ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4741, 28 April 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

, - ■ TO THB EDHOH. • V ,• ■■ ; ." ="•• : Sir—Your leading article .of the 20th current reveals the fact.,that there is something seriously if not "radically "wrong even in elementary education, and that" too at Home, with all its accumulated advantages. You quote- the opinions of four inspectors of schools regarding the teaching of grammar in elementary 'schools, and remark—".Out of.these ifreconcileable opinicns>we,,leave our readers to create'har- ■ mor.y if they ; can.".,You'also remark—" What: we notice as so'strange. in the educational questionria this: That some' years' after the whole1 civilised world has declared unanimously that .education is a sine qua iwn,- that in 'it.lies ;the salvation of the world, -the race; 'the individual, educationista should' find themselves<sorely vexed about where to begin.'?- We say advisedly where.,to begin:: Itr,is sincerely to;be hoped that these, very,:suggestive-words^and indeed' your wliole article,. U- carefully. studied'by-all those interested in education here,'when, the country is en the eve of educational legislation, - for the elementary educational ship. in Britain is evidontly dashing roughly on spm'e rocks.;."-" ''' i • TT^ xe. ■ history of elementary ■ education in'the' ' Home country within-the-last few years-Is stranger than fiction, and) Scarcely credible.1 The great: revolution; in elementary education took place in Scotland in ;1865, and.in.England some time before this. -ThiSrradical, revolution .put m&ny things,.out of joint,; ; and tp show.yqu something stranger; thaii ''the-■ '^tfapge^.things' revealed T>y your article, 'I quote. ficna' the address of an elderly-elementary teacher,'cnatr-' man of an'assembly'of .300'eleineritary$feiotters7 '■■?2i»' at? dinb«rga-; wi ;tfie"l4th September; Io7o:-~:M fear, however; that -any represe'nta^' _tien on our part will fail to remove all the eyila anherentinthe.'code.'iiJntrodu'cedto'cuftan evil which, was popularly .supposed to existi it ; has brought upon-the country a still greater; .one than,that which it; was'intended to cure.1,Is; itinot the 'facttbat' by'far the greater portion of,: the teacher's "efforts^ iar^'nbw-iairectea'to'th'e* ■ dud ; caielessi, arid most irregular of' his' pupils, in; ornery -if 'possible,:tblsecitte'ar^pass*, l*aiid,;' /consequently, a certain amount of' p ay^wTiereA ; . ras the clever,- attentive;: and Jnbßtregular^witEregard to whose , ; ' ; pass?,he-JjasiTlittle or no dottoti-aTe, in-a great measure* left to shift.for.- ---■ themselves,^(HearV hear;)'1 "And th;e: BtraiiK' almost' incredible thing is this^thaf this finibus 'code," "Or 'scheme of-■education/'Eaa';feeen undergoing/chaiiges and inVdigcatidnsfdr eleven -years,- artu hundreds of elementary 'teacher* have beenproteating against its "inherent evils.'Vyi't;,: nevertheless.iifc. still remains-.-Britaiiii systemof elementary education.,!rYea,-!further, ititias-, :been branded ;by r ,educat%is(3 o of ihe -highesfr aiithohtj as' a; leyelling, cramming -system ,pf, , .instruction, lanefulto tjrue'edudatW.' Haying myself worked under -the qldJ as well aS wider' the;new;syfetem'for. years'as d: parbchial'scnDOl-1 master-of ' Scotland,^ -< mrexperietice1 is' that' the' newisyatem- is^ihconsi9tent..witK <fche njoroi)er.' d^velopm'entofnthe -jixmaf. painful' andiuniust' to the/pupilß^and to the te'acheE-.the; bondfage' vof makingibricks ; without:straw. 'SuchMrthe; ::.":code,'.' of ..Britain,, the. |',' .system of Qtago, and mqit likely.! Buch'?v9.the , ; pther Australasian;systems, foiCth'e revolt!tion: '■ ary^ tide,' with" all its"'''inherent'(.evilg'>v.; :Kftß yißited these southern shores iilsp.. .'" ''" ' "': • ~ ;Now comes the'qusation;" ~sft\iy isTe'lemeni' tary education in so" unsatisfactory a rconditibii r -in Britain?; -.The ■ answer;: $ Ifave tb'-giTB will: -enable-youto account/forithestrangelyt^irre." 