The Ensign. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1911. PRIMARY EDUCATION.

Mataura Ensign, 29 December 1911, Page 4

The Ensign. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1911. PRIMARY EDUCATION.

Many of those who have studied the syllabus of the primary schools of New Zealand are dissatisfied! with it. They are of opinion that the results likely to follow from a course of study such as it provides for will not he of a beneficial character. ' Teachers of much experience, who are obliged to work under it, are, in a considerable number of cases, not enamored of it. They believe that it is possible to impart a betteF and much more useful education to the youth of the Dominion by other and more common-sense methods. Among the teachers' who are dissatisfied with the syllabus is Mr F. J. Alley, headmaster of the Wharenui school, in Canterbury. "Mr Alley," to quote from the 'New Zealand Schoolmaster,' "is an enterprising teacher, original and enthusiastic, and wields a facile pen." We quite agree with this, more especially with the latter clause, far Mr Alley has recently published a pamphlet upon the subject of primary education in New Zealand, in which he proves his ability as a writer. The pamphlet is headed "Something Wrong Somewhere," and is a forceful indictment of the methods in vogue in New Zealand primary schools. Mr Alley wishes to psyohologise education, which he says we are still a long way from doing. We .have not harmonised our methods of teaching with the minds of the children. It has been found that children seem to lose their gift of imagination when they enter the primary school, and the system of teaching followed emphasises this loss. Mr Alley recognises that it is impossible "to treat education in the ideal, to psyehokigise our methods into complete 'harmony with a child's mind and body. Our children must receive a fair amount of bread and butter education before they leave school." Keeping these points in view, Mr Alley then discusses exhaustively the methods which he as a teacher considers preferable to those at present in existence. He claims that under present methods "not half our primary school children Teoeive sufficient education to enable them to take an intelligent interest in the great events of the day." Mr Alley claims that hi ssystem would alter this state of affairs. He would have children taught "the child language, the medium of expression," so that natural growth of mirnU would secure in a few years results that cannot be achieved by laborious work. Judgment and reason developed later in' a child's mind than imagination and memory do. Therefore the child should be guided in the development of his faculties along natural lines. The child of tender years must learn to write, but Mr Alley would give him only short and frequent lessons, refraining altogether from driving him in the belief that "quality will come naturally with the years." He would carry the principle of economy of effort through many of the standards, making readying the whole basis of education and especially encouraging silent reading as a means to cultivate the imagination and the sympathies. True language training brings into effect what Mr Alley describes as the law of increasing return. The more words and ideas a child acquires, he says, the faster becomes his progress. Every word adJded to his vocabulary brings others in its train with a constantly increasing speed. Under the existing system the imagination and feelings are starved owing to the virtual stoppage of language developments when a child of five years enters school. The evil of the system is that it compels him to spend two years in learning the symbols of words which he probably has used from his third year. Mr Alley would employ a vigorous pruning-knife on the school syllabus, with the idea of "beginning youth with the subject that harmonises most with a child's mind," and right through the system he would pursue the simplifying process. He concludes by saying that lie pleads for a system that will benefit those children who are obliged to leave school before they can take advantage of the secondary schools, for a system which will 'increase threefold the number of secondary scholars and send double the present number to the universities. Mr Alley has certainly contributed a very valuable treatise on a subject of paramount importance to the public. The cost of our Education Department is increasing enormously. Although no exception can be taken to that provided the full value of the money expended is being obtained, the feeling of doubt that there are leakages under our present syllabus and' methods generally is steadily growing. Considered opinions by acknowledged authorities on education will be welcomed by the public generally, but more especialy by those who have anything to do with administering the national system. Mr Alley's brochure is therefore most opportune and should be read by everyone interested in the subject—both parents and teachers.

The cocksfoot crop on the Peninsula .vill be very late this season, and it is expected to be quite the middle of January before any cutting is done. At 9 o'clock this morning the radio station at Wellington advised as follows:—"The Moeraki, Manuka aiid ttuahine will probably be within wireless range this evening." 12.45 p.m.: "The Corint'hic will be within wireless range this evening." •'A distinct shock of earthquake was felt at Gore shortly before 10 o'clocklast evening. A report from Dunedin states that two shocks lasting about 15 seconds were felt there about the same time. A defendant at Kaipoi on Wednesday assured the stipendiary magistrate that a party of four, of which he was one, cleared £9 16s in a week netting whitebait, and that the same party had divided £7, £6, and £o per week each when the catch was good. A cablegram received from London by a Hastings sharebroker of the Hawke's Bay Leather Rubber Company is of a highly encouraging nature. It states that the rights of the invention have been sold for a very large sum, and that a deposit of £IO,OOO has been paid. The sale is subject to a satisfactory trial of the process. Prizes for the best essays and impressions on "Hamlet" are offered in Auckland by the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., management in connection with the H. B. Irving season. For school children under 16 years of age, prizes of £2 2s and £1 Is will be given, and for students over 16, £3 3s and £2 2s. Contributions must be sent in not later than Friday, January 9. An estimate of the damage by the recent earthquake at Cheviot shows a total loss for the district of approximately £IOOO. In this amount is included the repairing and replacing of 100 chimneys. The damage by the shock was local, so much so that a narrow belt running in a straight line down the Caverhill Valley through Mackenzie to Monoti, a distance of about six miles, contained most of the damaged area. Mr W. H. Field writes to the Horowhenua 'Chronicle' as follows: "I was sorry to learn when at Manukau that some of my supporters were withdrawing their custom from certain tradesmen at Levin who had opposed me at the recent election. It will be remembered that when speaking after the poll, I expressed the strongest hope that all bitterness engendered by the struggle would soon be subdued. Though readily understanding that some feeling must necessarily exist for a time after such a contest, I trust that there will be, nevertheless, no disturbance of the business relations existing prior thereto.

