DUNEDIN TRAINING COLLEGE.

Evening Star, Issue 13001, 21 December 1906, Page 3

DUNEDIN TRAINING COLLEGE.

THE PBINCEPAIi'S ADDRESS. Yesterday morning Mr D. 'White; MJL, ad " dressed the students of the Teachers' Training College prior to separating after the year's work.' A good deal of enthusiasm marked the proceedings, and eiter Mr White's address cheers were given for -the staff and for Mr White. Mt White said: Before closing the Training ■College for. the year—this is the thirteenth year of its existence—l have one or ' two formal duties to perform. In the first place I have to thank the staff of the Practising School lor the assistance they have ; gwen myself in supervising and assisting- in the practical and model lessons. My thanks are doe to Mr Marshall, head-master, and to Miss Haig, and the other staff assistants, for their services in that direction. I should like also to refer to Mr Stewart, head-master of the Model School. The Board offered the appointment to Mr Stewart, thereby showing their appreciation'of his success as a teacher of a sole or country school. The appointment of a head-master to the Model (School baa been a great relief to me, so far as the management of the school itself is concerned. Organisation is the chief difficulty in the successful working' of a school of this type, and from what I have seen of Mr Stewsrt'« work I am justified in saying tiiai his services in that way will prove of vary great benefit to the students sent to the Model School for training and teaching. To the visiting- teachers of drawing (the Misses HuttonL singing (Mr A. M. Braik), sewing (Miss Albert}, English literature (Mias Bressey), and gymnastics (Mr Hanna) I express my thanks for their services. There are -JgHwp™ membeta-on the staff, and if to this you add seventy-toe students, it will readily be seen that if the college work is to be successful where «> many have to be considered, tiaene most be a certain amount of loyalty to one another and a certain amount of foresight exercised for the harmonious working of the institution. I am glad to say that the staff teachers have been very willing to meet any suggestion with regard to the desirability of their taking a greater share in tie active work of teaching the studtents. Tie students should look upon the class teacher as a friend and adviser in the matter of methods of teaching and class management. The staff of a practising school connected with a training college labor under certain 8 disadvantages, but there is also a certain privilege and honor in tie position, which should also be taken into account. And now a word to the students. There are two days in the college year I do not like—the first day and the last one. Why should I not like the first day? When students first enter the college, for the first day or two they doutt look very happy. They are not quite sure what kind of an. institution they have entered. There is a feeling of strangeness that might be expected. Many" came from the country—leave dear home to come to new sirrroundings of city life, and everything has an unfamiliar and unkind look about it. At my first lectare I, too, have my feats and hopes. That is why I don't Eke the first day; but all that soon disappears, and I am sure that the general satisfaction now expressed on your countenances doesn't indicate that there is the least want of sympathy, of lack of kindly feeling, between the staff and students of our college. Your home life whilst in the CHy—l speak only of those who have to board with strangers—has not always boon so comfortable as I should like, though I must say I have heard very little complaint, on this score; but there are disadvantages in isolated lodgings. 'Many training colleges elsewhere are residential training colleges, and there is nroeh to be said in favor of them by way of strengthening- the personal and social side of student life. Perhaps the proposed University Residential College will in future provide a home for Training College students. The social side of the life of our college—as a college, not as individuals—is not so as I should like to see it, but for this our buildings and environment are much to blame. We stand much in need of a hall in the college building, where staff and students could meet occasionally in friendly in-tercou--e. In the plana for our new college, just prepared by the Education Board, there is provision for a large hall suitable for social and ceremonial gatherings. We have so many students now that domestic social meetings are almost out of the question. We opened the session of 1906 with seventyfive students—twenty-six in their second and forty-nine in their first year. With regard to tie work of the students, it is of a dual character—tint undertaken at the college and a course of study at the Otago University. Sixty-eight of our students attended one or more classes at the University somewhat as follows:—English, 26; latin, 27; mental science, 28; French 6; mechanics and physics, 2; mathematics, 4; history and principles of education, 26. Not many take science or mathematics, bat I hope for an improvement in the number attending

these classes in future. The point, however, to -which I wish to call attention is not the number taking any one subject at the University, bat the number who took two classes at least in order to qualify for tie keeping of terms. Efty-eigfit students attended two classes, and of these forty-nine kept terms—» very satisfactory result consdering that they had to give so much, of their time to the purely technical part of their professional training at tie college. A very considerable number of these are first-year students. Tho number who attend the second year's course of training is increasing rear by year. I should like to see all the first-year students return to study for the department O cextifieato, and obtain farther training and education both at the college and University.. To leave with only one year's training is a oerious mistake. I would advise ail to toko advantage of the privileges now within their reach of proceeding to the higher oertficaie. It is a very great mistake to sacrifice the prospects of the future fcr the cogencies of the present. It may debar you from all chance of promotion to the higher and belter positions in the service. If once you get relegated to the backbhxks, holding only the lowest certificate, you will find it. difficult to carry on your public duties and prosecute private study at the same time with any success. Students cannot expect to step right away into the highest position, but at least you .ought to have the ambition to qualify yourselves for the higher position, and you ought to take advantage of the very liberal provision mode by the department for a second year at the college. Now, a word to my second-year students. I said a few minutes ago that I didn't lite tbo last day of the college year, and that chiefly for tho reason that I have to say good-bye to the second-year studonte. In this very room day by day for two years we have gone through a long series of les-

sons—some of them failures, others of them very successful. Sometimes wo have been encouraged by success and again disppointed at our failures, and lfad a fair share cf adverse criticism; but that doesn't matter. What I wish to emphasises is this, and it is the main thing: we liavo gone through the course, and come out wiser and more tolerant and sympathetic, because we have learnt what a difficult, thing it is to teach well. That's the first thing to remember —the difficulty of the task. Tbe nest thing our course of lessons has shown ns is this: that clearness of purpose, genuine, straightforward effort he at the foundation of all real progress in the art of teaching. Now, I am not foolish enough to suppose that because a person has been two years at tho coSegs that he is perforce going to prove a lughly-euccossful teacher. Careful as I am about tbe reputation of tbe Otago Training College, I am not so foolishly loyal to the institution, nor so blind to the difficulties and limitations of tbe work of a training college, as to supposo that you have learnt all about the art of teaching; but ibis I will say: yon bare all learnt something,' and -I think I am justified in saying that some of those leaving tho college this year would be a credit to any training institution in the world. The true functions of a training college are often misunderstood. As has been said, a training college is not a place whene you are wound up, guaranteed to go on far a certain time in a prescribed round of work and routine. No, that is not tbo purpose. Students should leave tho Training College impressed with a feeling of the responsibility and dignity of tho work of the teacher, and filled with the determination to throw enthusiasm anil freshness into every lesson. I ask you to lay upon yourselves that obligation, and if you do that, to the best of your ability I shall feel reoampersrd—satisfied that our work at. the Training College has not been in vain. I wish all of you success at tbe forthcoming examinations, and ask you to give three cheers for the Otago Training College. Long may it flourib!