'cqncd.eable.opinio.ns.'f:of:;fonr' inspectors. >iMy ;answer : is ; : .Theright.men;are, not in-the"right-■place—the, same .that causes inpst-unsatisfac;, , torythip©o«, earth: maniwho ib fitted to : managea' farm successFullyiis'KQiwho'haslhe expeiiehce gained by years spent about 'farm' work. Exactly so j.theineii who arefitted to , plan, and, carry,out: successiully, a good scheme' ; of elementary.edacation are elementary-teach-ers of experience. ,They'alp«e ,are competentto plan a good .system ~of. that -to which they have been ;devptiug 'thsii 1 tirii^ thßughts, -and", iStrength for'years, and. with' every; ni.inutiEe' of' which they, alone are thoroughly acquamted.' But the famous ""code" was not planneU by' . .the gorily men-competent forithe work.v; Sub teachersj who ■ havel had; years of experience, 'and have acquired an intelligent sympathy .with, the ways of- elemen-. tary r pupils,.wMch is, a, : sine . qua. non,- ■ and,; if 1 possible, who.Jb^ye. alsp,enjoyed a.high'lFni-' versity educktion/are'thb only persons com-' petent for the office of !inipectpr of elementary .education,: ~Kow,:althougfrthere; are'dozensin~ facotland ( thus.qualifieu,.yet strange, strange to Bay> Wpn are rarely-or never appointed;inspec- ■ jt0^5.,..:.,, ..„ (■:•;,,.'..,.'. ■■>■■,{ .'■;„, .-(•- ,'.'- , t li^;thelegislat4rs;pf JTeVv.Zealand enact:— (jj.'Thata^coiiainittee of elementary:.teachers.. .of the country; plan g. scKeme' of elementary education; (2).'-That no One .be eligible to be; an inspector of elemehtttry scHtfoiabu't the ele-' mentary-teachers';bf"the- country;' (3), That : ' professora: and: teachers of'Mhigher • education" plani carry .out,; .and inspect: higher education. Then,. but only .then,, Sir,: you: may. see,; what ■■ isi unknown in Biitain,, a remarkable <agree,;inent m the opinipps of,'inspectors regarding' .. the legitimate place of grammar; as' well as all other-elementary subjects iii'> a;go6d;ciyStenl' of ' education.^Ne: suior>uttra'-crepidam,>'—T ' 'e,m;,&c,, ..,..-.;:.;! r^vi ,;■.:...!>, : , to» ,?.-.-; r^-; ' L"V' ::i'; ■'•' 'i- '^1* T|ONOANyJSchoolmaater.:' •"' : ':; ;bchopl residence, preen Island, V,'-.-!..-.-.'.('-, ~ : I-! :;':."".; l.ApiiiMbiu' '.',;.-.;;.;; .v,^"...l'd' i;.:.'.-.".

; i'.i'il ';.-'• .-it' "v^'^E.iraFOß.^'^j!'V.vokw! " '; !^iß -r.Y.pnri leadings article -in.i.ycsterday/* issue is iUiteresting^riot to, say^nterfeipingi lasEhowing now educational doptors differ,-,. :iwith'.' .rfgard' tq; the ; teachiDg.'^of .grammar "iia" our*' elementary schools,: I think, if is a 'science that* .O^snfcto^command an, important'position in'the1' .biH; of'fare-presented; <;As r: Mr Currey! 're-' marks,?, thers-is'truly: abundant 'exercise' 1 for thought in the study:p£it,:snd! this;Ldo<ibtles3; to ftiVery great.- extent' ariseß'-fromiihelmany. finders that have been and-still are shaping the■grammari'al.pie.,'^.Analysis should be reserved ifo^,the soriß'-and.': daughters^' ofriFortune,..who:; :Bay^-:tim'e'l ( and'..iuii;ds,. - .at^'t'he^p. tp- ; yfeit-iHviii'g-:ajithpYß "6f [' grammars" how' iti' :ask' for," explanations," and 'even' ( th,eir- elucidation-would; rn6t-1 f611ow: on 'certain1 obfuscated ■ concoctions'.-' -'Children :t"ake; to' grammar when it is intelligently taught. -Most of them like reasoning-, processes,-as & seen in ithe^y.ery. !cute contortions of. visage th'ey.'exhibife i.when asked;-for instance,-what,-gb;n4er' 'tMa'.'l >} si 5°i get young'ideas,.to use.nouns and-verb« f IDi °DBnepti6ri,a:qght.wsh regard^Oithe i?'umfeerl and-perspn is'worth many," a" mpnth'C.'gJ.mding ;xn Syiitax;-:: -'That jtstruclaon; in granMaE'dpes1 not produce stereotyped results' vat ritf reaVon for putting it aside. - The"true;reasbnf'of failure iivordiriary; cases isrn6fj."that 'children may'npt'be ■receiving' proper grounding in the-'science-dt j Bohopl j,but,when;»t home/rtheD'tVlseeuV' andi chaps," &<s-. it oi: their.par9ut? ; and | fronds,, frustrate, to-a great extent the growth. j sP??. cti??l gramniar,:;: T]oe study of the.Latid: .Jatiguage isa grand medium "for" instructipn-iii-grammar; but who dare? waitfor this'? *-"■'"■•'' .: While on the subject! of Education, I would ■ remark.: that- the:ixeading-bboks-iusedvin;'.;the" ;higherjstandßrMS!;inrbur:Bch6ols;vare Jar too; letogthy,jand tend to the exclusion ofi the study. "'?* ™Bt?*y».iwbich,.l:coneideTA very,great defect, urn schools;.at .present.,««-Were.thesep c .these wadipg-, .bookshalf .their preseirt'bulk in reading matter, then a'gobd manual1 of hißtotVcquldbsi used j alteniately, i with!'tEemJ—l am.'&c./ . /■:'■"' '■ ' 1? ?. i^' ~ " ■■•'■■■' /C.V"- -■--'■' ''-' I>!>' OBJEOTiyi!,'''";,lWetherstones, 21st April-,'- ';'- ='•' ■ ; ''' nr