HISTORY BOOK JUNK

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 September 1934, Page 11

HISTORY BOOK JUNK

‘•TEACH CURRENT AFFAIRS.” LONDON, August 5. Every boy should leave school able to read a good 'newspaper iutelligently. , This was the aim set pelore teachers of history by Mr E. Wynn-WH-linms, formerly chief examiner in history to the Board of Education, who lectured yesterday on the teaching of history at tbe City of London vacation course in education. Were teachers of history, asked Air Wynn-Williams, satisfied that it was better for the child to know nothing at all about early and mediaeval history and to leave school with liis mind, awako to modern problems and able to talk about them? Or did they think it better for him to leave school with the full knowledge of Magna Charta or a detailed knowledge of the Hundred Years’ War and without any idea of modern problems? He had no doubt whatever as to the right course. They should give the child a knowledge of modern problems. “The teaching of history is ot very small value unless it makes practical allusions to modern problems,” he added. “TAKING” ARITHMETIC. Criiicism of (lie teaching of arithmetic was mfde by Dr H. J- Laicombe, education officer of Gloucester. in another lecture. “Ail teachers ‘take’ arithmetic just us they ’take’ composition,” he said, “but not all teachers ‘teach’ arithmetic or composition. They simply ‘take’ the subjects, but the children .certainly do not take them in.” , Dr Laicombe said that at least nine-tenths of the arithmetic in everyday use was mental —.the sort the housewife had to do when she went shopping. “Most people,” he added, “never have to write down their sums al all, yet we spend about nine-tenths of our arithmetic lessons in the schools in doing written arithmetic.”