolutely contemptible. NOT COSDPETENT. . . f . "You have got to start^in this position,"- Baid the professor. " Neither school committees nor "education boarde are competent to appoint "teachers. Under the present'syatem it is abeoiutely essential to have « sense "g ' responsibility. A bad appointmerr'j under present conditions cannot be charged to anybody. The' committees thrc^r the 'responsibility on. the boards /or not giving a wider selection, and the boards can blame their inspectore, and the inspectors the boards, and aQ'forth. We must get back to the appointment by people who know — and tuo6e people are the inspectors, who have actual- knowledge of the teachers and | their training This carries with it the necessity of inspectors belonging to some central department. As officers of the central 1 department, they would be attached to the boards in ,an r advisory capacity. ' At the same time, I don'i think at wise that the inspectors should make their reports irrespective of the judgment of .the governing authority of the district— that is, tho board. The proposal, seem} a logical and a just one. The inspector advises the board and' prepares a responsible report on the applicants for any given position, ' In .the case of an assistant 'master, the headmaster j of the school should be consulted. The ] inspector's report should show, in the ] inspector's opinion, the reason why this man should be appointed*, and thai man not 'appointed. The board technically would make the appointment acting on the advice of its responsible advisers.'.' OTHER SUGGESTIONS. ! He further advocated the establishment of a central Council of Education, to consist of five experts acting in an advisory capacity to the Education Department and the Minister. To this central body would be attached the inspectors. The teacher should be allowed greater freedom than at present, and the interpretation of the syllabus should be more uniform than at present. School committees should be boards of works, without any concern whatsoever in the actual teaching. The- teacher should receive a training comparable with that of a medical man or a lawyer. In the syllabus there should- be fewer subjects and betterteaching. , ' PROFESSOR T. H. LABY'S 'VIEWS. Professor T. H. Laby, of ' Victoria College, referred principally to technical education and the lack of co-ordination in the system. The effect was very harmful. Every form of extravagance should b» avoided in education. New Zealand had a system more pretentious than many States of greater size and importance.' The excellence of' education had been sacrificed to accessibility^.. Instruction in agriculture was the most important in New Zealand, but such instruction could not be given for lack of a proper place. The teaching of civilj meohanical, and electrical engineering was given at the Auckland School of Mines, and at the Technical Schqol and University College, Auckland, The same overlapping took place in Christchurch. The Professor strongly supported the establishment of a Council of Education —a small advisory body to the Minister. He advocated also the organisation of a proper School of Agriculture for the training of teachers in agriculture. The commission adjourned at 6 p.m.