A few days ago the 'Taranaki Herald' recorded that a boot importer in New Plymouth had suffered serious loss from pillagers among goods imported from Home. It was then supposed that the thieving had been done at the London docks, and this may be so. The fact remains, however, that pilfering doesl exist in New Zealand, and even in Taranaki. A New Plymouth firm of wine and spirit merchants despatched! four cases of whisky to Otakeho last week. They were railed to Hawera, thence to their destination by carrier. Every one of the four cases was opened, and) in all five bottles extracted. The manager of tho firm states that such a thing happens in New Zealand every day. In addition to the lengthy list of lands divided in 1908 among the South Island natives, under the South Island Landless Natives' Act, 1906, principally in the Southland land district, a further acreage of land has been allotted to several families, some of which families were recently placed in possession of pretty wide areas. A family of 20, named "Bates, receive grants totalling 848 acres; a family named Thomas, of 25, receive among them 760 acres; eleven, named Clough, receive 490 acres; and 17 Flints receive 610 acres, which are blocks, if the families should agree, on which possibly some farming operations could be conducted. The list shows that in the matter of acres—for every native in the South Island is provided with 50 acres for each man, woman, and child—there has b£en a liberal allowance made. Whether the land is capable of profitable working is another matter. The record load of wool, 144 bales, was brought into Carterton by Johnson Bros.' traction plant the other evening (states the 'Carterton News'). There were five waggons piled with bales and one Burrell engine hauling. The wool was gathered up by two engines and assembled at Johnson Bros.' yards at Parkvale, and hauled) from there to the railway station, Carterton. Taking the average bale as weighing 4001b., the weight of the wool was 57,6001b., or approximately 25£ tons. Working out [ the value of the wool at lOd per lb. the | total arrived at is £2400. This sum is divided among four local settlers —and then "cockies" say farming does not pay. The wool was hauled into Carterton between 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening, and the whole five waggons were unloaded on to railway trucks and the engine on the road home by 7.30 p.m. Traction power for wool haulage is certainly a long way ahead' of horse haulage. It is quicker and far more satisfactory to all concerned.

Dealing editorially with the political situation, the 'Farmers' Union Advocate' saye:—"The Premier, it seems to us, has only two courses which he can take.: (1) Hand in his resignation and recommend his Excellency to send for Mr Massey, or (2) call Parliament together and resign. If he is wise he will not await a no-confidence motion. It is clear he cannot command a majority, nor can the other party. That naturally is not Sir Joseph Ward's business; it is the function of the members as a whole, so whatever views Sir Joseph has for the future he- must resign. The one thing that the Government party said could never happen, viz., that Mr Massey would ever come into power, is going to happen. When he does so, we hope to see him bring down a Land Bill for the first thing. There will then be no chance for the faint-hearted to vote against it, and say it was a noconfidenoe motion. In this case it will be a Bill, and if they vote against it, they would forfeit the confidence of the electors for all time. We must, however, wait and see.''

The death is announced of Captain Torlesse, superintendent at HJieen.css (states a Linden Press A«s:x:iutioii cable). He was a son oi the late Rev. Torlesse, of Christchurch. j A caller at the Geraldine oiiicc. of the Temuka 'Leader' reports having seen a white sparrow up Gapes' Valley ivay. It appears to have made its home about there for «ime little time, and tuo 'Leader' expresses the >iojk/ that it may be allowed to live a happy lite, free and unmolested. A white sparrow is truly a rarity, but visitors to Gore during the last few days have been surprised and astonished at tho sight of sparrows varying in hue from a deep purple to red and including sky blue. Strangely enough, the sparrows who have the good fortune to be allowed to celebrate Christmas in their normal brown feathers will have nothing to do with their gaudy brethren who seem most unhappy in their splendid solitude. For instance, a group of chattering brown sparrows feeding on the roadside disperses immediately on the appearance of a blue brother'or a purple sister, accompnnied iierhaps by an ancient and ]>erturbed aunt disguised as a canary. It almost needless to explain that the apparently festive sparrows have been dyed—in this instance with a sheep marking substance, by the employees of one of the local business houses. Gentlemen on holiday bent should see tho stock which is Iteing shown by Thomson and Bcattie, comprising Cycling and Walking Knickers from 14s 6d, Golf Hose from 4s 6d. Soft Tennis Shirts with collars from -Is, and an extra special line of Rain Coats at 25s 6d and 29s 6d—worth 3os 6d to 39s Gd. ] Board wanted in country. Bag containing purse lost. Cottages to let at Riverton. Funeral of son of Air and Airs Bates! on Sunday. ; Time is flying—get a bicycle from ! Christie Bros. j Great value in wedding presents nt I A. Christie's. | Aloeting at Wa'ikaka on January oi ro school excursion. I To those about to be engaged or I married: Read Baker s advertisement;' it will interest you; lie is the man vou j should visit. ' |