THE MOSELY EDUCATIONAL COMMISSION,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13078, 14 September 1904, Page 2

THE MOSELY EDUCATIONAL COMMISSION,

1 THE OFFICIAL REPORT, no. 1. From time t'o time wo have given our renders extracts from letters written by meml>er3 of this eomir.ission to various papers and periodicals at Home. Wo 110, v purpose giving tho substance of tho official report u issued by Mr Mosely. It is now some 15 years since Mr Mosely lwd his attention drawn to American men and American methods. He had then hem engaged for some years in mining operations at Kiinberley, where Americans, workin# under the Into Cecil Rhodes, by th?ir ingenuity nnd resource, were.malting names for thcnvvelves. And their success made Mr Mosely anxious to find out wherein lay t'no dirterenco Iwtween iho Britisher and tho American workmen. And to think was, with Mr Mosely, to act. He says in tho preface to tho report:—

The success of these engineers turned my attention to tho United States, and some years ago I paid my iirst visit there for tho purpose of seeing what sort of country it was that v.as responsible for sending so maiiy levelheaded men to the Cape. I spent come months in the country investigating, and was astonished at what 1 saw around me, not so much at tho nlate of development tlmt had been reached at that tiuu as at what I discerned of tho future. I felt that a country teeming with such natural resources must, in the hands of capable men thoroughly acquainted with their business, play ah important part in tho future of the world, and was bound to exerciso a far from negligible influonce upon tho industries of the United Kingdom. So far as I was able to ascertain, the form of education given in the United States is responsible for much of lis success, and I returned home determined, if possible, to get together a party of experts to visit tho country and lest tho soundness of my conclusion.'). I felt that riot only muat wo investigate tho educational system in vogue, but that tho workmen, through their trades unions, should also.be given an opportunity of seeing at first iiand what is being done on the other Dido of tho Atlantic. Holding these opinions, I organised my two commissions, tho work of which is too well known to re"quiro any longer description from myself. Tlie. treat question which the industrial sido had 10 answer was: "How is it that the United States can afford to pay half a dollar in wages whore we pay a shilling, and yet compete with us in the markets of the world?" Tho reply is to be found in my own views on the subject, and in those of the 20 odd delegates of tho Industrial Commission as given in their reports. The subjects pliiccd for investigation beforo my Education Commission were:

" 1. The development of individuality in tho primary schools. .

2. The social and intellectual effects of the wide distribution of secondary education.

3. The effect of specific instruction given (a) in business methods; (b) in applied science. 4. The present state of opinion as to tho vahio of professional and technical instruction of university rank designed with special reference to the tasks of business life.

It was Miv Hosciy's intention that .tlio commisson 'tfteuld huvo started two years ago,but evidently liis original idea was expanded, for he says that within these two years ho had visited the Unitod State? twice ta perfect arrangements.. Tho commissioners arrived in Now York 111 Octobcr, ami without loss of time too!: lip their itinerary. New Xork, Wnehinglon, Haitimore, Philadelphia, New Haven, Boston', Niagara, Chicago, and other centres wero visited by tho commission in wholo or part, and individual members of the commission side-tracked themselves at times to pursuo tlio special or independent investigations, tho results 0: which nro embodied in the report.

Mr Medley gives his general impressions in the prcfaco from which wo Jiavo already quoted tho objects of tho commission. Ho says:—

Although I do not dwiro in any way to encroach on tho reports of tho delegates, nor do 1 pose as an educationalist, a few remarks firim, myself iuny be of interest. 0110 of tho things that struck me, all through the United States, was tho largo amount of money devoted to educational purposes, tho buildings being magnificent and the equipment lavish. Tlio teachers soem fired with enthusiasm, and thero is a thirst for knowledge shown by pupils of all ages which is entirely lacking 111 our own country. In contrast to our education, which has to a large extent been " classical," I found that in America it is tho " practical" subjects which are principally taught, and technical classes and schools aro to be found everywhere. There aro also excellent opportunities, for those going into professions, to take up classical subjects; but with tho ordinary " everyday" bay who lias to 'light his way in tho world the bulk of the timo is devoted to practical subjects likely to be of most use to him in after life. American Boys remain at school much longer than is ilio case here, often, in addition, passing through to the secondary schools and colleges at littio or no expenso to their parents or themselves. I am disposed to think that our own boys lcavo school much too soon, The arrangements hero in regard to school vacations in agricultural districts aro not such as best meet the needs of the farming class. In tho United Slates the terin.i arc so amused that ■luring harvest time, When tlio boys can be of ical assistance to their. parents 'and at tlio fi'ina timo get the f;ood fresh air from tho fields, the schools aro closed; Tint tile Christmas vacation is very short. My observations lead 11)0 tobeiievo that the average American hoy when 110 leaves school is. infinitely better fitted for Jiis vocation'and .struggle in'life Oian the English boy,. and in coiisequon'co there are in tho United States a smaller proportion of " failures," ami fewer who slido downhill and eventually join tho pauper, criminal, or " submerged tenth " class. ' The aim of education in America is to ninke every boy fit for some definite calling in life,' and my own experience leads me io think that nearly eveiy boy if properly trained is fit for something.' All cannot bo great successes, and clever, successful men are to a large extent born, not made; but I do believe that it is possihlo to toacli every lad some branch of. industry that wili enable him to cam an" honest livelihood and make him a help rather than a burden to society. As I have said, the true-born American doo3 not become a drag upon his fellows, but takes his. place' as a. respectable citizen, earning his living soberly and honestly.

