"THE CHILD IS THE SCHOOL"

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 68, 18 September 1917, Page 9

"THE CHILD IS THE SCHOOL"

ADDRESS TO WOMEN TEACHERS

At a meeting of...the. Wellington Women's Teachers' Association,: held last night, Miss N. E. Coad presided. The principal business of the evening was. an address by Mr. J. Caughley, Assistant Director of Education, who took as liis' subject "The Child is the School."'

In. his remarks, Mr. Caughley eaid that if it was asserted that the schools were for^the children that would be a truism.' but many .other considerations came into ■ play. It must not. be forgotten that the .teacher, the inspector, the education board, a^nd the Department would have to take into consideration what the question meant. Proceeding, he said that even in tlie earlier days,, just : when mere clothing was a consideration, .people were working to an end, but. with the progress of time they came to be dominated by the institutional, and the personal was likely to be forgotten. Even in Parliament the original object was lost sight of, and, it now seemed, at times, to be a ground for personal ambitions, conflicts, and faction. It might, indeed, he said, be conceivable to think that some State'Or'country might be in such condition that tio legislation should be necessary for a period; that the machinery would carry it-on.- "Mr. Caughley went on to cite cases'in which institutions and officers frequently dominated the real interests they were 'intended to serve. To get down to the school. On the curriculum they should think of the matter of what was-, to'-lie incorporated in the •teaching to be given to the children in each stage. If the teachers—arid he remembered not so" long ago when he was one —examined .'themselves closely and were not too indulgent they must admit that it was often a. case of "my" work, "my" prospects, "my" etc., This was all very well in its place, but perhaps they ought to be thinking of the development of the childV mind. These- things would tend to show that the child was the school and, not. altogether ..the school for the child. Mr. Caughley dealt with the routine of school work, and pointed out the difficulties of the.children. He said, that sometimes, after a,test, a teacher might be inclined to think of a.'failure as the. result of, their work. Would they really bo worried because "Tom" oi'. "Mary" was not able to do sojne certain work, or was it that the product of that work'would not be creditable to them (the teachers)? In one or two respects it might be that there should be a change in the attitude of the teachers, if they were going to have the full benefit of the present-day curriculum. With some such difference he felt that there would be a bettor understanding and a better.result between teacher a-nd children. Mr. Caughley 'referred to the ad-i vantages to be reaped by having "lots of play and games" and the benefit of teachers taking part therein themselves. He also dealt with the questioii of "keeping m" and several other matters of routine,school work. He advocated the closer study of the principles of education, for the more close and~keen watch over the interests of the child. Tlie attitude of a. teacher was. one- they should follow^ even' if it caused Jsome of them to alter their methods. ■ Such' was indeed the keynote- of- all; true educational' work.

A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Caugh-ley for his address.