LATIN IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14644, 1 April 1911, Page 8

LATIN IN SCHOOLS.

SUBJECTS OF MORE VALUE. TEACHERS TO REPORT. ; f>* TELEGRAM*. — ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Friday. ' At the meeting of the Wellington College Governors to-day Mr. R. Lee proposed the following motions:—(l) That the principal of the Boys* College and thti lady principal of the Owls' College ', be asked to report 'on the advisability or otherwise of confining Latin classes to pupils who are approved by them, and who will remain long enough in Latin classes to gain a 'really useful knowledge of the language; (2) that suggestion be made by the principals as to what subjects should be substituted for' Latin, and what changes, if any, would be necessary; in the staffing of college. • ■ ■ ■ ■, 1, ; J In * support of his resolution Mr. Lee 'said that a training in modern languages would be of gieater service in after life, and more could be done in the same time in that direction than in obtaining a small smattering of Latin. He • had known parents 1 in the back country who had sent their sons to college to "top off" their education, and these boys, who had taken Latin too, had returnad not only with a mere smattering of that language but a lamentable weakness in their mother tongue. '*'•■ Mr. Ward, an ex-master at the Roys' College, opposed the : motion, urging that when a" I pupil had completed a course in Latin he had had a training in mental ; gymnastics, v and had had all, his logical faculties developed, and broadened. As a direct : result he would : ; become a' better citizen. The effect of such training would remain for years after the particular. lessons themselves had all ; been forgotten,' and . many ; years afterwards some benefit would result from such a training of the mmd and reasoning faculties. .The resolution was carried. <"':