EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 November 1927, Page 7

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL’S REMARKS. ADDRESS TO HAWERA ROTARY CLUB. “Comparisons are often drawn between the young people of to-day and those of our young days, i.e., ourselves. Well, probably the average boy of to-day is a better human being than we were at his age, although most of ns will not admit it. He may not have some of the qualities which we possessed. For instance, he sometimes lacks ‘initiative,’ but I believe our own laxity as parents, and probably too much ‘spoon-feeding’ in connection with our schools, may be responsible for that.” These remarks were made by Mr. A. Gray, principal of the Hawera High School, in the course of an address on “Education,” given at the weekly luncheon of the Hawera Rotary Club yesterday. “We frequently hear it remarked,” he said, “that the present-day boys and girls are over-educated. If, however, education is the development of those qualities which lead to perfection, then it is impossible to have too much of it. “It is quite true that education methods may be wrong, and in this connection of course I am dealing specifically with that part of a boy’s education which takes place in the schools. At one time accumulation of knowledge was confused with education, and the school routine consisted largely in the learning of bald facts. Nowadays the pendulum seems _ to have swung too far in the other direction, and I consider the value of memory work is somewhat lost sight of. 'lt is useless tor a person to have a trained mind unless he possesses' the basic fact from which to reason out his conclusions. However, methods alter, and not always for the better. “Much has been written about “socalled modern methods.” We are told that the correct procedure is to allow each individual to develop ‘naturally’ in his own way—to select his own subjects and deal with them at his own time—in short, to find out for himself in his one short life what has taken generations of his ancestors to learn. Surely this must be a fallacy. Even a hen 'starts to educate her chicks by tapping with her beak to induce them to do likewise, aud so discover the grains of food spread for them. Certainly some of the chicks would ultimately discover for themselves that a ‘want’ can be satisfied by picking up the grains, but the mother hen’s instruction puts them so much ahead.

“With regard to human beings, Lord Riddell in his essay on ‘Educational Mysteries’ sums up the matter tersely when he says : ‘There is no justification for robbing children of accumulated experiences of mankind, or of allowing them to form wrong impressions which later they will have to scrap.’ Surely then it is our duty to make our pupils acquainted with these accumulated experiences as soon as possible. Of con use, there can be too much restriction, but the modern theory seems to he in the direction of allowing too much freedom, which will react prejudicially on the boy when he goes out into a world where he cannot do what lie pleases and when he please. The 'wise teacher will act judiciously, and probably few people realise ' just how much care and thought are bestowed by the conscientious teacher oil this question of ‘how much freedom.’ The Dalton system of education was briefly touched on by Mr. Gray, who criticised it as assuming that the working of a number of problems was the end in view instead of being merely a means to an ultimate end. “Further, it relegates the teacher to the position of a mere machine for marking work, instead of regarding him as an intelligent student of the individual needs of his pupil,” he said.

“Another modern idea which appears likely t-o be carried to extremes is the so-called ‘intelligence test,’ in the result of which it is suggested that children should bo classified. Now, apart from the fundamental error of attempting to artificially classify human beings at all, we have the fact that these mental tests are frequently merely tests ol knowledge, and success would depend on the environment of the child rather than on his mentality. For instance, a child in Taranaki would probably know quite well what a Babcock testing machine is used for, while a city youngster may never have known or heard of such a thing. It is not fair to assume that the one boy is mentally 'superior to the other. ‘ Yet it is suggested that this and similar questions should be used to decide the mentality of a child.

“One other danger I think exists at the present- time, and that is the classification of certain pnpils ais ‘retardates.’ The tendency of some young teachers is to regard all children who have to he .specially dealt with as being -sub-normal. T do not think that in New Zealand there are anything like a-s many retardates as we are lead to believe. I have read that Edison, was sent home from school because ‘he could not learn.’ Apparently in these days he would be classed as a ‘retardate.’ This mechanical testing and classifying pmsent real possible dangers T think. Nothing can do away with the understanding observation of the sympathetic human teacher. ’ ’

The speaker advocated an extension or alteration, in the- free place- system in secondary schools in the Dominion, and said that the present regulations were such that in many cases free places were offered to those who did not want them,-while those who were anxious to advance themselves were deterred from taking advantage of the privilege. “History shows us that many of the greatest intellects have sprung from the humble cottage of the worker, and with the world in search of the heist, brains it is the bounden duty of eve-rv business man in New Zealand to tell the- Government with no uncertain voice- that, at whatever cost, our boys and girls'of New Zealand must have their chance, so that they may not have to compete against the rest of the world without a full equipment of education,” he concluded. Mr. Grav, w r ho was accorded an attentive hearing, answered several questions, which indicated the considerable amount of interest taken in his address. The Rotarians carried a hearty vote of aooreciation. .