The commissioners wero struck by the initiative and organising'powers displayed by American educationists, and Mr Moslcy nslis in effect: "How docs the United States prodrico • those • alert, up-to-date, organising men, possessing such fino business qualifications in addition to academic learning;'"

Another point that struck me was the intense bc-lief oi the Americana in the education of tho masses. They feel that their country cannot progress and prosper without it, and that if tho people arc to bo raised it must be done through the medium of education. Jfot onlv do they, seo in it a "moral policeman," but

they orguo nlso that in the long run it is far more economical to educate-the people than to have to support in the prisons, workhouses, etc., tho unfortunates who, through an inferior. education, or none at nil, have been lett unfitted to earn their livelihood. It is folt, indeed, throughout the United States that education is their safety and salvation. In the words of President Roosevelt, when addressing the commission at Washington: " Education may not make a nation, but a nation would certainly be ruined without it." So from a pm'ily business point of view Americans sco, in llio money spent 011 education, iv magnificent investment for their country. And here we may note that Mr Mosely puto 011 rerorcl that whilo wealthy Britishers spend largo. sums on sport, wealthy Americans seem to make it n hobby to endow educational institutes.

One most interesting section of the preface refers to the great valuo of. training obtained in technical schools as by a comparative table illustrating its money equivalent; that, however, wo shall take up later on. l'ut though education is looked upon cs having a direct money value, Mr Mosely. does not think tho American a matoriali-t; nor docs he think tlmt there is no aristocracy hut that of money. On the former he savs:—

Tlioso who hold such on opinion cannot, I think, have carried I)ieir analysis very deeply; and they fail to distinguish between materialism and ambition—qualities in reality as wide apart as tho poles, although very easily mistaken at first sighi. The one lias every vice, the other every virtue. Personally I credit the American nation with ah intense ambition not only to raise themselves individually, but also to use their efforts for the raising of their fellows and for the furtherance of civilisation.

And on tho latter:— Once more I beg to differ, The contention may on the surface appear to be true, but if tile matter ho probed a little deeper it will le found that in reality the aristocracy of money is an aristocracy of brains, for the reason that since, few of tho peoplo of the United States have, as yet, inherited riohes, the fact that tlicv have succeeded financially and hecomo wealthy is a proof that they must have possessed remarkable ability and brain power in order to achieve their sncceas.

Thero nro two defects in our primary system—inadoquato remuneration and tho undito proportion of womon teachers. The samo dofeeta obtain elsewhere, as the following shows:—

I would mention that, though I was not in the States to criticise, I was desired by many of those interested in education there to do so; and although I prefer in general to leave this matter to the expert judgment of my commissioners, there were several notable points that struck mo forcibly. Ono waa the largo preponderance of women teachers in ail branches of education throughout the country. Personally, I should favour tho employment of female teachers for both boy9'antljjlrls up to the age of, say, 12 years; for the reason that (as it appears to me) the woman claims ihe sympathy of children in younger years, and understands the working of their minds, in a way and to an extent that no nmn can. Beyond this point, however, I am in favour of turning tho pupils over to men; and here, if I may say so, American education in luy view requires same overhauling! Not only did I find comparatively few men engaged in teaching, but also few preparing 'to hecomo teachers: and upon furthn investigation I discovered the reason to lio in the smallness of the remuneration, which is insufficient to attract n good class of men. This I think a serious defect, and I veifture fo'suggest that higher salaries should be paid to teachers of both sexes, but especially to men, in order to make it worth their whilo to take up tho profession not merely as a duty but as a remunerative occupation.

