RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 22086, 20 July 1935, Page 4

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

PRESBYTERIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION. The monthly meeting of the Presbyterian Sunday School Union was held at North-east Valley Church on Monday evening, when there were CO present, representing 11 schools. Rev. C. G. Wilcox occupied the chair. each teacher entered he or she was given a slip of paper on which appeared half a proverb. Partners were found by the other half, and a short time w’as spent in getting to know one another. Then - the company w'as divided into groups, the members of which sat together for the meeting. It was hoped, in this way, to make the social time more sociable, and give people an opportunity of meeting others from different schools.

The meeting proper was begun by a devotional period conducted by Mr Wilcox, who then introduced the speaker, Rev. W. A. Stevely, whose subject was ‘ The Art of Illustration.’ Mr Stevely pointed out the value of illustrations, one of the arts of skilful teaching being the clever manipulation of the art of illustration. A book or a lesson without illustration could be very dull, while a book or a lesson could be so bright wdien lightened by vivid illustrations. This is an age of pictures, and of illustrated papers, while in the future television will make even more use of the sight as well as of the hearing. There is a desire to see things illustrated. The idea is not new. Jesus, the perfect Teacher, has given the most perfect example of the art of illustration, his stories and parables being unsurpassed. Three points regarding the nature of illustrations were stressed: (_1) Good illustrations should be simple. Jesus used the simple things of every-day life to illustrate His lessons—the sower sowin/ his seed, the woman baking—and in such a way that even to-day these homely duties call to our minds the great truths that He taught. (2) -Illustrations should be apt, not merely brought from another quarter and applied, but thought out for the particular occasion. There is need to “ focus ” the illustration properly, in order that it might teach what it is intended to teach. (3) Illustrations should be short. Long illustrations defeat their own ends, by tiring the listeners. Children weary of a long illustration, and it tends to’ obscure the point that is being illustrated. In some cases the story is remembered end the point at issue forgotten. Certain types of illustration were discussed. In every case an illustration should help to make more concrete the lesson that is to be taught. They may be chosen from biography, which is a fruitful source. Carlyle has said that just as the Gospel was the greatest biography so every biography was a Gospel. God sent Jesus into the world to be a perfect illustration. As Dr Denney has said; “The last word of God by way of illustration of what God wants people to be.” The biographies of great men are a storehouse of illustrations of the qualities in active service that we wish to see in the children. History, too. is a fruitful source, for it is the story of God’s dealing with mankind. The different means of illustrations are by pictures, objects, models, the blackboard, and verbal illustration. An important question to be decided by every teacher, is as to where the illustration is to be used. Is it to be given as a preparation to the lesson proper, to prepare the mind for the r truth, or at the end of the lesson to drive home and make more clear the point already taught? Teachers should try both' of these, and decide for themselves which was most successful. Some teachers did not illustrate their lesson because of the wrong assumption that what is perfectly clear to them through much preparation and study is equally clear to the children. The mbre teachers put themselves in the place of the children and tried to think their thoughts, the more would they see the value of illustrations.

Mr Stevely received a hearty vote of thanks for his address. A keen discussion followed, teachers giving their opinions and experiences along this line. It was pointed out that Nature is a good source of illustration, for children are interested in Nature. The question was also raised, “ Should teachers, after telling a story by way of illustration, point out the moral, or should, the children find it themselves?”, in reply to which it was stated that if the illustration did not make the moral so clear that it was unnecessary to state it, then the illustration had missed the mark and did not illustrate. The value of expression work for finding what truth the children had learned from the lesson was also stressed. Another point raised was that the Bible itself was an Oriental book, written in vivid picturesque Oriental language, _ and was for this reason profusely _ illustrated, for the Eastern mind thinks in pictures. This was why the stories, parables,' and similies and metaphors nf Jesus’ teaching appealed so strongly to His listeners. After the singing of a hymn supper was served by the staff of North-east Valley Sunday school, a vote of thanks being passed to them for their hospitality, and the meeting was brought to a ciose by family worship conducted by Rev. N. E. Oakley. The ■ next meeting will be held at Caversham. and the executive hopes to see representation from those schools which have not yet been represented at the monthly meetings. NEWS FROM OTHER LANDS. Mexico. —Friends of the work _in Mexico will be interested in learning that Mexico is now making gigantic efforts to build nn an original, genuine, and national culture, embracing all aspects of human life. It is emphasising more than any other country in Latin America the need of a school which will be coherent from •the very beginning with the whole life of the Mexican Nation, basing it more on life than on theories, more on doing than on learning, and adapting itself to the daily life of the average Mexican, making the schools, the text, and the teaching to promote more a better life than general knowledge. Arabia.—Many years ago Sunday school work was inaugurated in Arabia among the children of the Beloochis. who migrated from their own country to make their homes in the southeastern section of Arabia. As a result of hard work,, perseverance, and courage, there is now reported in Muscat a Sunday school of six classes. There arc well over 250 enrolled. A 50 per cent, attendance is considered excellent. since parents do not look upon attendance in Sunday school as worth while if there is no material gain. Most of the children must help in some way to support the family, so •there are always some absent because of that. The efforts on the part of these children not to steal or lie are most, gratifying. For the sis classes there are four teachers, so instruction in handwork is given the classes which must wait. This handwork is in the form of crayon work mostly, and it is popular with all. The Sunday school is the only bright spot in the lives of many of these children. Parents and children alike respond to the gestures of love and friendship on the part of the missionaries.