OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12647, 6 January 1904, Page 2

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.

% : ■ 3EWBg? [press j NELSON. Tnesdav; .1. ' At the New Zealand Educational In-* stitnte meeting, the President (Hr ‘A. Hughes), in his address, said our edu-’ - ‘. cation’ system had been in operation ’ , for about a quarter oi a century, and . the question was. How far has it cfis- 4' ciently performed its office of training > citizens? He believed that an error 1 Jihad been made hi supposing that finality could be attained in The system was ambit ions and hensire, and they boasted of it m a ■ self-complacent way. Con**qßenUy,'H while the curriculum of English! and ! other elementary schools had been«n- ,] riched from year to year by jndiciou reforms to meet altered conditions, we - had fed jealously guarded our syllabus as sacred- Memory knowledge! bad crane to be regarded a® education- Examinations, though valuable, were attended by evils. They might Measure learning, but not virtue, wisdom, and good- - ness. In addition to the evils of the eompetitive examination in the past, the animal examination and its attendant percentage' Of passes generated and fostered false afi'J meretricious ideals, and left a legacy that Still crippled some of our best efforts. It was also charged against the system that through want of thoroughness in our teaching the power of concentration and the_ habit of strenuous work were not acquired in our schools. By following natural methods we could and ought to make learning pleasant, as far as possible, hot still real application was needed. He . feared that there was in oar schools s growing inclination to team only what was pleasant. He spoke of technical

education, and pointed out that in Germany and America technical education was not allowed to interfere with the general training afforded in primary schools. It was relegated to its proper place, the higher technical school, which pupils entered after they hadpassed through, not the primary, bat the secondary school cOnrse- Combination mid excellent manual training schools were provided for youths after leaving school, and attendance _ was compulsory. Another defect pointed out was the absence of religious teaching. Much, however, had been done indirectly, and in future direct, if incidental, ethical training was provided for. He Iktieved that if nature study were made the basis of onr lessons on objects, much more could be done to develop and awaken the interest and cultivate the sympathy and higher natnre of the child- With the new year

we were promised a comprehensive System for the training of teachers, and eM all improvements none was so important as the . securing of a supply of able and skilful teachers. The institute would welcome $ reform winch it had consistently fought for'.- He referred to : the German teacher, who possessed absolute security of tenure, and was entitled to a pension after ten years’ serand, like the English certificated teacher, to a full pension at 65. He was moderately paid, and enjoyed a good social status. To attract teachers of high character' and ability inducements must be offered,- and he thought

that the finest- opportunity to attract was missed when the teachers’ superannuation scheme was shelved.' Speaking generally of the new syllabus, he said the aim of the new curriculum would be to develop the mental famities of the child. Its object was to abolish mechanical teaching, and its • methods were those of learning by doing and of stimulating self-activity in the child- Under it the development of the intellectual power of the efiik? should become the ultimate aim of the" teacher, and the acquisition of knowledge of facts of secondary importance. Thoroughness in a lew things was better than a speaking acquaintance with many. Inspection and examination would, under snch a system, need to be exceedingly efficient, otherwise thoroughness and genuine study would be . sacrificed to desultory attempts to tenth too much, or in such a way that the re- < snltant system would be about as com- ■

plete as a marriage ceremony in which the bride was absent. He was core* vinced that to put education On a sound basis, especially in our isolated schools, it would be necessary to appoint permanent competent organising Inspectors. Each should have charge of a district, and co-operate with the teachers in working out satisfactory schemes of instruction on the spot. He felt sure the council would discuss the new syllabus, if it decided to do so, from a broad standpoint, as an honest effort to grapple with a very difficult problem in an intelligent and thoughtful way. He believed that if their legislators had a clear conception of the ratal importance of education they would forthwith commit the preparation of a national education programme to a small and select body of men, who, with the officials, would be likely to

deal with the matter in a scientific manner, without prejudice, mindful only of the paramount responsibilities of the State, and of the certainty that unless those responsibilities were met, serf® ons harm would result to the children of the colony. A national system was one in which primary, secondary, and university education were co-ordinated, so that there might be no cul de sac for the gifted child. The address was well received, and the president was heartily thanked for it.