THE NEW SYLLABUS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 June 1928, Page 6

THE NEW SYLLABUS

is IT REALLY “NEW”? •SOME FEATURES ANTICIPATED BY TEACHERS. MODERN EDUCATIONAL AIMS AND IDEALS. (Written tor “The Star” by “Dominie.”) Tim “new” syllabus for primary jsicfttcoHs has been compiled and is now being circulated. It may be onlighteniug to ascertain if it is aswbol.y »3W aia the name implies. Having -botfi the olid and the new side by side and comparing tnem, we may note that the present syllabus greatly exceeds the old in balk. This is due to two causes : (1) That some of the material, previously inserted in the appendices has now been placed in the syllabus proper. (2) Owing to the fact that mu,off of the text is decidedly clearer and mo 1 c definite, as it is intended to aid to a greater clegre-e tluui bcioro not teachers in general, but younger Teachers in particular. It is hot quite true to assent that the syllabus is overloaded, though certain parts, particularly the optional mathematics for Forms I. and 1 11., are open to Latin and French into Standard \ 11, which has been resurrected. In most cases it will be found that pupil’s <of tins grade remain at school Tor the safe© of an extra vear merely, consequently, it seems futile to commence a foreign language when their English comld lie strengthened. The “new” syllabus supersedes, the old, and in that respect it is certainly new, but whether the syllabus is new to the great majority of the teaching profession is a moot point. It was generally recognised that the time, wais ripe for change. The syllabus, it was known, was out of touch, with the social environment. 'Moreover, by the stress laid on the cultural aspect, it, seems as if the framers believed' that this side was weak also. But whether under the old or the now, the amount of culture that the pupil receives mu,* depend entirely upon the teacher. The modern eceetic educational tendencies especially stress- the sociological nispoct. The motsit recent views of the latter tendency are that education is a preparation in the economic, political and social \ activities of his fellows—a pretty wide and comprehensive ideal, as all wiladmit. Is this to be gained bv allround development of an individual’s capacities and instincts, or by choosing and intensively training those that will 1>?: needed later? Perhaps one involves the other. In the past arithemtio was regarded as practicallv the main subject : consequently the subject was overloaded, and was out of touch with tlie actual problems of life. Following the modem trend, the time for this sole ject has been curtailed -and its .nature rnadle more practical. Emphasis lias also been placed upon citizenship, and the, inculcation of those- principles upon which good, citizenship rests. Hand.in hand wVh the latter goes history, which has come into its own.

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENT.

"What knowledge is of. the greatest value for social purposes.? The -social tendency aims at minimising the purely humanistic- tendency of mere nookleaf nino*. and laying more stress on the phenomena of natural environment (man and nature, man and -society) and a knowledge- of .social institutions.. In this connection note the extensions in luisto-rv and civics contained in the new -syllabus. Nature -study is also strongly in the picture. THE CULTURAL SIDE. In the cultural side, l-or the enrkinmeut cii one p-u-poi s emotional anu imaginative la-emues, we tuuL tnao greater emphasis nas been placed upon itnglisa, me, en.-argemont ot itne vocabu,;iry ana tixoi any appreciation. -Vlus--a and one art i acuity must be fostered and tne pu-piis’ oestiuitic se-nme must be -stimulated. The socuolo-giicau view deman u.i a rea-dj ustinent ot emphasiis- upon -title subjects- ot iiistrautdon, ,tn increased attention to the historic economio and cultural a-specits. In tfi-ese respects the new syllabus is fairty adequate, but it is q-un-te a must alie to supposo that the oliange- ir-oin tiie old'to tne- new will-: be as great as Fiome people- suppose, tor many teaciieus wito have been- alive to tne- changing time s realised the necessity lor tne changing scn-col and anticipated the -new syllabus. The new syllabus, they knew well, was icng overdue. They realis-ed mat it. was a question not so mnuii dealing with, a change, of subjects a,., a change in the stress to be laid upon these -subjects to meat the new ideals. They made their arithmetic- more practical, more everyday, more human. They endeavoured to bung English to its proper locus, and wen? untiring in their eifouts to create a’ove of Eng.isli literature-. They were fully alive to the necessity for purity, of speech and framed exercises dealing with these, long before- the Department ell cam t of issuing its special pamphlet in speech, training. Amidst all the talk about freedom of -the child, the Mentesse-ri, system and Dalton j/.aiis, they knew that there was -an inner lyee-do-m as well as on outer freedom, and the former was -the one that mattered. for. properly motivated, theiein lav the ge-rms of morality and character. They realised that the child, as an individual. must be considered, that the proper kind of freedom must be allowed full play. They captured thru spirit of tbo age. Arithmetic they made more practical, geography .no re national They made a new tiling c-f drawing and the appreciation of the colour sense. Thev made use of music and the gramophone to stimu-Lnite further the sense of beauty. They did nab make the mistake of vaguely trying to cultivate the imagination, for they realised fully that imagination is manv-faceted; but they tank various subjects, as literature and music and cultivated love and appreciation in -these fields, making- their work purposeful, far-reaching and enriching. They further, in using the “heuristic” method, did not err by thinking that the pnoil should find out everything for Ivmself but -that he should be “led” to find out.