NATIONAL SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 43, 19 February 1918, Page 2

NATIONAL SCHOOLS

OBTAINING BEST RESULTS

In the course of her lecture on the possibilities of our national schools, in the Alexandra. Hall on Sunday, Miss England said that we/should aim at providing a type of education which would render every future citizen capable, by virtue, of wide knowledge and trained and energetic character, .of. taking a responsible part in the public life of the country. Further, we'should take every means in our power to ; discover "that vast reservoir of talent" which, according (to Lord Bryce, 'exists among the children of the nation. ' This, she pointed out, could not bo done so long as we allowed our children to be taught in overcrowded rooms In classes of 60 and upwards. She advocated small classes, not exceeding 30, .taught' in separate rooms which were well lighted prettily decorated, and comfortable! In connection with this part of her subject, Miss England quoted .'from a rsporj of .the Danish schools, pointing to the goodness of their method of grading children according to ability. The' Copenhagen State schools have three 'series of classes and three distinct standards of teaching: thje ordinary class for .children of average intelligence; the-"helping" class for-those who, through nervousness,, mental slowness, or some other defcet, are a little below the average in intelligence; and the_ class for defective children, who require special methods. The numbers in these two classes may not exceed'2o.. A child who seems dull or is making no progress is at once transferred to a "helping. class, where his lessons are all oral, fewer and shorter than in the ordinary class. At the end of two or three terms the" children in these classes are generally capable of ordinary work, and . are at once sent back to the general school. Those who- stay all their school life in a "lielping" class leave sufficiently well trained to earn their "own living. The exceptionally clever are equally well cared for. At the age'of 11 they a.re sent up for examination, and those who pass the test are admitted to the "middle schools," .from which they can go on to' the gymnasium, arid thence to the ..university', haying' received an entirely free education, of. such' excellence that the .poorest lad, in Qop.enhagen, if clever, "starts life on terms of 'equality, as far as training is" concerned, with the richest. ' ••■■■■-. .•■;■•

In New Zealand the Minister for Education reported', that last "year'7s per cent, of 'the 1 children left school after the age of 14 without having passed thp Vl.a Standard. Miss considered our crowded classes ''more to blamb for this serious state of things than the dullness of the children, and she cortsideredj that the Danish' method : would have given better results.. She ■ aipproved of the; provision of "free places" at secondary schools for holders 6/proficiency certificates, but insisted that the winners of these coyeted, positions should recognise tiiat. they, were'given by tlie State in order that no talent should be wasted which ■ could be "trained, and, therefore, that at least .three years should, be spent in the secondary school and the matriculation examination taken.,' In .her opinion, one year" or" less in a secondary school was completely useless to the child from an educational point of view. Miss England' considered education was,a threefold process aiming at producing (a)' an efficient worker, (b) men arid women: of fine character, (c) trained minds, capable of using their powe.rs and any'talent they "possessed. She considered that jt \yas tlie business ,of i the pnimary schools to form character,' of the technical colleges to ,tr.ain efficient workers, and'of the' secondary schools^' continuation classes, and "the university "colleges to'tj-'ain " minds'and develop talent. ' :

In the brief reference to Misa England> lecture yesterday it was stated ,tha-t the Minister for JWuoation had congratulated a. teacher on crowding" twice the fixed number of pupils' into a classl This reference >vas tp a former Minister of ■Education, no,t 'th.e:,pr69ent holder of the portfolio. --■''■.■