TEMPERANCE TEACHING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9240, 18 December 1888, Page 5

TEMPERANCE TEACHING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

VIEWS OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington", Monday. The controversy which appears to have been raging in the Auckland district as to Dr. Richardson's Temperance Losson-book, and in the instruction to be given in terms of the syllabus during one hour a-week upon a special subject, has come before the Government in a definite form, and the Minister of Education has expressed an opinion, in which he supports the views of certain School Committees which are opposed to those of the Auckland Board of Education. The question has arisen in this way. The Education Board, I learn, issued quite recently a circular addressed to the Chairmen of School Committees in thoir districts, enjoining those education bodies to request of masters and teachers in their schools to devote the hour intended for instruction in special subjects to a temperance lesson instead. Mr. Wheeler, the Chairman of the Tamahere School Committee, received one of these circulars in duo course. Tamahere is a puroly agricultural district, and I would infer from Mr. Wheeler's statement that in his school this particular hour was devoted to instruction in. agricultural chemistry in a practical way. The chairman of the Tamahere School proceeds to draw the attention of the Education Department to the circular of the Auckland Board of Education. He represents that it is extremely unfair (speaking in the interests of the children of an agricultural district) to deprive the scholars of valuable instruction which is in strict accordance with the syllabus, in order that one or two members of the Board should have their way. Without impugning the value of Dr. Richardson's book, he appears to think that temperance is best taught by the force of example, and when once established as a habit, there is little need of lesson books to recommend it. He considers it unfortunate that a controversial subject should be forced upon the acceptance of the local committee. There was nothing observable in the habits of the people of the district to sugsrest that a temperance lesson was necessary. Moreover, this one hour a week, which could be given to scientific instruction, is the more valuable because it is the only time devoted wholly to a practical and objective form of instruction, instead of to speculative scientific dogmas, which may be very well in their proper place, and when applied to a specific purpose. Mr. Wheeler asks the Minister, through the Department of Education, to say whether it is proper or expedient that the way in which this particular hour is to be used should be dictated by the Central Board, regardless of the requirements of the district. I understand that the Minister of Education has replied to the letter of the chairman of the Tamahere committee, endorsing Mr. Wheeler's views upon the general question. At the same time, he thinks that the matter will ultimately be settled by the Board on the particular issue raised. The Hon. Mr. Fisher informs his correspondent that ho proposes to extend as far as possible the results already obtained from technical instruction, which makes it the more necessary that this particular hour of the week should be devoted to the particular purpose intended by the syllabus.