PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 9, 11 January 1929, Page 9

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

INSTRUCTION COURSE

. THE NEW. SYLLABUS TO OPERATE NEXT MONTH _ The new primary schools instruction syllabus, evolved as the result ' of the revision made some months ago by a special committee of educationists, will operate at the commencement of the school year ne^t month. Lengthy regulations governing the instruction in the vari- . ous classes are published in the "Gazette" issued last night. In an explanatory introduction, the Education Department points out that the last complete revision of the syllabus for primary schools was made in 1919, but that since then very marked changes have taken, place in educational thought with respect to school organisation and eurieula. The present revision has been undertaken with the view of modernising both the prescriptions of instruction.

'' The Department particularly desires that the present syllabus be regarded both by inspectors and teachers . as mainly suggestive," says the statement. "Teachers are to consider themselves free to make any alteration or rearrangement of -work they think desirable, and the inspectors will approve any reasonable scheme that appears to meet the needs 6f children of a particu-. la-r type or of a particular locality: It is not necessary that the teacher should follow the order of instruction adopted in the syllabus. . , As.a matter- of fact, the topics set down under each subject have not'been arranged according to any hard-and-fast rule, and part of the duty of. the teacher-will be to select and rearrange .the material in. accordance with his own ideas as to the best method of treating the subject. He is also at liberty to transfer parts of a subject from one class to: another, always provided .that the : requirements for the primary school leaving certificate awarded at the end of the Standard VI. or Form IL course are complied with. Further, the teacher may with the approval of the inspector base his instruction mainly on one subject to which all or most of- the other subjects are related. It is recognised also that: the pupil as. wellas-Msteachei has a right to ascertain measure of freedom, and that, the . most ■ carefully planned schemes of work may not satisfy the pupil's desire to pursue ;>'course of study that appeals to him. The inspector will recognise that it: is not: always .possible for a teacher to. adhere-closely to ; his daily pia"n .of \ work.-.- At the same time nothing, catt excuse-'negleet-on the teacher's, part of-adequate preparation of his scheme of instruction. It is most important that the teacher shall use-his freedom wisely and that he shall not allow the instruction of the pupil to denegrate into'an unsystematic dabbling with -only the more interesting subjects or parts of .subjects. ■■■ :: -.-.-.'T< • ■•;•'j-.--.-~"";- i:''.'- ■-■.'•.

KEAL HELP TO THE TEACHER. '-'An attempt has tieon made to make i the syllabus much more definite than its predecessor, so that the , young teacher will receive more real '.help from a perusal of its contents., This effort to avoid vagueness may give the syllabus ,an appearance of •being < overloaded, but a careful .exaniinatibn ''■■o£ 'Hh'eV.yariofis■' prescriptions.:. will" show; how much the amount of expectedfrom tho teacher and the pupils has been reduced or simplified. This is particularly the case with arithmetic. "The syllabus has been enriched by the introduction at an earlier stage of the study of examples', of good literature, and ...also, by, the .earlier- epmmenee'nient', of subjects ; tljat,h'aye ;l heretofore, been considered as'bblori ! ging'to..~the secondary' . school "course. .' 'The prescriptions in music and drawing have also been written with the same purpose in view. The making of a truly cultural course depends, however, more on the teacher/s conception of the way the various subjects should be treated than •on any prescription that can be devised, j The prescription can, at.-best ,b'e.'.pnly. suggestive, of the richer and more fully cultural type of education it is hoped will become more, and more prominent iii all schools. ,- ? '

RAPID PROMOTION FOR BRIGHT CHILDREN". . "It is intended that the teacher should provide for the 'rapid .promotion of children of. quick and bright'intelligence, so that these may'reach the secondary schools at an earlier age than at present. The plan of providing an extended course of study for the brighter pupils has been indicated in the syllabus in arithmetic and elementary mathematics, and this plan might be followed in other 'subjects. * A more modest scheme of work' might be provided for the pupil of moderate ability, and promotion should not be denied a pupil on the ground that he has not mastered every detail of the class prescription. Bather should his promotion depend upon his ability to cope with the benefit from the studies set down for the next higher class. "A certain amount, of repetition in the prescriptions for the various classes permits action to be taken on these linos with prejudice to the pupil."

