AUCKLAND, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1868.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1434, 22 June 1868, Page 2

AUCKLAND, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1868.

The grammar school will doubtless before long be commenced under some management or other. Whether the intentions of the original Act will be carried out may depend upon whether Sir Greorge Arnej may consent to nominate three gentlemen from the general community, to be associated with, the Superintendent and TSxecutive and the Speaker of the Council, in acting as trustees and managers. It may be that lie will not, and if his refusal to do so should lead to a better composition of the Board, we shall not regret it. It may appear to him, as we believe it has appeared to many, that there exists in this arrangement too large a political combination—that in fact such an arrangement, at some time, might lead to such a combination that the three independent members of the Board would be altogether overruled. It is advisable that no such, suspicion of possible collusion should exist, ajid we should, therefore, have been better pleased if the Board had been constituted as follows: The Superintendent, the Speaker of the Council, and five members appointed by the Judge. We believe that such an arrangement wouldbe more satisfactory to thepublic Having come to this position, the questions of the education to be pursued in it, and of the teachers who are to conduct it, are of the highest possible importance. The interests of the rising generation, the fathers of the men who will for the future have to govern this country, are bound up in this grammar school. We ought to consider that it will, or should be, the in;rsery and training grouud of our lawyers, ; magistrates, legislators, and in'.-" •'• ■ •<;. We ought to take a high view o!'.:;.•:.i-ucafcion, and, laying aside the exigencies ct' party, take our first steps with care and discretion, lest we commence in a wrong direction. - Whether the Government will advertise for a head and other masters or not we are not in a position to say, but we believe the applications for the head mastership of the Nelson College, lately vacant, were very numerous, thug show-ing that there are at least many gentlemen to be obtained who consider themselves qualified for so onerous and responsible a post. The public schools at home now command the highest talent in the country; our meaus will naturally circumscribe our choice, but it must be remembered that the schools to which we refer have been able to obtain the services of distinguished men, through the well-directed- labors of skilled and highly efficient teachers raising the status of the schools. Vigorous head masters,

aided by able assistants, have in many cases raised the character, numbers, and emoluments of a school in a very remarkable manner. The Auckland grammar school ought to be commenced iu such a spirit as this. It is to be a public school, aided by public money, aud the education to be obtained in it, and the numbers attending it, ought to he far superior to what is attainable in the present schools of the place. If a much higher standard of education cannot be attaiued, why waste the public money in merely propping up an ordinary daily school ? "We take it for granted, therefore, that the funds will not be wasted in any such manner, but that every effort will be made to have the best obtainable masters. But there is a deficiency in connection with the higher education of this colony which requires to be met, viz., there is no independent and satisfactory testing of results by examination. There may be a half-yearly examination by the teachers, who will naturally not attempt to discover the depth of a pupil's ignorance, but simply ask a few questions which can be easily answered. Little boys, in reality very ignorant, may he made to appear prodigies of learning by a safe oral examination of this character, conducted by the master. They will know everything they are asked, because they will bo asked nothing but what the masters are very certain they know, and vrhether the knowledge be digested and likely to be retained, or whether it is simply the result of cram and will soon he lost, is another question. Hence we consider it of the most vital importance that an independent halfyearly or yearly paper examination of the boys in the grammar school should be held, and the results published. It is well-known that recently the Oxford and local examinations, as they are called, have done an enormous service in raising the character of middle-class examination in England. The superior education given by the highly trained masters in the national schools of the country, called attention to the lamentable inefficiency of the grammar and private schools. The two Universities initiated a system of examination, by dividing England into certain districts, and each year sending down an examiner to each district, all with the same printed questions to be answered in writing. The answers are all collected and forwarded to the University, when; they are examined, and lists of the boys extmined are made out in order of merit, and these results are published. Each school examined is thus brought to a fair test. Its position relatively to other schools is ascertained, its deficiencies known, rivalry and emulation and a very much improved examination is the result, for sham examinations are of no avail in the face of this crucial and impartial teat. If no other means could be adopted, we would recommend that the University of Svdney be requested to frame questions and undertake the duty of examining the answers. The questions could be sent to some official of standing here, and arrangement* made that would prevent any unfairness in any way. Of the nature of the education we ought to give we have before spoken. It must not he confined to the antiquated system in vogue two hundred years ago. Present requirements must he met. There is now a vast change being consummated in the English great public schools. A man grossly ignorant of his own language and literature, of common arithmetic and so forth, but able to make Latin and Greek verses, is no longer looked upon as an educated man. Probably the examination for the civil service in India, for the magistrates, and judges, and proconsuls there, is the highest type of a fitting education for a gentleman and a high official. The following is the yalue set in that examination on each subject:—lfor English language, literature, composition, and history, 1500 marks are given; for language, literature, and history of Greece and Rome, each 750 • and for the language and literature_ of France, Germany, and Italy, each 375 ; mathematics, 1,250; natural science, 500; logic, 500; Sanscrit and Arabic, each 375. It is thus seen that the English language and literature is no longer thrust 'into an ignoble position, while Latin and Greek usurp the posts of honor •; English obtains 1,500 marks, Latin and Greek each only one-half of that number. Probably this statement will be convincing to those, if any, among us, who are wedded to the old and effete system of higher edu-

cation. There are two other things we must mention. "We trust that the school will not be allowed to be a place where little boys are sent to learn the merest rudiments, . and so lower the tone and efficiency of the school. They should n.ot be admitted m the school under a certain age, not placed too high, and they might probably be tested by examination. This latter would not only make the grammar schoel more highly thought of, but it would improve preparatory schools. The other point to which we allude is that of scholarships or exhibitions. We should be glad to see free education provided in the shape of exhibitions for a few boys; and a reduction of fees for others, while at the annual examination to which we have referred, prizes should be given in the sbape of silver medals, and nicely bound , books. Having provided a high-class education for boys, what, we may ask, are we to do for the girls ? This is a most important point. If a vast deal in the character of a inan, both mental.and moral, be derived from Ids mother, surely wo must do something toward securing a really good education for the future mothers of our country. The j education of girls, though of the very highest importance, has been greatly neglected even in England. It is now too frequently either a mere piece of rote work, or confined to a smattering of what are curiously called accomplishments. Dense ignorance too frequently is tho result. The funds of this trust, if properly managed, would enable the trustees to found r a first-claas girls School, and this would be of inestimable advantage to the country. We merely throw out the hint itowrand may refer to it oxi another occasion.