SCIENCE IN COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 8

SCIENCE IN COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

TO THE JiDITOK. . you can spare a little of your valuable space, I would, like to sav a few woids on subjects of particular importance to country schools. . ' ,A3 nks are jtoe'to you, Sir, for Vbui able leaders 011 educational matters. Also I tli/ik,. we are indebted to tho,ie gentl»' criticised our teaching, and to Mr «nd "Teacher,", who deIm'pH If wo would all write from a l°l " f true education and a (sincere desire <;r improvement, it- would not matter tnough some of the criticisms were- hasty the 1 "lit tt, i, l 5" bring things out to the trnfli' •n le them «"d no fear the truth will como out on top Aow. ,n regard to' science iu. schools, I a,e tw ° remarks-to make. First, there is the want of time to do the subject justice I Zy?" 'I many of , tl,osS ' wh ° write on rack matfers have paid much attention to the time- able of a small school. If so, they woud see the utter hopelessness of the 1.01.8 ..thing, t ' ie variety of subjects, re-■ quiring so much time to each, the high pitch rc( l ,l : rcJ , V inspectors, as shadowed forth in the latest report and its very low marks, and, lastly, the fact that you must attempt each of the subjects,'. liniL' +i ' not People know how things are carried en. Even school committees do not visit in most country districts. If they did there mioht be some chance of a united demand for a more, anaptablo syllabus—so many subjects marked as compulsory and the .others as optional,— with the prosnccts of a word of praise when you did well m what you attempted, instead sible not aceoinplisllin S tlle imposSecondly, .I would ask those interested and 111 authority to draw up a statement of what they think should be' taught, giving examples and outlining such simple experiments as are proper for children in the three higher standards. Still better would it be " the Education Department gave us tochers a course of lessons on What and How." This would be of mors value than all the talk one hears. It would flhow the time tnken np by* the various lessons, the apoaratus '-essential, and tho method recommended; and I am sure that, if we could see how to get the time, a very few Draetical hints would be enough to set us all a<roing. But till we find unanimity among those in authority, with a clear exposition of what is wanted, I fancy most of us will use partlr tho text book and partly

the things, as

I do.—l am, etc., J. S. M.'

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