CHARACTER BUILDING. Tho Department furnishes brief introductory notes On each ; subject in order that the main purpose of tho prescriptions may be understood.. In regard to character training the report says:—"The whole of.school life should centre in character-training. Every subject of instruction, and indeed every lesson, provides the teacher with opportunities for teaching right conduct and implanting such moral habits: as honesty, modesty, perseverance. Games, if rightly supervised, enable the teacher | .to train his pupils to be self-reliant, but at the same time to seek tho general 'good rather than selfish ends, to* be patient, self-controlled, honourable, and fair to friend and foe. Incidentaltraining of this kind is probably much more effective than sot moral lessons, ■ which tend to bo uninteresting and tedious to children. The most potent factor is undoubtedly tho personal attitude of the teacher towards charactertraining. If his attitudo is one of halfveiled cynicism his influence is likely to be negative if not definitely harmful. The teacher should show in his scheme of wo*k that he is following a well-defined plan, even though he provides no set moral lessons. ' The programme in one class will ' differ very little in subject-matter from that of another; but the treatment should be adapted to tho capacities and outlook of tho pupils." Then are given the suggested lines which instruction may follow.

MORE PROMINENCE TO ENGLISH. Interesting suggestions are made with regard to tho teaching of tho English language and literature. The 'aim under this head is to give greater prominence to the teaching of English, tho syllabus urging attention to tho manner in which tho child speaks as well as to tho manner in which he writes. It also recognises that facility and accuracy in expression are not to bo gninod by memorising grammatical rules, but rathor by the intolligcnt study of good models. At tho samo timo, it gives grammar a place, if only a subordinate one, in the school curriculum. Such grammar as ip included is of tho type /fchefc J»ass be termed "general gram-

mar," or the grammar common to most modern languages. Tho syllabus emphasises also at every - stage tho importance of accurate speech, correct spelling, correct arrangement of ideas, and the extension of the child's vocabulary. Regular training in. correct speech or utterance (it says) should be given in all classes, to secure, through the correct use of the vocal organs, distinct articulation, clear enunciation of consonants, and purity of vowel sound. Particular attention should be paid .• to children whose speech is in any way defective. The value of the singing lesson, in affording training in articulation must not be overlooked. Since children acquire language by imitation, it is clear that the teacher's speech should be as pure as possible, distinct in enunciation, well modulated, and free from affectation and vulgarism. HEADING AND WRITING. In the case of reading, emphasis is laid in the lower classes . on. the importance of the pupil's becoming word perfect—that is, mastering the initial mechanical difficulties in the subject. Hence more prominence is given to oral reading in the lower*than in.the higher classes, where fuller attention must necessarily be given to difficulties in the subject-matter. No particular system of teaching, writing will be made compulsory, but; the pupil must be so taught that.'by the time he is ready to enter standard V. (form I.) he shall have acquired mastery of tne cursive style of'hand-, writing in which speed'and. legibility are to be regarded as the essential characteristics.. Teachers are advised to. use print-script in the preparatory division and a free style of .cursive, writing in the standard classes. The.slope of the cursive writing should . riot.be, less than 70 deg. from the horizontal. Spelling should be taught systematically, and the-teacher should not rely • on the mere setting of lists .of, words, to be learned by the pupils. . It is most' important that each, teacher' should set out in his scheme of. work". for. the" year a definite method of; teaching the subject. Good use. may; be jm'ade.'of .minimal lists ' that the pupils'.'.' have compiled under the ..teacher's guid--anee, but care should be taken not to ■restrict the pupil's vocabulary.' Any spelling authorised 'by the; Oxford Dictionary is to be accepted in theschools.

