THE HON. J. MACGREGOR'S SPEECH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11455, 21 June 1899, Page 6

THE HON. J. MACGREGOR'S SPEECH.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—The first point in the speech of the Hon. J. MacGregor which commended itself to my mind took the form of a suggestion rather than a direct statement. It "was an inference from his remarks in re. " ciam." I regard it as specially worthy of eonsirki-a---tion by all persons truly interested in education. It is this: Is- the work that has to be done at present in a year too much for the average child-mind? Or, as "A. M.. B." puti? it, is the syllabus over-loaded? If1 the work isioo great for tlie average child, then "cram" work must be done in every such case, and so'a very "real, evil appears. If. to put th« matter otherwise, an 'honest average teacher cannot in a year's time make his average pupils master of the course prescribed, then the course should be pruned in some way. Cramming, is' inevitable, not if standards and passes, obtain, but if ;the syllabus be over-loaded.. "The curse of all curses is to force the- average child-mind to do more in a limited time than it really can do. It is this which "produces mental nausea," and which,, now and again, ends in serious breakdowns in after life.: Let the Hon. Mr MacGregor face and fight -this evil, and every intelligent man will support him. . ■'." : • •

The second point, in the sbcech with which I heartily sympathise has reference to a child being kept back a whole.year because he or she lias failed "in reading or spelling, or 'both." You, Sir, mentioned this point in your- leading article. ''. Mr MacGregor regards sacli a, practice as " simply a barbarous and unpardonable crime." Certainly if this "'■ feature of the system ■ can be remedied, it should be' remedied. Ta-one who is a mere onlooker, having -no practical knowledge of the possibilities of working- school classes, it dees seem a great pity (not " a barbarous crime ") that a child should have to go over .the same ground a second year for the reason given above. The man in the street would a<jmit. this. A question, -however, presents itself here—viz., Is the alternative practicable? Would the ' change suggested by the Hon. Mr MacGregor be better for the'child, or worse ultimately.for the child and for school. management? If better, let it be done. I cannot shut; "my, eyes,' however; "< to the one-sidedness 6f\the etmcation which would allow a child to push forward in some branches of study, whil.e -others dragged behind. Such a practice would tend towards specialism, not towards general culture, of faculty. And primary education, I think, should specially aim-" at training all the powers of the child-mind, and the weaker, powers most of all. Further, I confess I do.not sec how, in a large, or a not very large school, classes could be arranged on-the partly-advancing-and-partly-dragging principle. My reason, in-.this'matter, considerably moderates and corrects my" first feeling, of sympathy. . v ,-. ■ - . ■ ; . Several expressions in the Hon. Mr MacGregor's speech led me to "believe that our! teachers were paid according to examina : tion results. When,,he said (concerning his new scheme) that " tho system of grants" would be " continued,' but without' a trace of the detestable system .of payment by results," I took it that he was c-oridenining a real defect in our system. Having learned incidentally that teachers.'are not- paid by re v suits, it is needless to try tc thrash a nonexistent dog. ' '"■-...:- :.,'■■".•■ '"A. M. B." says that " 'J.C contradicts the Hon. John .AfaeGrepror's seemingly ex cathedra statements." "Ex cathedra statements"! I don't understand. '" Contra" diets?" I respectfully -submit that contradiction and refutation/ are quite different. I tried the latter method,' not the former. "A. M. B.s " few" facts in ; "proof of the stuffing process" are neither new nor peculiar to our standards. Lan Maclaren 'tells us that the Domine of Drumtochty did, with his brilliant pupil William "Howe, the verythings that "A. M. B/' mentions. There were no standards then. Everything was left to the '"initiative,:judgment, and character " of the teacher. .V A. M. B.s" proof therefore no more .-condemns our standards than at condemns the' 'no-standards of the Domine; It simply shows' that good teachers take a pride in clever pupils, sometimes to their injury and death. The good old Domine never realised, .perhaps, that he had largely helped to kill Willie Howe. —I am. etc.. ' J. C. June 19. '/