THE EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3826, 23 August 1899, Page 6

THE EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

(By “John-in-thc-Bush”.) It has come and gone and what has it done? Just what nearly every other conference docs—solemnly proposed and carried unanimously that all its members and all their brethren get more pay and less work. That seems to be the essence, tho gist and the point of all their learned deliberations. They may’ say, What then, how are you, a iajunan, affected, and why should you interfere ? I am affected in two ways, my friends ; I have boys and girls to educate, and I have muddy roads to metal, and rivers to bridge, to enable me to earn money to pay your salaries. Therefore I take the] liberty of having a word with you. First, as to pay, I think the teachers of this colony arc a fairly happy lot. The salaries in most oases give a fairly decent living, and in many a more or less luxurious one. Then, the work is only five hours a day, five’ days a week, and fortyfive weeks a year. Well, the teaching business is so good now that in many districts it draws the farmers’ sons from the plough, to oust the stranger from his post at the local school; and if you raise the wages, my friends, you will draw the farmer, too, and then—what then F So take my advice, and let well alone, and learn to bear the ills j-ou have, and not fly to others you know not of. Rather give us the spare money to metal our muddy roads, and we will be glad to see you on your bikes in the holidays. Then, as to reduction of work. What are the proposals—free classification, reduction, or abolition, of standards, and to be allowed to judge or examine your own work. Who wouldn’t .be-a contractor under these rules ? Well, my friends, you may be very honest, but I think you ask just a “leetle” too much there. We must have some little standard by which to guago our money’s worth. A teacher should, however, have the power to advafice his pupils if ho sops lit and is willing to take the risk. The syllabus, or number of subjects, ought certainly to be reduced, so that the more essential subjects would be better taught that is reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic composition and drawing. All other subjects, such as geography, history (noth natural and historical), object lessons, etc., should he clasesd under tho head of general knowledge, and the degree of efficiency reported on. The essential subjects should be strictly tested by an inspector—even more strictly than hitherto—especially reading and understanding the subject matter. I have not seen reading taught anywhere in the colony outside of Otago, if you will excuse the comparison. The pupil mostly reads as if he were-.trying a race against time to tho end—no expression or punctuation—the pronunciation anyhow, and as to the asphirates 1 , they seem to bo a matter of individual taste.

Inspectors, I think, want inspecting, too, sometimes. I have seen some queer specimens of them. A roaring lion from the forest would not have caused greater commotion in a school than the appearance of some of these olden-timc worthies on cue scene. At present the boards inspect and report "on their own work; there is no comparison of the work done, or bond of equality among them—each thinks it is the best —but they have no means of comparison, and cney are, like the House of Lords, responsible to no one. There ought to be at least two inspectors under the nead department to compare and regulate and equalise the work.

Then a word about all the fads that are, tried to be tacked on to this educational system of ours. The teachers, ever since tho Acc was passed, complain of having too much to do, yet nearly every year a new fad is put up—drill, rifle drill, physical drill, manual drill, technical instruction, manual instruction, gymnastics, etc. My country, oh, my country! What are you driving at? Playing the fiddle that poor beggars may dance while we wallop in the mud I Here is a sample of the latest fad manual instruction. In tho first place, it is mis-named “instruction,” simply because there is no instructor. The boys are supplied with some tools and a piece of wood, a drawing is put into their hands, and they are told I to do the best they can for, an hour once or twice a week, while the master i.s busy with the rest of his school. He is neither carpenter nor expert,and does not pretend to be so. The boy’s work is simply compared with tne drawing, and he is likely told to try again. Now, what is the sum total of that, and what is it worth? Not much, you will allow, iny friends. No, let us stick to our education system in, its true sense, and give us a continuous course to tho higher learning for our boys and girls. You have already introduced, a seventh standard, but as yet il‘ is only a nondescript. Make it the key to open the door to the college course, and then you will have progress—pupils ought to be prepared in it to pass the matriculation examination, and thus encouraged to go on. And to that end Mount Cook should be handed over to the Victoria College just as it is—the larger rooms for lecture rooms and laboratory, and the cells for dormitories, where the students may study in peace like the monks of old. They would thus be kept from the temptation of hotels an- boardinghouses and the great city. Settlers could then send their country sons without fear of their returning as expert gamblers in place of -A’sA. Technical education could also be acquired at the proper quarter and under duly qualified teachers. The money would not toon be frittered away trying to teach blacksmiths chemistry and counter jumper’s engineering.