ARITHMETIC. ' In regard. to ■ arithnjetiey. the. syllabus proposes that the principal aims.of.-the teacher should be to secure mechanical accuracy in every class; to make the teaching practical* so that, school, arithmetic may be related as; closely as possible to the arithmetic required in everyday life; and to provide an' introduction to ■ elementary, mathematics. Throughout the course . :the"teacher; should frequently diagnose the difficulties of individual pupils and adopt special methods to enable the pupil to overcome them. ■ Practical.work should form an essential part of the teaching, and should, include- the',..handling of coins and the. use", of. familiar measuring apparatus—the., foot-rule, ...kitchen balance, pint and quart measures."The mere use of the measures without-the. application to practical problems is not of very much service. The child must be led to feel that arithmetic is a real thing—that it belongs to everyday life. It is not considered that in any class more than four hours per week should | .be devoted to the subject. .. ."■ ;.,.'... : HISTORY, vf - For history the programme of work is intended to be suggestive, and.is not to be regarded as compulsory. In Standard 11. the stories are closely re-: lated to fairy, stories and myths. ..In Standard HI. the stories; are of real people and incidents iv British history. In Standard. IV.' the pupil is led .to see •that, the growth/ : 6f- the nation, has'fol;" lowed definite lines . and has been gradual'and continuousi; The topical method of treatment; with a certain amount of repetition and more intensive study Of the growth-of the nation, is continued, in .Standard. In Standard VI. the aim is'to give the pupil a clear continued in Standard V. , In Standard been built up .and the British system of government developed., ■;• NevpZealand, history and stories connected with the. life of the Maoris have- been introducedinto the syllabus- for the first ; time. Thoughout the scheme the aims -have been to make the pupils acquainted with the history of their own country,; and, to show that, while wars have undoubtedly played their part in,the development of the-. nation, the . story of.-.the' British people contains much that is-of infinitely more importance than battle's. geography; One of the main aims in the teaching of geography is to broaden and deepen the child's knowledge of and interest in those forces of Nature that determine not only man's industries, but also, his racial characteristics. Throughout the course it is.important that .-as much outdoor work, as possible should be., arranged by the teacher. The instruction should be as vivid as possible, in order that the pupils may have as clear a conception o| life in other lands as they have- of life iv their-own land.- ..

NATURE STUDY. ■ Nature' study instruction should airii. at giving the child an understanding of the facts and phenomena, which.. confront and surround him and the -environment of which he is himself, consciously or unconsciously, a part. It should also inculcate in him a love for Nature, and. an appreciation of its beauties. ■ In general, the teacher should assume, the function of a director of. studies!; the pupils should make their own investigations and inductions, while the teacher supplies the thread of necessary information and guidance which corrects error, avoids the rough places, and leads the pupils to gather, a properly organised body of knowledge. Tho treatment of'elementary science should proceed on much the same lines as prescribed for Nature study, but the reasons will possibly be more systematically arranged with the twofold object, nrst of enabling the pupils to gather some knowledge logically arranged "of the basic scientific facts related partieulary. to elementary agriculture and dairy 1 science, and second of. training thepupils to trace the conection of cause' and effect in the natural phenomena ■ af?- aiV aying andto form 'h'aWt of seeking for and applying basic scientific: I. principles. .■'.'. ■■ '-. i

.' : - , DRAWING. ■ '..-. .. ':^:.'.l ; In: regard to instruction in ■dfawintr' W fl ln *eni 6d f- at ihe spontaneous &. forts of -the- child "to exp-rW himself definite .instruction inv'tli6: craftsman^: ship.of.the^ubjeot/so.that^easonable skill is attained.. In other/words/it is intended- that definite .instmetiOJi shall be: pen in the drawing of natural and fashioned objects,- in design, and in instrumental drawing, insofar as it affects design or handwork, so that'the: pupil may gain sufficient mastery over: the technique of ,tho' subject, to^en-. able ,him.to. use drawing: as,a means „,eX,?r es^lou wl>ether.. in /connection: with literature, history, v o r- the manual arts. Throughout the syllabus-..'tho iin-portance-ofthe use-of colour arid tone' is emphasised. ■. , .;-. .■ . .