According to the next quotation too much timo is put to sport in the school at Home, as lias already been indicated.

The question of sports in American schools as compared with those of this country also impressed ms. Of course, the people of America are fond of sport and take a keen interest. in baseball and football, but such matters do not form anything like so important a part of the everyday life of the schcolboy there as is tho case here, and not nearly so much time is devoted to them. Further, school-' masters in the United States are chosen purely for their academic attainments and power of imparting knowledge to their pupils, without reference to their athletic qualities or achievements. The absolute devotioy to sports, to the exclusion of almost all oilier inferosis, which of late years has crept into all classes of EngHph schools, forms, I think, one of t'lo weakest points in our educational system.

" comes a general summing up of the wholo position. We have " tho stability and abi.lily," but must " wake up."

Looking info the future of our own country, I feel bound to record my belief that 'lie regime of tlio past, however successful it may have been, is obsolete. Honesty, doggedncss, pluck, and many other gcod qualities possessed by Britons, though valuable in tkeiusch'cs, are useless to-day unless by practical, up-to-dato scientific knowledge, and such know'edgo only bceomcs possible with an enlarged and enlightened system of education such as the United States possesses. I feel that if \vc aro to hold our position as tho dominant nation—or one of tho dominant nations—of tho world, wo cannot afford to lag behind in educational matters as we arc now doing. What struck mo in going through the public schools, whether primary or college, of tho United States was the success attaiuetl in making tho scholars sell-reliant, in bringing out their individual qualities and teaching them to reason. Professor Armstrong, ono of the commissioners, in his presidential address to the educational section of the British Association at Belfast in 1902, laid spccial stress upon this point, slating that whilst we recogniso three " R's" in our system of primary education, wo need to have four— tlio last, being tho development of the reasoning power in tho scholar. In some respects this seeni3 to 1110 to bo the most important factor of all in American education, and I think it largely accounts for tho success of the pupils in after life. Their individuality and reasoning powers are developed to the tullest extent; and as a consequencc they make up their minds at a comparatively early age to carvo out' a career for themselves. The teachers appear to be ablo to accomplish a sifting process whereby a schclar's strong points arc singled out and developed, for it is being realised in the United States that allround knowledge, although "useful in itself, must in the present day ot fierce competition be supplemented by the work of specialism; and tho bulk ol American boys on leaving school, I believe, start out with the fixed determination lo take up a cortain line of work, having largely fitted themselves for that occupation or profession whilst at tho public school or university.

I am in hopes that much good will be the outcome of this Commission of Inquiry; and I think that uiany of its members will have bfrin convinced, as X am personally convinced, that if the British Empire is to hold its own, our old industrial methods will have to be dropped, and especially our present method ot popular education will have to be changed. Enormous strides oro being mndo in tho United States, with its truly wonderful natural resources to draw upon. On tho other hand, Germany, which is also making giant strides, lias not such natural advantages, but has made her progress solely through tho forcc of scientific knowledge and tho education of her people. To como nearer home, ono is confronted with ihe fact that tho Scotsman'n success, wherever lie goes, is proverbial; nnd although doubtless his fine characteristics stand him in good stead, the fact remains that Scotland has been ahead of' England in the education of her people.

I am an intenso believer in the ability and stability of the-Briton, but he cannot successfully face tho competition of tho world with the obsolete weapons now at his command. The warning of the Prince of Wales camo none too soon: if wo wish to hold our own in the. world's lace, we must indeed " wake up." We have magnificent material: it remains with the nation at large fo dceido whether or not it shall bo properly utilised. I liave just received a letter from Philadelphia containing the following paragraph, which I think so much to the point that I quolo it exactly as written:—

" Conservative school men aro never r.pt to approve of any fundimnntal imnrovemei'jk

in educational methods. Such peopio in out country must bo compelled to stand aside for the march of events. We cannot wait for them to die, as nations have' done in past centuries. The development of the steam engine, the application of electricity, the growth of gteat cities have come on so rapidly, utterly changing not only parental relations for a large part of the people,.but also many industrial, .moral, and civic" conditions, that we find ourselves all at 6r.ee up against several problems of vast importance, and we conclude that they must be solved by means of the schools.. Old methods, however, will not answer the purpose of the new conditions, which demand intelligent. training in the practice as well as thq theory of piorals and citizenship as in engineering in its various branches."