PROGRESS OF PUPILS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1158, 3 June 1870, Page 2

PROGRESS OF PUPILS.

Sib, — This is a great object of all teachers. There are, however, different opinions with respect to indications of beneficial progress ; and as parents are' sometimes very unreasonable, the good of the child is often sacrificed in order to satisfy their expectations. It is sometimes the case that a teacher has fco witness the blunting of the intellectual faculties of precocious young children by over exertion. Their parents are proud to show how fast they can learn ; and, not content with school lessons, they often urge on their children, till at last there is a break down, attended with illness, which is sometimes fatal. When first left to the management of a judicious teacher, scholars " who have had their faculties stimulated into premature activity," fall back in their classes ; while those who have hitherto been carefully educated, usually indicate great progress for some time after being placed in some insufficiently taught school. It takes some years in one place to test a teacher's skill. "A very common error among those who feel the value of education is that of beginning the intellectual school education too early. We believe that, as a general rule, the age of six is quite early enough for a child to begin to learn from books. " The mother is an educator of nature's appointment, and the firsfc. She has fche duty of drawing the senses and intellectual faculties of the infant into that gentle exercise which gives them vivacity without being attended by danger, and that of establishing the basis of regular and correcb moral habits. _ Before the period of school attendance, home is all in all ; thereafter ifc continues tb bear a great share in the duty. Parents may even serve to aid the business of school to a degree of which they have in general little conception. First: They may do much in the way of securing regular attendance. Second; They may strengthen the hands of a teacher by paying him proper respect. Compared with these objects, the mere superintendence of lessons given out to be learned at home is, though itself important, a trifle.*' ■-.''. The , excellence of the system adhered to in the tuition of Prince, Albert is very generally admired. The following quotation from his tutor's memorandum is apropos. " After I took him in charge, I need hardly say my chief occupation was to promote play and exercise in the open air—to tell stories, or explain pictures to my young charge. At six his regular lessons commenced. Afc firsfc only one hour a day -from his seventh to his ninth j year three hours — ; onev before, another after breakfast, and another in the afternoon. From his ninth to his eleventh year the time was extended to four hours." — Yours &c. r L. Wabd.