PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Thirty-ninth Year of Publication ESTABLISHED 1875 Manawatu Daily Times TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1914.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12806, 2 June 1914, Page 4

PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Thirty-ninth Year of Publication ESTABLISHED 1875 Manawatu Daily Times TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1914.

THERE appears to he much to be said in favour of tlie Montessori system of teaching, recently referred to by the Hon. J. Allen, if it is conceded that the aim of education ought to be to teach the child to think and develop its faculties, not merely to cram its mind with a mass of facts. The New South Wales Government has been making enquiries in regard to this system, and Miss Simpson, reporting to Government the results of her investigation of the system in Rome, says:—"Each child is doing his own growing; he is doing the thing in hand himself, not sitting still and seeing it done by the teacher, as is so often the case in class teaching." She says she has never seen m ro diligent and orderly children than those of the Montessori schools in Rome and elsewhere. This testimony is particularly valuable as coming from an experienced educationalist, who has studied the new system on the spot. Instead of being cooped up in desks and working in obedience to the teacher's will, the children move about freely, choose what they wish to do, and do it for only just as long as they please, but the teacher's help is always available when needed. The process approaches somewhat of the nature of developing instinct rather than intelligence—the method of the bee more than that of the student —but it would seem to be a thorough success. Tables and chairs are

substituted for fixed desks, and theee can be moved about at will, so that a child need not remain in 0110 position longer than he is inclined. This is a distinct advance 011 the old method, j which invariably produced langour ' and weariness, and it lias the great I ! advantage of bringing out the trend of each child's particular predeliction. A child will certainly become far j more interested in whatever he fan- | cies than in those things which are

forced upon his notice. This individual learning is one of the best points of the system, as no two children are alike, and the class system has been responsible for many failures. Dr. Montessori, as may be expected, ; speaks very highly of her system. She says that the most astonishing results have been obtained in reading and writing, as well as in all other subjects, zest and eagerness prevailing. Not only do they progress more rapidly than under any other system, but they do so without mental fatigue or strain. If this result is achieved with infants, there is no rea-

soil why it should not bo equally sue- ' cessful with the more advanced learners. THE members of Feilding A. and P. Association are to be commended for their advocacy of residential Agricultural High Schools. The . one thing necessary to complete our education system is to specialise in instruction bearing upon our great primary producing industries. Hitherto far too much attention has been paid to purely technical schools to the neglect of agriculture, yet it is unquestionable that the great majority of the children will in their future lives be occupied in country pursuits. It would pay this country well to furnish facilities in every country district for thorough instruction in agricultural work, and in the occupations allied to the primary producing. In this connection we are glad to note that the members paid high tribute to the excellence of the educational work done by Mr 0. A. Banner, Agricultural Instructor. Mr Banner well deserved the compliment, not only for his conduct of the Almadale Camp, but for | his general work in imparting information as to the most scientific and effective methods of making the land yield its wealth. WE recently published a number of facts which showed that in England and other parts of the world the improved motor buses are rapidly putting the tram cars out of business, and these facts are interesting to residents of Palmerston, because a few have been trying to induce the ratepayers to run into debt to establish an obsolete system of traction. We ob- • serve that in our near vicinity the tramway services are having similarly disastrous experiences. At a recent meeting of Karori Borough Council the members discussed the fact that ■ the Kelburne Motor Bus Company 's vehicles had caused a serious reduction of the revenue from the tramways. To endeavour to compete with the more convenient and expeditious motor buses the Council decided to ■ issue concession tickets on the tramways. This, of course, means less revenue if it is effective in reducing the traffie by the motor buses, but it is more than probable that the public will continue to use the more popular service.

THE manner in which a well-managed Company can improve its position 1 after the shock of a period of commercial disaster is well illustrated by the experience of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. Many settlers will remember the experiences of this enterprising Company some years ago, and they would be glad to notice from recent cables that it continues to prosper and is now paying dividends. It is an > institution in which many settlers are 1 interested because of its wide business Connecticut and the bright outlook for it 3 shareholders will be gratifying to a very large number. It is fairly obvious that this Company is wellmanaged. and no doubt much of its success is due to the energy and ability of its staff. It is very satisfactory, indeed, to see New Zealand commercial enterprises flourishing, as this greatly adds to public confidence.