THE STANDARD SYSTEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12282, 28 May 1903, Page 7

THE STANDARD SYSTEM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.— Premier, in his speech at Hamilton, is reported to have said that the instruction in primary school's is not satisfactory, and that it should bo conducted more on the principles of preparing children for what they would have to do when they leave school. I do not see, as some m your correspondents appear to do, that this "can refer to any particular methods in teaching reading; in fact, it is every year becoming more apparent that the standard system does not fulfil the present requirements. A good proof of this was afforded at the examinations of the schools of mines held throughout New Zealand in December last. In all the schools of mines it was the same experience, that the students had not known enough on their entrance to be able to take advantage of the excellent instruction afforded. Tho result was that at the examinations many of the students did not attempt to answer the questions, and those who did so attempted for the most part only one or two subjects. The standard system is altogether too literary, and properly belongs to a past age. It is found in the schools of mines that the time that should be devoted to the actual work of the school has to be spent in teaching simple arithmetical calculations, in explaining the A.BO of algebra, or of the mechanical powers, and in imparting by frequent repetition the simple reactions of chemical elements. And the same want of a supply of proper students will be found to bo the case in other technical schools; for technical education is the application of scientific principles to tho operation of different trades and manufactures. Of course the supply of pupils to the technical schools will mainlv come from tho primary schools, and it is in these schools that the preparatory instruction in science and in mathematics must take place. Young minds cannot be hurried, they must have time to assimilato the instruction and to acquire by repeated experiments the full meaning of scientific term*. If the technical schools are to succeed, the elementary instruction in chemistry, mechanics, and geometry must be begun when *he children pass the fourth standard. It is in the two years of the fifth and sixth standards that the time is lost, and it is during these years that the children should be specially trained to think and reason. Now, it appears to me that the first step is to have those taught in one school' who pass the fourth standard from several schools, and that the syllabus should be so altered that 15 hours a week at least should be devoted to elementary chemistry, elementary mechanics, geometry, geography, and drawing, and the remaining ten to English and arithmetic or algebra. I think it will bo only fair if any indirect ways arc proposed for the promotion of the study of science, that tho efforts already made by able and energetic man to accomplish that object should be fully recognised, and also that the complete failure of these attempts should be duly considered.—l am, etc., James Adams.