PRIMARY EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19939, 7 May 1928, Page 11

PRIMARY EDUCATION.

SYLLABUS REVIEWED.

w any important changes.

•FULLER AND RICHER WORK."

DETAIL FOR YOUNG TEACHERS. BY M. H. MOON (President Auckland Educational Institute). Although the draft copy of the new primary school syllabus was released only a few days ago, it has many times been cursorily reviewed, and many econiums have been passed upon it. There is no doubt that, being fuller and richer and nsore in keeping with the spirit of the times, it should lead to far better results than its predecessor. Until the publication of the appendices, and until further information is forthcoming as to the intention of the Minister of Education and his department along certain lines, the discussion of such subjects as the proposed Standard VII. and the dove-tailing of the \rork of the primary schools with that of the secondary schools, might well be deferred. Finance will enter largely into the question, for if the problem is to be adequately dealt with, many schools similar to our two junior high in Auckland and to our district high schools must be established. At first sight the syllabus appears to be overloaded, for 30 pages of prescription of work are replaced by 50. The extra pages are to be accounted for, however, by two facts: (1) That the work of each class in almost every subject has been set cut separately; and, (2) that it is set cut in more detail than formerly. A certain amount of repetition entailed by the former is justified by a distinct gain in de&niteness and clarity. An example of the added detail may be taken from a part of the work prescribed for Standard 111. in formal grammar. Instead of the three words, " Synthesis to correspond," which appear in our present syllabus, we have in the draft copy " Combining sentences by means of ' and, but if, whenever, while, .as, as soon as, after, before, since, tell, until, where, whenever, because, for, who, which and that.' M

Helpful Detail. The greater detail should be more or less helpful to all teachers, but it should be a regular boon to the young, inexperienced teacher in the back blocks, especially those in sole-charge schools, cut off, to a great extent, from consultation with other members of the profession. In the past, these teachers hav6 spent far too much time in devising schemes when better ones might have been supplied to them. The gain to the children by the definiteness of the new prescription will be apparent to all. In arithmetic, an expected and desirable improvement and lightening of tha work has been brought about by making it more practical than formerly, and by giving the pupils in the preparatory divisions and lower standards smaller numbers to deal with. At present Standard 111. deals with numbers up to 1.000,000. In luture the limit will be 100,000. An hour a week is to be taken from this subject, and the whole or the greater part of it may be added to the time to be devoted to English, which will at last have a chance of coming into its own.

Taste For Good Literature. The development of a taste for good literature should follow. Greater attention is to be paid to synthesis than analysis, and the formal grammar is to be of the type that is common to all languages. The parsing that involves hair-splitting distinctions has, for years, been losing ground in the primary schools. The new syllabus relegates it still further into the background. As the London Board of Education's " Handbook of Suggestions For Teachers" states: "Grammar was made for language, not language for grammar." Following the lines laid down in the present syllabus, the new one stresses tile importance of the current use of the vocal organs, clear articulation and purity of vowel sound. It places particular emphatis upon th* correct pronunfciation of Maori words. A study of the vowel sounds in the Maori language, such as the medial " a " in " Matamata," the equivalent of the " a " in our word " father," would do mnch to correct some of the outstanding faults in our use of vc-*el sounds. Use of Daily Newspapers. The importance of a knowledge of the. history and geography of our own country and of Australia is emphasised,' and use is to be made of the daily newspapers in both subjects. Pupils become keenly interested in such a subject as the recent trouble in Samoa, and readily bring clippings and illustrations from the newspapers. The programme in singing bears the impress of Mr. Douglas Tayler, supervisor of school music, and his impress is excellent. Teachers are eagerly looking forward to the publication of his handbook, " The Scheme of School Musio Related to Human Life." The programme in music introduced in 1919 was less definite than that in force previously. In consequence, the instruction in many schools was of a haphazard nature. The new syllabus is definite, scientific arid practical. In the near future the music in our primary schools should be of a much higher standard than it has been before.

Print and Script Writing. A commonsense decision has been macle ■with regard to the relative positions of print, script and cursive writing. The teacher is advised to teach the former in the preparatory divisions, and its use is to be continued throughout the standards for suitabie purposes, e.g., in drawing, arithmetic and diagrams. The development of cursive writing is to begin in Standard I. and is to be completed by the time a pupil has - left Standard IV. Finality has not yet been reached so far as the slope of writing is concerned. The new syllabus recommends a slope between 60 and 70 degrees from the horizontal. Some authorities advocate a slope of 60 degrees. The medium slope of (he writing in the Progressive Copy Books in use in our schools is 73 degrees, while the London Board favours vertical writing. After stating that the subject of vertical or sloping writing has been one of much argument, the handbook affirms: (1) That it is probably true that the closer the resemblance between the printed and the ■written letters, the greater the ease in reading and writing; (2) individual preferences must not he entirely ignored, and if it should be found that certain children naturally wrile with a slight forward slope, it would be wise to let them continue to do so: (3) a backward slope is detrimental to slope and legibility.