THE SCHOOL PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 100, 25 October 1916, Page 11

THE SCHOOL PROBLEM

TRAINING BOYS AND GIRLS

MIXED CLASSES OR SEGREGATION ■> TO THE EPITOH. Sir, —The proposal suggesting the se- ' gregation of boys and girls from the age of ten is likely to cause a good deal of controversy. The advocates maintain that girls should be taught entirely by women, that their education from" the age of ten should be different from that of boys, that the training should fib them more directly for home life. Does not the education of the boy concern the girl ? Are we to leave that branch to men alone '! Let the men educate the boys iv their own way; we are going to educate our girls in womanly graces, in domestic sciences, and thus fit them for the duties of wife and mother. The boy will' marry, roost probably, but what of that? The upbringing of the children need not concern him; he may continue to drink and smoke without any qualms. Let us assume that girls and boys need special training to fit them for civic and domestic life. At what age aro we to begin this instruction '! At the magic age of ten, and in order to give it we must turn-our schools into convents and monastries. Is the child to have no play-time of life ? Surely the years will be long enough later for the child to gain the necessary knowledge. Girls and boys enjoy each other's company at ten as they do at twenty. If, in our large schools, more freedom of intercourse were allowed in the playing of games. and in school work, there would be less of that silly consciousness that is so marked in the large towns. In the small country schools, the children play together, and grow up with a sense of good comradeship. There is some differentiation in the education of girls and boys now, but instead of increasing it, would it not be better to lessen it ? A boy should learn how to hem, patch, darn, .and knit, and how to sew on buttons, and a girl should have instructions in elementary geometry, scale drawing, etc. It is just as necessary for the girl to gain a knowledge of accurate measurement as it is for the boy. With ,ihe exception of woodwork, modelling and other branches of handwork are quite as suitable for girls as for boys. In the case of girls, there is a tendency to devote rather too much time to the mechanical type of handwork. As handwork becomes more mechanical, it loses in educative value.

Gardening can be made a very beneficial course, not with a patch 10ft square between as many children, but with a large patch with a good-sized bed for each child. It is difficult for the teacher to show methods while the actual work of gardening is proceeding. The lesson should be demonstrated in class previous to the work. A plan could be made by each child of its own particular plot, with distances between rows and portion set apart for flowers marked. Most teachers will agree that there are a good many points in favour of a mixed class. Here are a few: —

In many schools the teacher has one standard only-1-the work is less arduous, and the children benefit greatly. ,

There is a keener sense of rivalry in school work, which tends to raise the standard.

Under the guidance of a. good teacher the" boys become more thoughtful for girls and gain in sympathy and unselfishness.

The work is more interesting for the teacher, and the children take more pride in their personal appearance.

Progress lies not in segregation, but in amalgamation; not in differentiation, but in smaller classes, with a more graded system of' education. There, are children in tho upper standards of most schools who are not only wasting their own time, but arc retarding the progress of the otlier scholars as well. A teacher often devotes a greater percentage of time to the dull children tha.n to the brighter ones. In many cases it is time wasted, the steps that are explained one day have to be repeated the next. Th child, through inattention in the lower standards, or by reason of some mental trait, has failed to grasp the elementary principles of certain subjects. The method of instruction it receives in the higher standards does it more harm than good. The child forms a habit of apathetic or despondent lethargy that is so difficult to eradicate.

Some children in the sth and 6th standards cannot make a distinction between square and linear measure, and yet they are given problems in mensuration to worry through Thoy cannot follow the steps in reduction, but are asked to separate the terms of a compound proportion. What is wanted is a special class in every school for such children; not a. class of many standards, but a class of no standard, where a child, who can do so, may read a sth standard book although it is working 3rd standard arithemetic. A class where the child's mind is appealed to by means of various forms of handwork, and by a moi-e extended use of concrete.

The. plea for compulsory continuation classes after the age of 14 is a good one. Would it not be feasible to separate tho girls and boys then, and give them a year's training in domestic science, child study, hygiene, political economy, litsrature, and temperance ? The girls' course should not be limited to the study of the first three, nor the boys' course to tho last throe. Naturally more time would be devoted to the study of the former subjects in the case of girls, and in the case of boys more' time to the latter.

The teaching of the sex question in ■.lass might do more harm than good. Lectures by competent authorities on the pitfalls of civilisation could, with advantage, be given from time to time. With' regard to girls, surely nothing could achieve so much as home talks, personal intervie-ys with the mothers and girls by ladies qualified to give the instruction.

In the interests of girls we must consider the education of boys. The boys must be trained to realise the responsibilities of life; they must be instilled ( >vith the love of temperance.—l am, ' etc., A TEACHER. 24th October.