HANDWORK.V > Concerning.the question of handwork the suggestion is ' made •■that durino the whole course there should be abundant occupational work providing for free expression, and affording full scope, for the exercise ,of imagination, both roprbductive and constructive: In all classes the pupils should'be allowed a certain amount of freedom; to make: something they particularly desire either for themselves or others. The acquirement of skill is to bo put to immediate use as an aid in strengthening the ordinary means of general education, and from this point of view handwork is to be Begarded toih as a':sitb-

ject and as a method. It is of-import-ance that, wherever there..is need for handwork material- it. shall bo freely used, whether in connection with arithmetic, or literature, or history, or geography, or science, or any other branch of school work or school interest.

NEEDLEWORK. Needlework teaching requires that due attention Ishall be given to considerations of .colour and design, and to securing results of aesthetic value by means of ■ sound constructional work, without neglecting the."actual craftsmanship, of sewing. Whilst the main objective is educational, the child should be so taught as to. become proficient in commonly used stitches' and to be able to cut and "make ordinary garments and do mending and: darning. ! Exercises, on small pieces' of :inaterial may well be used for learning different kinds 'of,'stitches, but' tie. preparation of specimen pieces should, be. discontinued. At air stages the periodical construction and completion of!'_'. some articles by the pupils sliould.be aimed I at. Special care, should' be. taken to avoid all conditions unfavourable .to eyesight. In ho. case should materials and .stitches be so fine, as to strain the children's eyesight. Children ..of weak eyesight should riot "be. given, any exercise that would "be .injurious' .to their ...eyes,. ; and in serious eases they should not be expected, to. do .sewiiig at'all. ;;.: . : '. ■ '*"" '-.' It is to be constantly borne iii mind that the sewing .lessons, should be such as.to establish closer relations between ■the home and. the school,, the articles lor making being'such.as have some relation "to the '.child's need .at' home .or at school. ' •-.-•■■ •. HOUSECRAFT. . . A comprehensive" scheme 1 of instruction in housecraft includes cookery, housewifery, and laundry work, but it is not complete without a further.course in home organisation. The time" allotted to the different parts of the course and the. order in which, they 'are 1, taken must depend to some extent.on the premises and equipment available, but as a general-rule:about" twice or thrice as much time, should be given, to cookery as to laundry work or housewifery, it being a more difficult subject and'requiring much more practice, i . ■ • ■■•••' ;', '-. [ MUSIC. "' •■ " ■ '.- ; ,The programme recommended in music seeks to awaken the imagination of the children and widen their capacity for artistic self-expression;; to cultivate a musical ear and love of sweet sounds, and to train the .pupils in the right use of their own.voices; to give some elementary knowledge of musical notation, and thus lay a foundation for further musical progress; to develop musical taste*. >•.•:..■)■",. ; „-. ;- . •■■■'.■■ HYGIENE AND. rBESH AIR. Health teaching should be practical, and as far as possible the school environment should'illustrate the requirements for health. A '■■high, standard. of personal cleanliness should be encouraged in pupils. School lunches'.should 'be'organised;and ''eaten under-supervis-ion, the Opportunity thus afforded' being utilised to impart information as to the requirements of' a satisfactory lunch. In. all ■ classes '' safety first rules for crossing streets, etc., should be taught. In accordance with, the age of pupils, emphasis should be laid upon the value of swimming and life-saving, and. advice given how • toi deal with common .emergencies—e.g.y" a room 1 full of coal gas or benzine fumes; danger from contact with electric:wires; what to do if a child chokes, or if his clothes catch fire. ' : PHYSICAL INSTRUCTION. 1 Physical education, has for its aiml the formation and fixation, through conscious efforts,-of correct habits c-f posture in - standing - and "sitting,: -"of ■ ; gr ace rand; ease Of.-'cai'riage,-of*quick^'quiet,; and' grafeefu! trfovemerit," and- als6.- the harmonious development of the nerves, muscles, and organs of the body, Good physical habits, once fixed, profoundly affect Character and health, and^ as these are the most important factors in complete living, this phase of educationis considered to bo of the.highest importance." -The.'Education Act requires that ;at :least /^fifteen minutes'- instruction, 'per'day shall' be given, in.every "school. ■'.'•'' ...