EDUCATION METHODS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 161, 27 June 1930, Page 4

EDUCATION METHODS

NEW OUTLOOK IN SCHOOLS. CHARACTER BUILDING. iPer Pratt Anooistlon.l Wellington, June 27. Methods of instruction in both primary and secondary schools received thorough attention at the conference of inspectors and deparmcntal heads in Wellington. Referring to the general question of efficiency in schools in a statement upon tho conference yesterday, the Director of Education, Mr T. B. Strong, said the position of tho schools in relation to the teaching of spelling, writing and individual reading was discussed and an examination made of the results of certain tests prepared by the department in regard to these subjects. For some time past the department had been engaged in preparing standardised tests in order that promotion of pupils from class to class should be made on a uni form basis throughout New Zealand schools. The preparation of these tests demanded careful consideration and they could only bo adopted after tney had been applied experimentally in a large number of- schools. The tests would presently be issued and they would serve as a guide to teachers in their classification of pupils. SHEDDING TRADITION. "The conference agreed that every encouragement should be given to teachers to depart from traditional methods of teaching and traditional schemes of organisation,’’ the director said. "It was considered, however, that any new schemes should bo carefully examined and their adoption not approved unless it was certain that they would not be deleterious to tfie progress of the pupils. It was recognised that the interest of the child must como first.’’ The director expressed disappointment at so little progress having been made in the introduction of new methods, and he desired inspectors to give teachers all tho freedom that the new syllabus held out to them. Inspectors, he said, were of course responsible to the department, and to the education boards for maintaining the efficiency of the schools alloted to them; but at the same time it was quite possible that the adoption of new methods would prove invigorating if not inspiring to both teachers and pupils, and more valuable results might be expected from a 'departure from traditional procedure. CHARACTER-TRAINING. Mr Strong emphasised the danger of assessing the efficiency of a school or the efficiency of an individual teacher by measurable results. It was, he considered, quite possible for the inspectors to form a reliable judgment as to the teacher’s capacity in developing the character of his pupils. Character-training, he said, was tho principal function of the teacher. On this depended the future advancement of the Dominion. He felt sure that with success in character-train-ing would cams also nroficieucy in tho ordinary subjects of instrne-ion. To emphasise eharactor-trnirinr was not to accept a lower standard of attainment in intellectual accompi’shmcrts.