THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1899.

Grey River Argus, Volume 57, Issue 10262, 19 April 1899, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1899.

Education: is asubject of" perennial interest. As ; the word indicates,- its function is to lead on fc, the faculties of mind and body. The mental and physical endowments which are given us, are, in childhood, in what may be called an embryonic state, and education is the process by which they are shaped and expanded. As the ore when buried deep in the earth has to be brought to the surface, refined, and worked into suitable shapes in order to; become of value in the, economy of life, so the capacities of the child have to be unearthed, purified, and shaped by an educational process, in order to be a benefit to their possessor and the community generally. It will thus be 3een : thafc thja advancement of any community: is -dependent mainly cm the education of its youth. The new li(e of the nation must be carefully guarded, trained, and properly directed in order to be of public good. To this end the rich heritage of knowledge which has descended to us from the past, together with modern discovery in every department, must be luid under contiibution, and the best elements impressed upon the plastic mind of the rising generation,, that each unit in society miy be equipped for the work of life. It naturally follows, therefore, . that a suitable &ystem^ of education will be sufficiently elastic to adapt itself to the advancing spirit of the age. Tins, indeed, h indispensable. i It is true that the principles, with which we deal are, for the most- part, just those which have bee%japp.ljedto the purposes of-hum^n life But 'whaV upon is, ,that they must be presented in a new setting, and accommodated to the changing conditions which; are constantly emerging as society advances. The problems which present themselves for solution in 6-u.r modern life are not precisely those with which ou r -forefa thera had to grapple. They are vastly more numerous and more intricate, and as the sura of experience i widens, the scope of the solution ; wiilens a)so. Hence, society ronst, wisely use that precious deposit of wisdom which- it has gainod from the : past, and hold itaelf in readiness, with;; an almost Protean versatility to

adapt itself to every new conditioo. It is clear, therefore, that any system of education which is of the castiron order, must, in the nature of things, soon become an anachronism. In thiscolony we have an educational system of which we are justly proud. It is intended that , every, child Bhould receive a thorough grounding in the elements of a sound education, and this intention is, in a large measure, realised. There are some, certainly, who, either through isolation, or the incorrigible negligence of parents, are allowed to grow up in ignorance, but, fortunately the number of .such is comparatively small. But the opinion is beginning to gain ground that the system is too rigid — thp.t it is not sufficiently comprehensive, neither is it flexible , enough to take advantage of, and train the varying capabilities -of children. We have as a people, admired our system, , and strenously defended it. But wnile.being thus, thankful for its many excellencies, there is just a possibibity * of falling into the mistake supposing that it is not susceptible of change or im-^ provement. Instead of regarding it as an instrument to be manipulated and improved in the interests' of national advancement, there are many who set it up as a fetich to be adored. This is the policy whicl), in'ahy- 'department, inevitably .leads to stagnation. It is, doubtless a mistake to attempt to force every child through the same curriculum. For there is the same variety, in the appitudes of children that we find everywhere in nature. Th9c ideal system of education, therefore;' is'.one which would be capable of detecting special bent or tendency of mind, and developing it to the greatest possible degree of perfection. Nodoubbsuch a system . would require mors elaborate machinery than ours lias/, and would also be more expensive ; but, unquestionably, it would pay in the long run. We live in an age of specialists. The area of human effort is so extensive and the arts of life are being carried to such a pitch of perfection, that if anyone desires to made his influence powerfully felt at any one point,- he must be specially trained. .Now life is'short, and the person who is to be influential in any sphere must be taken early, and his aptitudes turned into special direction in which they are to operate. Our system does not provide for ihisi , The , : annual ..examination .must be passed with the ' most rigid regularity, according to the prescribed regulations, and itjdoes not yet appear that we can. afford -to dispense. with it altogether ; for we must have some test of progress. But might it not be made less mechanical ? And might it not be possible to institute ■some" special •method of treatment;; at least in.a few subjects, for those who are known to possess superior talent; and thus prepare them for the higher instruction which they would afterwards receive in our secondary school and colleges? A greater discretionary power - would hare to be given to the head teachers, who, after all, are our specialists in this iirie, to recommend for special instruction those who possess the necessary talent. Thus we should at' vance towards that ideal system of which we have spoken by gradual and easy stages. If we are to hold our own in the keen competition of the present day we must be careful to cultivate the latent powers of youth, and while profoundly thankful for the means we now pos-ess, we shall act wisely to avail ourse'ves of every opportunity of improving them.