NEW SCHOOL SYLLABUS OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6867, 23 March 1929, Page 8

NEW SCHOOL SYLLABUS OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES

SCOPE FOR ORIGINALITY. A few words upon the opportunities offered by the new school syllabus were uttered by Mr. N. T. Lambourne, late senior inspector of the Wanganui Education board, when .being farewelled by Manawatu teachers yesterday. ! “We have been working now for 50 years on a system of education but have come to a point when we have to decide whether we shall go on as we ' have been doing, or take a different direction.” he said. “People have notj' been satisfied with that system, although deeply indebted to those who promoted it but it is just possible that it has reached its maximum value and should be replaced by something else.”.: The now syllabus, the speaker con- ( i tinued, had two district features. First- • 1 ly, there was tho freedom it offered to ( < teachers and secondly, the provision it < ] made for the child to express its in- 1 dividuality. He had urged teachers to make the fullest use of tho freedom! they wero being given to show their,' own originality and try their ownl methods. They should use the syllgbusj as a guide but not as something which . they must follow rigidly. : r As regards the individuality of the j pupil, a great deal remained to be done r but he hoped that the future would j offer better facilities than the past had ' c :lone. He felt sure all teachers would c :lo the best they could, not only for J their classes as a whole but al.so for s :he individual members of it. He had f icon them doing it and knew they e vould continue to do so. 1