EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18556, 17 May 1922, Page 6

EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS

ANNUAL 'MEETING OP THE INSTITUTE. I Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 16. ■At the annual meeting of the Educational Institute Mr J. C. Purchas. M.A. (Christchurch) 1 , presided. Those present were the Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education), Mr <T. Caughley (Director of Education!, Mr R. A. Wright, M.P. (Mayor), Mr T. Forsyth (chairman of the Education Board). Mr W. B. Strong (Chief Inspector of Schools). The delegates were (formally welcomed by the Mayor, who spoke of the value of such conferences. •‘lt seems to me that there is more than a passing danger that the insistent demands of many really subsidiary matters may cause the child to be removed from the focus of our educational vision and relegated to the margin,” said Mr Purchas, in his presidential address. “The problem affecting the welfare of the teacher himself. His grading, fo: example, is a question of considerable economic importance to teachers, or the problems connected with the administration of school buildings may temporarily occupy more than their share of our consideration.” The president went into the question of the evolution of educational theory, stating that Rousseau first boldly advocated an entirely new method of treatment based on the nature of the child and its right to be treated according to its manner of development. Therefore, we should stress the necessity before all else of admitting into the profession only those who, besides possessing the necessary literary qualification, have undertaken a course of professional training, including the study of child life and development, so that injury and loss may be reduced to a minimum. Further, training was necessary to give teachers a sympathetic and appreciative altitude towards newer developments in education, such discrimination as will enable them to sift the wheat from the chaff, and such couragei as would impel them to boldly make those changes in methods that they feel assured would be beneficial to the pupils under their control They were still suffering from the results of the system of Lancaster and Bee, which was that one master could teach a thousand puoils and still teach largely in the mass, whether the classes bo large or small. If originality and initiative were to be encouraged, the pupil must be taught to think and act for him or herself. Discipline is the discipline of mass—the discipline of the military officer. From the moment the bell rings, a peremptory summons for him to fall into line, until he is dismissed, lie is not. is own master, nor is it to be wondered at that ho does not show initiative, intentnoss, personal responsibility, or over-much eagerness when he begins his life work. His work has been carefully set down for him. Though the best results would be obtained if it were recognised that their business was not only that of teaching various subjects, but of training fni nve citizens—success which is not accurately indicated by marks gamed.