Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, MAY 26, 1919. PRIMARY EDUCATION OF COUNTRY CHILDREN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1919, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, MAY 26, 1919. PRIMARY EDUCATION OF COUNTRY CHILDREN.

REFERENCE was made in these columns the other day to the inadequacy of many of the playgrounds attached to country schoools. This, unfortunately, is but one of the many disadvantages under which country children labour. One of the most important problems to bo solved in connection with education in New Zealand is how to give country children as far as possible an equal chance with children in cities and large towns. A very important matte brought before the Nelson Board of Education at to day’s sitting was the appointment of three organising teachers for the Nelson education district. It was pointed out by the Minister or Education in' his lasi annual report that nearly one-thiil'd of the children of the Dominion are taught in sole-teacher or two-teacher schools, in which nearly all of the un certificated teachers are employed. And when it ifl "remembered that 29 per cent, of the adult teachers in the public schools are uncertificated and untrained, it will readily be seen what a serious matter this ia to tiho children of parents who make their homes in the backblocks. The Minister proposes to remedy this cvft, as far as possible, by bringing into operation the following reforms

1. The consolidation of small schools. 2. The establishment of model schools

for the training of inexperienced

teachers. 1 3. The appointment of experienced organising • teachers to supervise groups of small schools. 4. A fairer distribution of uncertifi-

cated teachers among town and

country schools. 5. The providing of increased facilities for the training of teachers. 6. Offering better inducements to young people to enter the teaching profession, here can be no doubt that many adjutages are to be gained by the condidation of small schools, but if this attempted on a large scale, parents ’ scholars will have to take a far wider ew of things than is generally the iso. In this connection the Dunedin tar recalls that at a recent meeting E country superintendents held at arisburg, Pennsylvania, Superintendent ee L. Driver, of Indiana, gave some jry interesting and valuable evidence i the question of "The Consolidation : Rural Schools.” Ten years ago Mr river became Superintendent of Schools r Randolph County, Indiana, At lat lime he was, as he himself says. ;ry much opposed to consolidation, e, however, became convinced that lis was the only plan by which conn- 1 y children could secure equal educaonal opportunities with their city mains, and he therefore gave it a ,ir trial, with the following results: i 1909 there were .within'the county 18 role-teacher schools, 7 itwo-teaober

schools, 2 three-teacher schools, and 1 six-teacVier school. In 1919 there are only 15 one-teacher schools, 2 two teacher schools, and 3 four-teachei schools, corresponding to our ordinary primary schools; while there aro no fewer than 15 district high schools. Instead of 141 schools within the

there are now only 35. Thesi are in every way thoroughly up to date, have a much larger roll number, and also a mudh higher percentage oi average attendance, while at the same time the cost is no greater. Over 3100 children are conveyed to and from school by means of horse vehicles, motor vans, etc. The duty of the organising teachers to be appointed by the Nelson Board of Education will be to supervise groups of small schools. Before taking up their first permanent appointment, young teachers will observe the worjr of experienced men and women. The matter has been forcibly put by a well known American educationist so far as primary education is conce”ned :—“Cities suffer less from the employment of untrained immature recruits than do the villages and country districts, which have to take the novices. Surely the intelligence of rural folk is as essential to the upbuilding, to the efficiency, and to the safety of democracy as is the intelligence of the city folk. There must be as competent and well-trained teachers in the country as in the cities.”