CHRISTIAN SOCIAL UNION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12934, 30 September 1902, Page 6

CHRISTIAN SOCIAL UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the) Christchurch Branch of the Christian Social Union took place yesterday. Holy Communion was oelebrated at 10 a.m. at tie Cathedral, while at 7.15 p.m., at St John's, a service was held, -at which Archdeacon Scott preached. A meeting was afterwards held in St John's Schoolroom, when the subject, " Educational reform)," was discussed. The Rev R. A. Woodfchorpe, dn moving " That this meeting endorses the action of the Union in advocating a scientific study of education," said that the subject of education was receiving more attention in every community, and researchers were making inquiries into a rational system- of education. It had been weE said, and had been proved by experience, that to open the school meant to close the gaol. The educator tried to do for the child that which, the child would wish to effect for itself if its faculties would permit. Professor Huxley had said' that education was the development of the whole nature of a child. For the first five years of its life, a child was educated by the training it had to undergo, and these five years were the most important in its development. From six to fourteen years of age, a child was educated in mastering the technique of knowledge. At the present time, a child was educated! in the five co-ordinated groups of study. There Was, however, a, modern tendency to train the child in manual and technical work. Nothing ought to be allowed in a primary school which should minimise the idea that the school was an instrument of culture, and on this ground the introduction of manual and technical work would be a mistake. There should be more moral training in- the school, and the intellectual a/nd moral training would react upon each other. The Bible was one of the most effective instruments for raising the ideals of the people, and he believed the Bible should be introduced in a form adapted to the conditions of the children. The New Zealand education 6ystem was not entirely satisfactory, and there was a want of a scientific study of education. There was an education system and 'an Education Department, but we had nothing like a living tradition of thought that would penetrate the entire system. The New Zealand University was simply am examining body, while tie University Colleges stopped their work where they should begin. Many of our difficulties would be solved if we had a University like some of those in America; and, failing that, we wanted a professor of education. New Zealand would never break away from the old methods of education until we had developed a keen interest in the scientific study of education.

Dean Harper, in seconding the motion, said that ie regretted the fact that the spirit of the Union had not got hold of the public mind to the extent it should. Dealing with higher education, he said that at Canterbury College there was apparent a tendency to over-specialisation. There was a department in the College which was deservedly popular. It was presided over by a keen, able professor, backed ,up by able assistants. It had a great deal of money spent upon it, and it was a department which was attracting a great number of students. Tie danger, however, seemed to be that the idea of a university which ought to include the whole course of culture was being largely lost sight of, and there was a tendency to push back into the background the classics and general literature, or that kind of education which was supposed to refine and elevate the mind, nnd l to bring into far greater prominence that special study of electricity and engineering. He had not a word to say against those studies, and' be could 1 not help thinking that one of the attractive elements in that particidar department in Canterbury College was due largely to the fact that parents and young men naturally felt that at would) be better to take up ,a study which would pay. At the meeting of the Board- of Governors held that day it iad been unanimously decided that an exhibition should 'be awarded- for tiose wio were studying Greek—(applause)—and' ie ioped that the day was yet distant wien we should] see that these colleges were devoting themselves only to practical subjects such as electricity andi engineering. What heHhought the aim of tie university education siould be .was to combine general culture witi, of course, some special training so as to give a student a mastery over some one particular subject. He was rather disposed to think ; that there was too much reading done by people nowadays, and perhaps too much instruction given froml books, and that tie weak spot in our educational system was tiat we did not teaci sufficiently our students and scholars to think.

Mr 0. E. Bevan-Brown said he would like to see established] in the New Zealand colleges not only a. Professor of Psychology and Pedagogy, but also a professor who should be looked upon as the highest professor of all, a Professor of Moral Science or Ethics. Touching- upon the remarks of the Dean as to the study of engineering at Canterbury College, he said l that in our present confused state of education we had in our university colleges to provide for a number of wants, which in a. highly developed place like Germany were provided for by other institutions. The best method of education, for us was the method which ■would approximate most closely to the ideal, suited best to the men who had to do the training and the boys who had to receive it.

Mr T. Hughes said' that in every school there should be some direct ethical training as well as mental. He supported the motion.

After a little further discussion, the motion was carried, and a vote of thanks was passed to the Rev A. C. Hoggins for his services to tihe Union.