AN APPRECIATIVE VISITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19261, 27 August 1924, Page 7

AN APPRECIATIVE VISITOR.

PROFESSOR ADAMS ON OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM* SOME INTERESTING CRITICISMS* In the midst of his crowded engagements Professor Adams, the distinguished educationist who is at present visiting Dunehn, spared half an hour of his time yesterday for a friendly and informative chat with a Times interviewer. The subjects on which Professor Adams can speak interestingly and with authority arc practically inexhaustible, but the interviewer sought chiefly to learn something of his impressions of New Zealand, and particularly of its educational system. “Though I have had great expectations. New Zealand has quite come up to them,’ said Professor Adams, “and that is not always tho case,” he smilingly added. He went on to explain that through New Zealand students who had passed through his hands and in other ways he ha.d many associations with this country and had learned to think of it very highly. “Die solidity is what strikes me most,” be said, “the reliability, tho dependability, of the people. They are exceedingly kindly, of course, to people coming from a long distance, and for that reason, perhaps, I am hardly in a fair position to judge.” He commented on the evidence of general wellbeing and prosperity and the lack of slums, and said lhat on the other hand he did not see any tendency to over-expenditure. Rather was there a lack of ostentation. He found a general air of earnestness and willingness to face up to responsibilities. There was very great equality without any demonstration of equality. People seemed to bo equal just without thinking about it at all. “There are places,” he remarked, “where (he people are very anxious to show you how equal they all are, but New Zealand is not one of these. That does not seem to be needed. There is a very general respect for spiritual things—using tho term Bpiritual in its widest sense —and education is not the only subject of the kind in which there is deep interest. I am rather inclined to think that examinations bulk a little too largely here*” “flight 'through the education system?” asked tho interviewer. “Yes, I think so. In England wo are not so given to examinations as we were. I think we have got over it. There is, of course, a tendency to ‘letting down’ because without examinations we get slack. I have (he fooling that if examinations arc loosened there will be a certain amount of slacking. Many teachers —maybe 15 per cent. —will not do quite such good work as they did before, but on the other hand the remaining 35 per cent, will do much better than they could do under our present scheme.” What is being substituted for the examination system in England? ‘lnspections. Tho teachers are left with a greater amount of freedom. But still in England external examinations, particularly in preparation for the university, continue to exercise a good deal of influence —more perhaps than they should. In England there is a very strong movement to have not more than, two big public external examinations —one at about the age of 16 and the others at about tho age of 18. Schools in England fall roughly into two classes—those that end at the age of 16 and those that end at 18. The examination at 16 would be for a leaving certificate and the one at 13 for matriculation, and it would bo a final examination for the better class of schools.” Professor Adams here remarked that in describing the English examinations he found’ himself admitting after all that at Home they had not quite escaped from that sort of thing. However, bis general impression was that we in New Zealand paid more attention to examinations than we need do. A little more freedom for teachers might be accompanied by a certain falling off on the part of some, but there would be more than compensating advantages. In response to a question. Professor Adams stated that the usual ago for matriculation in England is about. 18. The ordinary course would be elementary up to about 14-, secondary to 18, and after that the university. “My view,” said the professor, “is that a time is coming very rapidly when the elementary stage of education will finish at about the age of Hi, and the rest of the time will bo given over to purely secondary work in the oldfashioned schools or in others to vocational work preparing thorn for trades and crafts with a body of general education going along with it. The Labour Party strongly resents that. It wants a liberal education to be given to ,'dl children as long as they are going to school. They feel that any vocational work is really just preparing the children to be cogs in the industrial scheme. So they would rather have a liberal education all tho way through till the scholars enter upon their occupations. ‘‘Your Labour people in Now Zealand,” ho remarked incidentally, “seem to bo very straightforward and very up to date.” Continuing Professor Adams predicted that the lime was coming shortly when up to Hi years of age children would he taught entirely by women. “Hero you have more men teaching in the junior classes than wo have in England. In England there are three and a-nalf women teachers to one man and in New Zealand the proportion is about two to one. You are content with that—-I think quite wisely. It is a very good proportion. After Hi years I think there .would bo a segregation of boys and girls and of men and women teachers, the men being all in the boys’ schools and the women in the girls’. Tho only co-education schools would ho where they could not afford to have two good schools, one for each sex. Professor Adams was for five years external examiner in education to tho University of Now Zealand, and the interviewer asked his on the external examination system. “I think the University should examine its own students. The professors here seem to me to be put in a false position. The same men in England would examine their own students with the co-operation of an external examiner.” The difficulty of professors examining the work of their own students and of tho students of other professors was got over by the presence of this outside examiner. In England tho, pass or fail is determined by a meeting of examiners. The professors all vote together, and Professor Adams considers it a very fair system. On the topical question of one university or four for New Zealand Professor Adams did not care to offer a definite opinion, but ho referred to tho position in Wales where they have four universities. They have greater autonomy than exists here, and examinations are done, by a central board which reprosente all the four colleges. The external examiners consult with tho professors on the work to bo done and are with them when the pass or fail is determined “I am quite sure,” he said, “the present system is wrong by which a professor is regarded merely aa preparing for somebody outside altogether to examine.” “I think tho educational standards are high hero. They are a little too rigid, perhaps, in their methods, but others might not nip-ec with me there. Your education is a little too centralism!. As regards the training of teachers, they do not have sufficiently long training. On the other hand nil teachers have to be trained in wine way or other here. I gather, whereas in England we have only just reached that point. Wo no longer allow people to become teachers without training at all. I am thoroughly at home hero,” concluded tho professor. “I like the way in which things are done.” Professor Adams, who is to leave for Wellington this morning lias still a very long journey mapped out for himself before ho returns to the Old Land. Ho will leave Wellington on September 2 for Brisbane, and proceed from Brisbane to Melbourne and thence to Adelaide, to Hobart to Perth and Fremantle, and then to South Africa. From South Africa he .will return to America, and take a semester at Harvard and another summer in California, Ho will prolwbly visit Canada, as well, and doca not expect to roach Home till 1926.