EDUCATION SYSTEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20259, 20 May 1929, Page 12

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

FITTING PUPILS FOR WORK. VALUE OF CULTURAL SUBJECTS. "While on the subject of vocational guidance let me advance the opinion that purposeful study of general cultural subjects under a skilful teacher is of benefit whatever may be the future occupation of the pupil," shid Mi*. T. B. Strong, when addressing the Secondary Schools' Association. "There is no doubt." he went on, "that many, if not most of our boys and girls, particularly the boys, do not know what occupation they will eventually follow, and a wide course of study is the best for them. At the samp time it must be acknowledged that there is a tendency in all but the technical schools to draw away from or at least ignore the practical affairs of life. There should be as close contact as possible between the subject content and the world ia which we live.

"Beware of allowing the school to become too cloistered. It is possible, of course, for the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction, carrying us to the extreme of utilitarianism. The cultural subjects provide a training and give a store of experience invaluable to every section of the community, and in saying this I am not relying on the discredited theory of transferred power, a theory that for example taught us to believe that a good mathematician must necessarily bo a good business manis certainly significant that the Colonial Office selects university-trained men for all sorts of posts in the colonial service. I presume that the Home Office would not continue to do this if such men did not generally prove efficient officers Bv all means make education as real to the pupil as possible, and as closely related ? t as possible to human affairs, but let us never lose sight of the importance of education on the cultuial side."

REORGANISATION WANTED. VIEWS OF SCHOOL TEACHERS. [BY TEI/EGRAPII. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Saturday The .recommendations made by a committee to the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute, concerning the need for reorganising the education system, were adopted by the conference after many hours of discussion. Among tho changes advocated were a' reduction in the size of classes in primary schools, and the control by a single authority for each determined area of the education system to the end of tho secondary course. A lfst of principles to govern tho first stages of the secondary course was also included.