TEACHING HISTORY

Grey River Argus, 1 September 1917, Page 6

TEACHING HISTORY

OBSOLETE METHODS CONDEMNED.

AN ADDRESS TO TEACHERS,

Last evening at the Trinity Buildings the Grey branch of the Teachers ' Institute held a discussion! centre, the president of the Institute, Mr. A. J. Wickes, occupying the chair. The adoption of the evening discussion centres is an innovation in Greymouth, and judging by the enthusiasm of those teachers present a successful future for the discussion centres may safely be forecasted. Mr. J. F. Wilson took the subject of "History and its place in our schools" in the 'form! of an address. The speaker showed that all advanced educationists were unanimously in agreement about the great importance of the subject /of history. It was slowly pushing its way into its rightful position in the New Zealand syllabus, but it was yet far from getting the important place that it must ultimately occupy. The value of this subject as a character builder was incalculable, and if it had been properly handled in the past it could not possibly have drifted into the soulless and dry subject which, had unfortunately passed muster as history in our primary schools. The emphasis placed 'on dates and unimportant and' tedious details such as the birth and death of unimportant monafchs had gone far to turn what should be the mlost "live" subject in tho school course into a dull and dreary wilderness, which repelled the pupils and disgusted the teachers. The foremost countries in the world educationally devoted twice the time which had been usually set aside to history in the schools of New Zealand, and to good purpose, too. These facts were not lost in the leading edue_fionists of the Dominion, and for. some time we had been slowly moving away from an obsolete and useless method of treating a splendid- subject, and its _uture was assured. The speaker went into a good many, details illustrative of the baneful influence which the wrong treatment of history had upon the pupils of our schools in the past, and the address was listened to with keen interest throughout. At the conclusion, and after an interesting discussion had taken place on the address, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speaker on the motion of Mr. Wickes, seconded by Miss Griffiths. The next discussion centre on "Teachers' Difficulties," as supplied by various teachers, will be held on Friday evening, Novcmjier 2nd, in the Trinity Rooms.

McLean's Pictures. — Matinee this afternoon.