New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4202, 8 September 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1874.

When His Excellency the Governor addressed members of both branches of the Legislature at the farewell banquet given in his honor, he was very pronounced upon the subject of education, respecting which there had been nothing said whilst Parliament was in session. The inference is ppt to be drawn that he supposed there had been a sin of, omission in this respect, for he testified to the industry and business-like qualities of the Assembly. But in the few weighty words in which he gave his opinion on the subject, he left no doubt that his decided impression was, Parliament should, at the first convenient season, assume the responsibility of passing an educational law for New Zealand, and this for many reasons. There are, as he said, some excellent schools in the Colony, but there are also many children receiving a very indifferent education, and others who have none at all. This, for many reasons, is a source of grave anxiety to thoughtful persons. The population of the Colony is yearly added to by large numbers of persons being imported, whom it would be idle to expect to pass any examination of a literary character. In process of time we must calculate upon these people becoming qualified to vote in the election of members of Parliament, but to expect them to intelligently exercise the franchise is out of the question. If the young people of this generation were growing up an educated race they might be expected to form a check on the arrivals, but unfortunately they will, in too many instances, be no better qualified to sway the votes of the others than to give their own in a satisfactory manner. Evil of, an active nature may not arise from this, but the idea is one that cannot find favor. What everyone would wish to see is the entire population of the Colony qualified to vote, intelligently exercising the franchise, and able to give a satisfactory reason for whatever line of politics or set of politicians should be affected. But this cannot be unle.ss provision be made for the proper education of every boy and girl in the land. We say proper education because there is a very great deal of difference between a boy merely going to school and being properly educated. It is too much the case here, as elsewhere, for persons who are utterly unfitted for the work to commence what it is idle to call teaching. The pedagogue is but too truly regarded as a man who has commenced school-keeping only when all other trades have failed. There is no denying the fact that this has boon the case in New Zealand, but to what extent we are not prepared to say. There is a vague sense of distrust in the competence of some of the schoolmasters and mistresses, but by how much it is justified few people know. Proceedings that we see chronicled elsewhere are sufficient to generate this. A notable instance comes to hand from South Australia. In that Colony the teachers in Government schools undergo an examination before they receive a license. The necessity of this examination was recently proved by the published report of the gentleman appointed by the Board of Education to conduct it. Out of thirty-four candidates desired to analyse a sentence grammatically, twenty did not make an attempt to answer, seven others failed to understand the relation one sentence had to another, and only one was, able to. properly go through the process. Of history the majority seemed to have some slight knowledge, but three could not answer at all. Only easy questions were asked in geography, but some teachers could not secure one mark. In arithmetic one of every six failed to get a single sum right—seven out of fifteen could not do a sum in addition, and four could not do one in simple multiplication. The answers given to questions were grotesquely absurd. One candidate when asked what changes were introduced at the Norman Conquest, replied, “The introduction of Christianity;” another, “The ringing of the ‘ Corfu’ belland a third, “ From the house of Plantagenet to the time of Tudors.” Another genius, when asked, “ What was the cause of the Crusades, and which of our kings took part in them 1” replied,, “The boundary of Nova Scotia and Charles I. engaged in them.” Another, when asked, “ What battles were fought between Charles I. and the Parliament 1” replied, “Robert Bruce encountered him at Bannockburn, and gained a famous victory.” Another when asked to explain the term “ship money,” said, “ That amount of money that is voted by a nation for fitting out and permitting investigationary proceedings by sea, either explorationary, offensive, or defensive.” And, as if to cap it all, one described a geyser as an “ icoburgh.” It seems almost a pity that the examiner had not the power to cane such a sot of ignorant and incompetent aspirants for teachers’ licenses ; and it is sad to think what mischief they might effect if they were permitted to have their way with some poor children.

Proper teachers, as His Excellency reminded his hearers, must be expressly trained if the rising race is to be properly educated. The supply, even in England, where there are many normal • schools established for the purpose of providing skilled schoolmasters, is inadequate to the requirements. If, then, there be a certainty that untrained schoolmasters will be of little utility, but may do much harm, and that a supply cannot be drawn from elsewhere, it follows that if we wish the young people of the Colony not to grow up ignorant and unlearned, we must commence to form training establishments for teachers. Here, again, we come to the front of a great difficulty. Otago and Canterbury are rich Provinces, and a normal school has been commenced in the one, whilst something is also being done in the other. The colleges of Wellington and Auckland are creditable to both Provinces, but they will not supply education to the people, nor teachers to furnish it. We quite understand, and fully admit that a technical education is not likely to be within the reach of all persons, neither at this time nor any other that seems likely to come. Wo may be very well satisfied if every boy and girl had first that foundation of learning laid —a knowledge of the three r’s—upon which any sort of superstructure might be built, according to the taste, inclination, or industry of people themselves. But then it is manifest that all persons who would be teachers are not capable of affording even elementary instruction. Take the case of the South Australian candidate for a teacher’s license, who could not do a simple multiplication sum. His other capacities, we may suppose, would be on an equality with the foregoing, and it ■would be little he could teach a child that would be of value to it, whilst he would probably impart a portion of his own ignorance. The less of such education that there is given the better. Public or private money ex-:, ponded in paying for it would be wasted.