SELWYN COLLEGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13946, 4 July 1907, Page 2

SELWYN COLLEGE

CLASS ROOMS DEDICATED,

SOME INTERESTING SPEECHES.

The now class rooms at the Solwyn Collegiate School were dedicated by tho Primate, Bishop Ncvill, yesterday afternoon. Tho assembly room was crowdcd, and a .number of gentlemen prominent in educational matters were present. Among these were Professors Sale, Salmond, Black, and Beuham, Dr Hoekcn, the Rev.. Fyncs-Olinton, and Mr F. 0. Bridgcman.. Apologies were received from his Honor Mr Justice Williams, Mr C. C. Graham, Archdeacon Keild, and jlr E. Herbert.

Tho proceedings commenced with tho singing of hymn 165, " 0 God, our help in ages past," and the repetition of the collects by the rector.

THE PRIMATE'S SPEECH. The Primate said it gave him unbounded satisfaction to see this further step in the progress of education taken in ,the diocese, and to seo the dedioation honoured with tho presence of so many of tho leaders,of education. Ho felt deeply grateful to his fellow workers, especially to tho chapter, for the worthy way in which they had carried on the onerous task of getting these class rooms built. The rooms were DeaUtiful in structure and excellent in design. The Church had always been a leader in education. It was tier province to disseminate sointillationß of light from the'sourco of all light. Personally he was not one of those who drew-a hard and fast lino between the Church and-secular education. Education was to be valued for its own sake, and lie held that the physical and material soionces were in themselves componont parts of that omniscience possessed by the Divine Author of all things. Education drew out the faculties of the human being. Musculh: exercise developed tho body, mental exercise .expanded tho inind. There was also something higher,—the spiritual part, and it was necessary to devote study to that ulso. He drew 110 line botweeh secular education and the work of the Church, because the work of the Church was education from the top to the bottom. The Primate went, on, to say that- they intended to make tennis and fives courts in the sohool grounds, and from what he knew of the people of Dunediii, he was convinced that the necessary funds : would soon be forthcoming. 'He congratulated all those who had participated in the building of tho class rooms, and foresaw that with the excellent masters comprising the staff, the school would 1 bo a great success and a benefit to the community. THE CLASSICS. Concerning tho advisability: of the study of Greek and Latin in such'an institution, Professor Sale said' the college had been intended by its founders to follow on. the lines of similar institutions throughout the world. A strong attack had been made on classical studies lately,' so he would advance'a few arguments in their favour. In linguistic studies nothing was so important as latin, which was an introduction to alt languages. llt was a highly inflcctcd languago, tho syntax of which could not only bo learned by rule, but by sight. English was the worst possible introduction to linguistic studies, and a man who studied English only would grow into a pedant, who was unable to convince even himself. English was merely a positional, but Latin'an inflectional tonnue, All modern "romanco" languages borrowed directly from Latin, and ovory etymologist could not fail to be deeply interested in it. "Treacle," for instance, was a Greek word, an'd "hotch poteh" a French one. The noblest and greatest poem ever written was "Lucretius," and nothing could compare with the beauty of thought and sustained dignity' of that great work. Greek was an extraordinarily flexible and delicate language, ox. pressing varying shades of opinion, and with tho vast number of particles it possessed was ablo to express tints and harmonies of thought in words, which in English could only bo expressed by inflections of the voire. _ Poetry, the drama, history, all studies, in fact,-had originated with the Greeks, and no one could properly appreciate Milton, Shakespeare, or Tennyson unless he had in a measure drunk from the same classioal fountain. Some people declared that Latin and Greek were left behind with a boy's school days, and that Mr Benson a few months ago had said as -\ people had mado a mistake, what Mr Boneon had said was tliat boys who. only received a smattering of Greek and Latin did not carry anv material benefit therefrom into after life. , This also might be said in regard to Euclid and algebra. He himself had wasted much time on the binomial theorem and analytical conics, but that was because he had not gone on with them. No one could predict what a boy would be, and it. was the.height of folly to shut pupils out from a course of study simnly because his parents had found it useless in their own profession or trade, It was nonsense io speak ot useful and useless studies. No study was useless, and he had many dfcar friends who at the end of life's journey had gono.back with the greatest of pleasure to tho Latin and Greek of their boyhood. Ho therefore sincerely hoped that Latin and Greek would jorm part of the Selwyn Coilego curricu-

EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE. Professor Bonliam contrasted tho new class rooms with the lecture rooms at the University, and pointed out that every forward step taken in science was the result, of discoveries made in the laboratories. Every secondary school, ho said, should teach experimental science, as it was a. fatal mistake for a boy to bwrin life ignorant of nil lunoamcntal principles that governed the uni verso in which he was to live. Tho talk used to be of the 11 Three R's"; now there were four, and the last R elood for reasoning. He had .nothing to say against classics, but did not think Latin and Greek should be allowed to elbow out science; and was it neccssary to adhere to the medieval custom,of training every bo.v in the classics? Boys were not all cast in tho samo mould. He had known a boy donsnly stupid at Latin, but put lilm to scienco and there was a marvellous difference. Science did not, perhaps, pay as an examination item, bocausa to "cram up" scientific facts was to destroy their utility. He sinoerely hoped to see experimental- scienco made room for in a School founded in tho twentieth l century. THE COLLEGE. Canon R. A. "Woodthorpe, the rector, reviewed the past history of the school, and laid stress on the importance of having such an institution at the heart of the_University, and of the advantages to bo obtained from the common life under the guardianship of scholars, which did so much to reproduce tho old collegiate influence of Oxford or Cambridge, in which tho at-mo-.spheres of scienco and theology were so happily blended. Bovs had come from all parts of New Zealand, and as accommodation was limited he and his wife had beon driven to the usq of the study and a bedroom. the re6t of tho house being devoted to scholars. He had been promised the secluded quiet life of the scholar when ho first came, but he was almost glad to that it had not been so. and he would say that his wifo had responded most nobly to tho situation. The masters, Messrs J. Shand Lomas and Edmund I.omas, had proved themselves earnest, capable, arid devoted teachers. As to scienco, magnetism, electricity, physics, and anatomy were taught. But tho school had only just I>eg»n' to really live, and with the new class rooms, the excellence of thn staff, the respcct of parents, and the enthusiasm of tho boys, lie saw an opportunity to work out a splendid ideal.

Professor Salmond, in a few brief but pointed remarks, pointed out that' thero would probably bo some friendly rivalry between tho Selwyn Collegiate School and tho High School; but rivalry was an cxcollent thing and a powerful stimulant. The college had undertaken an exceedingly extensive programme, which ho hoped it would be ablo to carry out. 110 wished the Selwyn College every success. In conclusion, the Frimato said that as yet they acknowledged tlicmsejvcfi to be small people, but they had great ideas. Tho work 'of tho school would always uo characterised by truth and reality. Ho was grateful to the speakers for their masterly expositions, and to the ladies and gentlemen for their attendance. THE CLASS ROOMS. .

The now class rooms, which were then inspected, can accommodate over 90 pupils on the jingle-desk system, and are flanked by a roomy corridoi. I/eft hand light has been arranged for, and special attention has been paid to the ventilation. The rooms are 16ft by 23ft. and arc panelled with red pine. The slate roof has bellshaped eaves, and is suuportcd by quadrant brackets over each buttress. Tho architect is Mr Basil ]!. Hooper, and the contractors Messrs Crawford and Watson. Complete satisfaction with the arrangements was expressed by everyone during the inspection, and the new school rooms will come into U6O next week.