"PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT."

NZ Truth, Issue 852, 18 March 1922, Page 3

"PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT."

..Dear "Truth," — From your article "Precept Upon Precept," which contained much interesting matter and good advice, I take the following quotation: "No amount of research or education can alter the central fact of man's natural instincts and emotions, and his inherited abilities, ' or lack of them." This led me into a line of thought somewhat :.-• analagous to your own; and opens the way to a few ideas on education, and the possible discovery of genius, than is possible by present methods. What I would draw attention, to is , what, the world probably, loses by its educational methods under "the fpres-' ent Capitalist system "of society. In most of our educational, institutions the object seems to be to turn out a'' pupil fairly well equipped "all round" for the battle of life. It ds safe to say most of our. students, whether^ they enter the commercial, manufacturing, or artistic worlds, find some fifty per cent, of the knowledge acquired of little or no use to them', and m. some callings the real education has still to be commenced. With regard to the arts, the poets and painters of the past seem to have been a poor ; "business" lot, whilst the^ musicians have been even more. so. These have for the most part been unsatisfactory as business men. Anyone wishing to be satisfied on this point should read the lives of Schubert, Weber, Mozart or Wagner for a beginning. The point Is whether under the ever-widening field of education the time is not overdue to adopt a system of division of pupils into groups, and some method adopted of examination (phrenophysiojogical, or what not) of each proposed pupil, repeated at intervals. We may then discover that the world is more prolific m geniuses than is generally supposed.. What would have been the use of a knowledge of mathematics, algebra, etc., to any of the above-mentioned geniuses? Whilst m politics, It is safe to say, no matter what they are taught, ninety per cent, of the -poets, painters, and musicians will still be more or lesß "revolutionaries" by nature; so all the orthodox teaching of the schools on this point is so much time wasted, m this particular direction. Then what is wanted is a method of watching and treating the young, by which genius may be discovered, and then encouraged and developed m special jjays, and the present foolish system of . trying to force the square pegs into the round holes abandoned. There must be some of your readers with more experience than myself, and with special knowledge that fits them for giving information on this subject. It would be interesting to hear •from these. — Yours, etc., • J. B. HULBERT.. 187, Willis-street.