TEACHING OF CLASSICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22833, 14 September 1937, Page 12

TEACHING OF CLASSICS

THE VALUE OF GREEK The use of a classical education was to train for the main business of life, which was tho evaluation of words and the expression of ideas, stated Professor 0. C!. Cooper at a meeting of the Classical Teachers' Association, iield at the Auckland University College last night. The subject for discussion was the teaching of Latin, but most members agreed with Professor Cooper that the introduction of Greek into tho secondary schools was desirable. The difficulties in tho way of this were felt to bo twofold; that of convincing tho public of the vnluo of Greek, and the difficulty of deciding what subject at present in tho curriculum should be sacrificed.

It was a creut pity, said Mr. K. J. Dellow, headmaster of tho Taknpuna Grammar School, that many pupils took only a two-year courso at a secondary school, but Professor Cooper planned to overcome this disadvantage by a courso where translations and classical histories were used to a greater extent. Thus the pupil would gain a fuller knowledge of the life of antiquity which would quicken the interest and reduce the drudgery. All the teachers present stressed tho value of learning several languages at the same time and Professor Cooper said he could not conceive of a good school without both Greek and Gorman.,